Nikkei Rockwell — Restaurant in Makati

I was really looking forward to visiting Nikkei Rockwell for the first time. I've been to other branches and was always really happy with the food, service and ambiance. However, this experience fell far short of expectations, primarily due to the reception we received.

Upon our arrival at 5:30pm on a Wednesday it was pretty clear that the restaurant was not busy, with many tables available both inside and out. Yet, we were promptly directed to consider an outdoor high-top as the sole option, which was less than ideal with a toddler in tow. This suggestion felt like a passive aggressive discouragement from dining indoors with a child, leaving us puzzled and somewhat unwelcome, especially since no explanation was provided for this oversight. After asking specifically to sit inside, we were outright denied.

The host was short with us which was somewhat surprising considering the excellent service I've experienced in previous visits. It's disheartening, as the atmosphere and cuisine of Nikkei have always been aspects I've enjoyed. This incident underscores the importance of inclusivity and the need for all guests to feel welcomed, regardless of their party's composition.

Nikkei's reputation for fine dining should equally extend to its service quality, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for all patrons, including families. This experience has unfortunately tarnished my view of the brand, highlighting an area ripe for improvement. I hope Nikkei takes this feedback as a constructive opportunity to enhance their service approach, especially towards accommodating families more graciously. I won't be back, with or...

First time to try Nikkei Rockwell and I must say the place didn’t disappoint. Tried different variety of dishes and everything was scrumptious. We had aburi and tuna mango makis and even had a second order of Chirashi Premium because the sashimi is just that good! It’s like a deconstructive nigiri. Even the soysauce was a sashimi sauce and not just an ordinary soy sauce. Tried their new dish of Premium Steak of the Month, it’s good but expected it to be soft like wagyu, seems like it’s a bit over cooked but nonetheless it’s good and perfect for sharing. We had Sapporo draft beer served perfect for the sashimi and Carrilleras and Maguro Avocado well. And the last part we tried their desert. We had Tres Leches which is good and tried their home-made matcha and sesame ice cream. I generally don’t matcha but this one is exceptional coz it’s more creamy than bitter-y taste of matcha. Sesame tasted okay as well. Servers were prompt enough to serve dishes and asked everytime to refill our beers. And the best part is waiting time for food were fast. Food was served right away and they were eager to serve our extra requests. Much thanks to the trainees Mylene and Jaime (not sure) and everyone who served us in Nikkei Rockwell. We had a good food and good time. Will come back!...

I can't understand why this restaurant was so highly rated on Google. Food was average at best, with the soy sauce and wasabi being sub par so you got barely any flavour from this to add to the Maguro sashimi. We kept being told by staff that half 3 of the 6 items we initially ordered were of poor quality or unavailable which is surprising for a restaurant like this. On top of this, the ceviche and Huancaina risotto accompanying the seared tuna both tasted like they had been sat in a fridge rather than freshly prepared which is unacceptable at a higher dining standard and price like this restaurant. The black cod miso was the only item that stood out among the 6 things we ordered. Drinks were also good so I'd recommend coming here for drinks rather than for the food. Finally the service upstairs was nice but we moved downstairs as we were cold. The service downstairs was mediocre, highly impersonal and you felt rushed to order and pay with us having to repeatedly ask for cutlery and soy sauce. Not worth the price and I'm sure Manila has plenty more options that will make a...