Gokain Bistro

Lenette Leong

4.0

Annyeong!!!! Craving for some Korean food experience? Got an obsession for Korean culture and food? Wanna test and try the hidden Korean spirit in you? Here is one of the must-visit, affordable and accessible Korean restaurant in the heart of Metro Manila!!! If you are a first-timer and you are on a budget and you don't want to end up being strapped then this guide-review-rating is for you! 🇰🇷Disclaimer: This guide-review-rating is based on our own customer experience. If you wanna know more about GOKAIN BISTRO, you can check their Facebook page: https\://www.facebook.com/gokainbistrotaft/ or you can definitely check them on your website mobile application!!! You can find their menu and prices there. You can also give them your own rating and review.Don't forget to follow me on website: @thewalkingfoodie and check on my updates about my reviews on different food hubs and restaurants.This is not the first time you'll be seeing a post about GOKAIN BISTRO on Facebook, but since I am a satisfied customer and I am a first-timer of some Korean food action and I really wanted to recommend this to everyone, both first-timers and experts on the taste of Korean food, I decided to make a guide so enough with so much introduction and here you go!GOKAIN BISTRO 🇰🇷📍 Address: 2/F University Mall Taft Avenue, Manila🕒 Store Hours: 10:00 AM-9:00 PM💵 Budget for 2: 500-600 php (Approximate ONLY)📍 HOW TO GET THERE:If you are coming from the North:✔ If you are riding the MRT, your drop off point is at MRT Taft Station, transfer to LRT L1 EDSA station, drop off point is at LRT L1 Vito Cruz Station. The mall is on the other side of the station so you have to cross the street.✔ If you are riding a bus bound South like Pasay, Coastall Mall, SM Mall Of Asia, and the like, your drop off point is at Pasay Rotonda and you can transfer to any available jeepneys with routes along Taft Avenue.🚆 If you are coming from the South:✔ If you are riding the LRT L1, always remember that your drop off point is LRT L1 Vito Cruz station. On this side of Vito Cruz station is connected to the 2nd Floor of the University Mall so you just have to use that mall entrance.✔ If you are riding a bus from the South (Cavite, Laguna, etc.) and your drop off point is at Lawton, you can ride a jeepney going to Baclaran/Buendia or if your drop off point is at Buendia/Pasay Rotonda, you can transfer to any available jeepneys with routes along Taft Avenue.📍Your available landmarks are as follows:📌 De La Salle University-Manila📌 De La Salle College of Saint Benilde📌 McDonald's DLSU Taft‼‼ REMINDER !!!!The restaurant is at the hidden part of 2nd floor so you really have to look for it!!! It is at the far end side. If you feel that you are a little bit lost, always remember that you can always ask anyone within the vicinity.🍜🍱 FOOD/MENU/PRICING:They offer main dish of either rice or noodles. Since I don't have the price list for this, I got this one from website.Their main dish is all for 190 php ONLY!!!Main dish + rice + salad + creamy macaroni + unlimited kimchi/korean pickles:🍱 Jaeyuk Bokkeum (stir-fried pork with sweet and spicy sauce)🍱 Dak-Galbi (Spicy sweet grilled chicken)🍱 Dak-Gangjeong (Fried chicken with sweet and spicy glaze)🍱 Bulgogi (Beef marinated in a sweet soy-based sauce)🍱 Japchae (Glass noodles stir-fried with beef and vegetables)🍱 Samgyup Kimchi Bokkeum (Fried pork and Kimchi)🍱 Chamchi Kimchi Bokkeum (Fried tuna and Kimchi)🍱 Samgyupsal (Grilled pork belly on a reasting pan)🍱 Bibipbap (Mixed rice with wild vegetables and red pepper sauce)🍱 Curry (Korean-style curry)Korean-style Noodles:🍲 Haemul Ramyeon: 129 php (Korean-style seafood noodles with egg)🍲 Ramyeon: 99 php (Korean-style noodles with egg)You can actually choose the spicy level for your Ramyeon. But for Haemul Ramyeon it is an automatic SPICY. The levels are as follows:🌶 NORMAL🌶🌶 SPICY🌶🌶🌶 EXTREMELY SPICYFor Gimbap, I have a photo of their varieties with their respective prices!!!They also have Ddeok Kochi or rice cake skewers for 89 php!!! 