OPPA Kitchen — Restaurant in El Nido

When choosing a pleasant dining experience, look for a restaurant where people are willing to line up and wait for a table. This is the case at this show stealer Oppa Dryft Fish. This small eatery offers Korean cuisine with a fusion twist, featuring unique combinations of traditional Korean ingredients and international flavors. You won't regret recommending this place. My friends loved it so much that we went there for three dinners in a row! This eatery put another restaurant to shame, where staff stood outside trying to entice people to at least check out their menu. However, I did notice that Oppa Dryft Fish's clientele mainly consisted of foreigners.

Oppa Dryft Fish exudes a laid-back charm. Its open layout, featuring a bar counter, kitchen-facing stools, and a menu board on the wall, creates a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. We chose to sit where we could watch the food being prepared, adding to the casual and comforting vibe of the place. Most of their menu items incorporate kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented vegetables, typically cabbage. Kimchi is not only delicious but also good for gut health.

I tried their beef bulgogi cheesesteak, tuna poke bowl, tuna steak taco, and kimchi grilled cheese (which I plan to recreate at home). The tuna tartare, a fan favorite, was hands down my favorite dish. My friend ordered the cheese ramen twice; I would have ordered the same if it had been freshly made. Another friend tried the pork dumplings, which was delicious, but he thinks the gyoza from Mendokoro is better. This shows that while one restaurant may offer a variety of tasty dishes, another can still do some things even better. Despite this, my friend who tried the pork dumplings mentioned he would still write a glowing review of Oppa when he returned to Germany. While some dishes might not stand out as others (like the pork dumplings compared to Mendokoro's), the overall experience makes up for it.

The concept behind 'Dryft' is a thoughtful touch that mirrors their dedication to sustainable seafood sourcing. They procure their seafood from local fishermen in El Nido, Palawan, a practice that supports the local community and ensures the freshness and quality of their dishes. The blend of flavors, the casual yet vibrant atmosphere, and the Korean "Oppa" touch make it a unique spot worth returning to, especially if it's received such glowing...

My god, this place is just superb.

We'd lowered our expectations of El Nido's foodie scene, if we're honest. Nothing was bad, but nothing had blown us away. And then we tried OPPA and we realised how daft we were being.

The food is exceptional. We started with kimchi loaded nachos and pork dumplings, both stunningly delicious and ridiculously moreish. Then we shared the K-Smash burger (unbelievably tasty) and the chicken galbi plate (sensational) and were kind of dumbfounded that it had taken us days to try it out.

Dessert in a Korean place is typically a... risky (cough) bet, but we were drunk on the quality of the food so far (and the soju) and ordered the strawberry cheesecake. Tremendous. Don't miss it.

The service is equally brilliant (warm, welcoming, attentive, down-to-earth) and the prices extremely reasonable for the quality you're getting.

I wouldn't be surprised if we're back in the next 48hrs before we leave El Nido. Not just for the 90s R&B soundtrack to the whole meal (but...

This is our favourite restaurant in all of El Nido! It is a mix of two restaurants (Oppa and Dryft) and serves both menus. All of the food uses very fresh, quality ingredients. If you love fresh fish, I would recommend the Poke Tacos, Poke Nachos and the Tuna Tartare (from the Dryft menu) and the Kimchi fried rice and Pork Dumplings are also very delicious (from the Oppa menu). The staff are all so warm and welcoming and you can grab a bar seat facing the kitchen and can see the chefs in action. The drinks here are also very delicious and they use very fresh ingredients for these too, I would recommend the calamansi honey iced tea or any of their soju cocktails! Monica from their staff is also super personable and makes dining here a wonderful experience! I cannot recommend enough. Please bring cash with you though as they do not take card, there is however an ATM opposite...