Magna Kainan

Review summary

1. G

   Giselle

   Denver

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Although I never leave reviews, I felt compelled to after what I experienced last night. I had made a reservation about a week and a half out, and was very excited as I have been fortunate enough to experience Filipino food through extended family back in the east coast. I was expecting the restaurant to not only be good, but exceed my expectations of good Filipino cuisine. But, this was not the case for my party and I. My party and I had ordered the following: Lumpia, Pancit Bihon with prawns, Adobo Fried Rice, Bistek and two sides of Jasmine Rice to accompany the Bistek. The Lumpia: There was a lot to be desired here flavor wise. It was very bland considering the nature of the dish, and tasted as though it had been out for a while/chronically reheated. The chili sauce that accompanied the lumpia was flavorful but it couldn't save the dish. Pancit Bihon: A lot more flavorful than the lumpia, but a little excessive on the charring to the point that it tasted burnt. Although a malliard reaction is a massive contributor to flavor, there is such a thing as overdoing the sear to the point that it becomes a burnt crust. Adobo Fried Rice: The dish was flavorful, but the rice was underdone. A common theme throughout this dish and other rice based dishes. When I pointed this out to our server, their excuse was that the kitchen was swamped and they must've rushed through the cooking process. Bistek: The dish that our whole table was waiting for. Although the marrow was delicious, the steak left A LOT to be desired. Although medium rare, it was a VERY tough piece of meat. In addition to the meat being tough, this dish ran into the same problem as the Pancit Bihon with prawns, the malliard reaction was overdone to the point that the meat tasted burnt instead of having a pleasant crust. The cilantro relish that accompanied the dish was also burnt. Although our server was great, and the cocktails were also great, this place is definitely a miss. 2/5.
   

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2. E

   Eric

   VIP

   Charlotte

   36 reviews

   5.0

   36 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Waiter was very engaging and helpful although someone forgot about our wine order. Food was imaginative and delicious and cocktails were awesome
   

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3. P

   Patricia

   Denver

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   As a fellow Filipino, I was really excited to try out this place! I was excited to see that we have come up in the community and love that Filipinos are out there doing big things! A lot of people complain about the portion and the price. What I think is that the restaurant uses quality products, I didn't walk away from the dinner table feeling heavy like Filipino food would feel like. I think that they're really choosing quality over quantity. I loved the sisig, that was my favorite dish. As for the Kare-Kare, we think that what was really lacking here is that the Oxtail mean was not coming off the bone so easily. For something that is $32, I had higher expectations for this ulam. Taste was great, and I get it, they're using oxtail instead of beef, it's more pricey. But if it were cooked longer to the point where the meat was coming off, I think it would have been 100% worth the money. Lumpia Shanghai had a lot of filling and loved the spicy sauce. Very unlike usual Lumpia Shanghai that would lack in filling. I got the Ube Snack drink which didn't really pair well with my meal. Should have just gone with a different drink. And the pandan cheesecake was really good. Service is where it really went down for us. We didn't feel very well taken care of by our server. He's very transactional, I would have expected more from a Filipino restaurant. It was disappointing. Down to the last issue, they took our leftovers without asking us if we wanted it to-go. When I brought that up to our server, he was rather defensive saying that he asked, that we said no and it's been thrown out. He came back later on, apologized and gave us our dessert on the house. Which was nice, but we spent 95% of our evening with an okay service. And I think that the kind of service you can get can make or break your dinner experience. Overall, I think that the food is great, we just didn't feel like we got the value due to the Oxtail and the service. But I would give this place a second try.
   

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4. W

   Wesley

   VIP

   Denver

   3 reviews

   3.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Filipino food is an acquired taste that I apparently have not yet acquired.
   

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5. J

   Joanne

   Chicago

   8 reviews

   3.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   We thought that the prices were high and the food somewhat disappointing. $15 for 4 rolls that were basically dinner rolls with some extra butter was too much. I ordered the chicken and it was dry and just like one of the baked chickens you buy at King Soopers. Some sauce would have helped, I will make a curry with leftovers. We don't eat pork or beef so those dishes might have been more flavorful. The service was fine and the staff friendly.
   

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6. J

   John Brandon

   VIP

   Denver

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 5, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was wonderful, portions were hit or miss, service was promising but you can tell they're just getting on their feet and getting into the swing of things. Would definitely return myself in the future and recommend a visit to friends!
   

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7. V

   Vanessa

   Seattle

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on January 5, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   I dined here last night. It was really cold outside, so of course had to be bundled up and I love that they had a coat check behind the hostess stand. What I did not like is that when reserving on OpenTable, you were asked if you want to be at the bar or a table top and you choose which reservation works best for you. I booked this well enough in advance and chose to sit at a table, arrived on time for my reservation and was sat at the bar. I was uncomfortable the entire time, but the restaurant was packed, so I knew there was no point in making a stink over being sat at the bar. The service was impeccable and everything we eat and drink was delicious. 
   

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8. O

   Olivia

   Denver

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on January 4, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Overall, the food and service was amazing. If I were to go back, I would definitely want to avoid the community table, as it was a little m cramped and the table is so wide that it was very hard to hear.
   

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9. S

   Sarah

   VIP

   Denver

   20 reviews

   4.0

   20 reviews

   Dined on January 4, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   The crab noodles are absolutely phenomenal. The octopus was not good- surprisingly underwhelming. I had a strange experience where I ordered dessert, the server said he’d be right back with the dessert, but then brings me the check instead… which doesn’t have the dessert on it so I thought maybe they comp-ed it so left an extra $10 tip (the price of the dessert)- I waited around for 20 mins for the dessert, and it never came and the server disappeared. It was so strange - so then I just left lol. not sure I’ll go back. Hope they enjoy the extra tip for nothing! The rest of the menu looks great.
   

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10. K

    Kate

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Excellent food and service. Thanks for a fun night out
    

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