🍡For Beverages, they both offer Pepsi, Coca-Cola products and Iced Tea for 35 php ONLY. They also have a serving water which is a must for restaurants and that is a superb for me since beverage is important for me always.l!!!They got varieties of Korean ice cream. Prices range from 55-60 php. We got Samanco (fish-shapped waffle stuffed with vanilla ice cream and a thin layer of red bean paste). I don't have a photo of others so you have to check that one out!!! 🍦✳✳✳✳✳✳REVIEW/RATING✳✳✳✳✳✳🎎 AMBIANCE/INTERIOR ★★★★✰✔ For me and my cousin, the ambiance is very cozy. I really like the set up of the chairs 'cause it gives the customers their own personal space and they would surely enjoy having good conversations with whoever they are with when they dine in. I am not sure if they have a Wi-Fi connection but I think they don't have and for me it is perfectly fine. Seeing all the customers having just good conversations and good food is always perfect!!!✔ If you are an ultimate K-pop fan, you will enjoy the CDs of different K-pop groups on GOKAIN BISTRO's wall and if you are a Kdrama fan, they are playing some OST from different Kdramas, too!!! They played the OST of Goblin when we dine so I was really thinking I am having a date with Gong Yoo in a GOBLIN environment!!!! Not the Train To Busan one, oh-please!!! Lol.✔The restaurant is not intimidating! I can say that it is a "maka-masa" or a restaurant for the mass. Even if you are a student, professional or anyone who just wanted to chill and have good Korean food, the ambiance is very welcoming!!!✔I like how the restaurant showcase a touch of both Filipino and Korean culture. I like that it got the popular culture of Korea and it is like a mini fieldtrip to Korea. I also like that they use wooden tables!!! Amazing!!!✔ I believe that everything is 'instagrammable' or instagram-worthy so I hope they work on the lights for perfect pictures but this is just a suggestion. We were still able to capture a good quality photos so it is still fine.💁 CUSTOMER SERVICE ★★★✰✰✔ Customer service was good. I just think that they are under staff so the waiting time is a little bit long but all the waiting is worth it!!! I think the staff just needed more energy and more positive aura and vibes! :)📝 FOOD/MENU/PRICING ★★★★✰✔ The food is really great!!! I really enjoyed it. I was so hesitant and skeptic about Korean food, really. And now, I am starting to love it!!! I was able to handle the Haemul Ramyeon and I believe that the spicy level is not as much as I expected so if your taste buds are into spicy food, I strongly recommend that you go for the EXTREMELY SPICY level. My cousin is really into Korean food and I can say that she is an expert with that but she still enjoyed it so both first-timers and experts are hooked!!!!✔ Menu is easy, convenient and simple to understand. I like that they put pictures and descriptions, too.✔ Pricing is superb!!! Affordable!!! Some would say that the food is not like the ones offered by other restaurants but considering its price, it is like your first aid to Korean food craving!!!OVERALL RATING: ★★★★✰Like I said, there is always a room for improvement. But seeing all the positive reviews about GOKAIN BISTRO aside from my first ever dine in experience and review, I am starting to think about going back here. I hope when I get back they are offering more Korean food. Gonna try their Gimbap next time!!!Share and tag your squad, girlfriends/boyfriends, food buddies who craves for some Korean food action on a budget and don't want to get broke!!! Jeongmal Gomabseubnida for reading!!! Happy dining!!!

