Had an excellent meal at Giwa!
Beautiful, modern, clean space with a lot of seating. Prices are super reasonable, and service was excellent. We tried a variety of dishes, each of which was more delicious than the last.
The japchae noodles are EXCELLENT and I loved building my own bowl. There are so many fun flavors to play with that you can go there 10 times and still be surprised.
Overall, awesome experience that I would highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick tasty bite!
Giwa is fabulous and is my go to new-person-at-work spot. The food is tasty (with new things on the menu) and reasonably priced. Service is good although occassionally a little slow if they're busy. The food is always super fresh and most of it is deliciously spicy! The Korean tacos are great as well as the hot stone bowl. if you're looking for some authentic high quality Korean food this place is a sure hit.
The new Giwa is more spacious, more efficient and modernized with touch screen ordering stations, while just as tasty as before. Giwa now focuses on its signature bibimbap, Korean BBQ, and taco dishes, which you can customize to your liking. This is my favorite bibimbap place in Center City.
In my mind, you can get the most authentic bibimbap among all fast-casual places here. Bulgogi and signature spicy sauce are definitely the choice here, although getting extra protein makes it a bit pricy for workday lunch. Especially in cold winter, the sizzling stone bowl will absolutely warm both body and heart up!
Kinda good we can order thorough machine and food is great ...(also delivery is fast with good condition)
Came in and ordered a BYOB (build your own bowl) and was in love! Served in a sizzling hot stone bowl (yes it is literally sizzling). The veggies were extremely fresh and crisp.
The atmosphere is simple, relaxed and quiet. They play K-Pop/R&B music at a nice mid-level volume. You can sit on a stool at a large table or get a little cozy in the booth. Bathroom was crazy clean with alot of room.
On top of good food and a nice clean shop, the staff was SUPER friendly. From the two ladies up front to the cook who even laughed and joked with me, everyone was very pleasant and welcoming.
My only complaint is they have no desserts/sweet treats. Solid 9/10 and would definitely go again. Just hoping they start serving ice cream or something in the future.
Samuel Son (soondooboo)
+5
No nonsense place with hearty bowls for which I ordered a marinated chicken bowl. The chicken was juicy and tender and the food was a tasteful fusion of the Korean and American sensibilities. Also, the place is very clean and the ambiance is nice, what with the lighting. Only slight criticism is that they have dated beverage dispensers. Otherwise excellent service and establishment. They are very friendly and greet you as soon as you enter and also thank you upon your leaving.
What a great place! I've always walked by before because from the outside it looks like they're trying too hard. But it's consistently semi-full so I finally checked it out. Glad I did! The place is warm and inviting and the staff is very friendly, greeting me the minute I stepped in. The Giwa tacos were delicious (though a bit overpriced) and the vegan-friendly rice bowls looked tasty and healthy. Definitely in my top ten of Philly restaurants.
2 of my favorite lunch dishes at this spot. The transition to the larger location hit some bumps which they have since worked out. The touch screen ordering is a little tough for a new customer but they usually can help or just take your order at the counter. Hot things are served dangerously hot so take care or ask for help and don't rush.
Nice bibimbap to go - they were able to make the hot version to go - minus the fun and crunch of the stone pot but quite good (I don't like the cold kind). They do not do the usual runny fried egg which adds a certain special quality - rather they use omelet strips - I will definitely get again though especially for take out. Friendly and fast but made to order.
Small, but I've always come on the off hours on weekends so it's never been a problem to get a seat. I could imagine the work week lunch crowd must pile in here. I've tried a lot of bibimbap but this is the best I've had so far in Philly and surrounding PA/NJ. No frills, nothing fancy, just good crispy rice. They give you the standard fixings as well. Well spiced, extra sauce, big portions, warms your bellly and no lettuce in the bowl which I like.
I was a little confused at my first visit by their ordering system of little touch screens. I've always had my bap cool with a friend egg, but was perplexed by not being about to get an egg on my cold bowl. The bowl ended up still being very delicious, even without the egg! And I later learned that you can get egg, they just have to be a hot bowl, which I finally got around to trying and was also delicious! Almost too hot to eat for a surprisingly long time, so delicious if only a little painful too haha
First time here and ordered the Korean tacos. Really awesome! and will def be back. Food was fresh and delicious and the service was good to.
Update: They moved to a new location and the atmosphere is way better. Good food good atmosphere.
they have some typical traditional items and some street food items too. traditional does not mean that they are served in the most authentic korean way. that said, i was very satisfied with the quality of food even though banchan (sidedishes) could be a lot better. however, considering the quality of main dish and the care that seemed to have been put in, i’d recommend this place
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