We had a chance to briefly visit Okada Manila as they were gearing up for the February 12, 2021 Chinese New Year celebrations.
Just sharing a few impressions as we did not stay at length. Some people may be wondering what's new.
Of course, the novel thing that greeted us was the disinfection booth at the complex entrance. So far, it's the first establishment that I have encountered using it.
As we entered the mall area, the first thing we noticed was the new Jollibee store with people lining up, as it seemed to be the only fast-food chain in the vicinity.
As we walked onwards, we saw another familiar food cart store selling Italian pizza and pasta. Even before the lockdown, they were already occupying that spot and seemed to have been the only one that stayed in the same location.
We saw Mary Grace and Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory kiosks that were in a different location from what we remembered. If I recall correctly, the main Starbucks branch was still open.
Before the lockdown, there was another food stall selling Japanese Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki. We were told that they decided not to renew their lease. Hopefully, they will decide to come back as they were pretty good at what they did.
The Okada restaurant outlets were open. One of those with ongoing promotional offers was Goryeo Restaurant. You can read my previous food review on the following link.
https://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2019/07/goryeo-restaurant-and-manila-bay-sunset.html
Compared to former years, a few big stores like Pandora and Digital Walker remained open. It was a surprise to see the Murano store stay strong as well.
At the time of our visit, there were no fountain shows scheduled. One thing I remembered from the past were the street shows that Okada Manila hosted. They were out of the ordinary but you sometimes wondered if they were safe enough.
Another spot that was closed was the Sakura area. Operations seemed to have been downsized, obviously due to quarantine limitations.
From what we were told, Okada's Retreat Spa is open but does not allow the use of the wet floor compared to previous years. I understand this is connected to the quarantine rules. Of course, it can change without notice.
All told, it was a welcome experience to walk down memory lane if only to remember and give thanks for carefree days under the sun. It is with hope that we look forward to the future and the end of this pandemic.
