For many Manila diners, Japanese food at Makati Shangri-La has long been associated with Inagiku. Even years after its closure, the restaurant remains one of those names that inevitably surfaces whenever conversations turn to the city's great Japanese dining rooms. Finally this July, occupying the former Inagiku space is the awaited Shido, which marks Makati Shangri-La's renewed commitment to Japanese cuisine through a concept that feels contemporary without abandoning the fundamentals. Shido does not attempt to recreate Inagiku, nor should it, but for those who have missed having a serious Japanese restaurant inside the hotel, its arrival offers something that has been absent for far too long. The restaurant's name, derived from the Japanese word shidō (始動), means "starting in motion," a fitting description for a dining room designed to evolve through seasonal menus, guest chef collaborations, and changing culinary experiences rather than remaining fixed in time. At its helm..