Serkan Besli

1.0

I have dined at Gokain several times to have a quick fix when i crave for samgyupsal and kimchi. I think the food is overpriced compared to dining in a unli samgyupsal resto which would cost around 500 pesos or less. But since you cant dine alone in a unli samgyupsal resto, i opt to Gokain.WORST SERVICE EVER. I know Gokain staffs are known for their "attitude" and their low-key techniques to ignore customers but i never complained (kasi they serve naman my food within 10-15minutes waiting time) until now. I had an experience when the staff took my order and had me wait for 30 minutes kasi daw "mas madami po kasi ang kabilang table" and total mag isa lang naman ako. I was shocked, i know the food had to be prepared pero to wait for 30 minutes is too much para lang sa isang serving ng pagkain, plus i heard a little bit of discrimination in the tone of her voice kasi im dining alone.So if someone ask me if i would dine again here? Nope. Not anymore. There are other korean restaurants that's more worth your buck and time.

Em Zy

3.0

When I went here for the first time, it was their soft opening. Food was not the best, staff was not friendly, and waiting time was long. Now, I can see that they've improved. I ordered their beef bulgogi, which was served with lots of hot beef. I do wonder why their egg was not hot. It's not that hard naman to cook an egg? But anyway, the improvement of that one single dish was great since I ordered it the first time. The staff also improved. Kudos to kuya Rodel who kept greeting us every time. He was very nice and attentive to our needs. Waiting time was down to 10-20 minutes, which is good compared to their previous 30 minutes. However, I find their food a bit pricey for the taste and presentation. If they improved their cooking a bit more, it might be worth it to pay that high.It's not the best Korean restaurant out there yet, but it's a place to go when you're craving for Korean food without a tight budget.

Clarisa Zuñiga

1.0

The interior and ambiance is nice but the price of the food is expensive for its worth. The food didn't meet my expectations. The side dishes in their bulgogi didn't taste good as well.

Debby Karisa

3.0

The staff has absolutely no idea what they are selling. Only one staff understands their menu and has to be called every single time that we have a question. I’d give higher stars for the food but the incompetence of the staff just killed it for me.

Shula Arto

5.0

I love this place very much. Cozy place, Nice staff, Yummy foods with very affordable price. 5 🌟 is a must ♥ Your 200 pesos will bring you the taste of korean foods that you will surely love. Will visit again.

Egy Anggraini

3.0

The food is good, nothing extraordinary but good fpr a korean food. I had the bibiba,and the vegetables were plenty enough to make me so full. The place so so, well it might have been the building or place where it is located. I still give it a 3.5

Patricia June Lewi

3.0

Met up with some friends again and we ended up eating here. I had their ramyeon which was just okay, there's three levels of spiciness and I chose the lowest, which is called regular (or normal? idk I forgot already hahahuhu), and it was already sort of spicy, so if you have low tolerance for spicy food, better stick with this order - or get something else entirely.We had their gimbap, and they served it after 15-20 minutes, which was way too long of a waiting time, considering the fact that there were only 3 or so other tables occupied at the time. I had their cheese gimbap and it was just alright.Ambience was ok. Service could still be improved.

Gisela Deigratia

2.0

I expected a lot from this restaurant because of that tempting Facebook post, but I guess we all have different tastes because I wasn't impressed with the side dishes. It was worth the money, maybe.

Ardi Titanium

2.0

FOOD: we ordered ramen and a rice meal (pork and squid something) the rice meal was worth it, i loved it it was delish. The ramen however, is the plain old shin ramen. But i knew what it was, and it was awesome, but the egg was overcooked. You can tell no extra effort was given. Also, the side dish is only kimchi. :( STAFF:WORST. SERVICE. EVER. There were only 2 servers when we came and they were the worst. First, our food took forever plus the 15 min. Interval between our orders. They were the laziest servers I've encountered. Low key ignoring customers, and not nice at all. I literally had to stand up to follow up my order and to pay my bill at the end of our meal. INTERIOR:Props for that tho, it was really pretty.