Unagi Festival at Izakaya Sensu

I think Izakaya Sensu is out to make me fat. It wasn't enough for them to rollout delicious and bang for the buck rolls so they released its mouthwatering wagyu sukiyaki. And now, they released an unagi line for its Unagi Festival. Izakaya Sensu, you have already won my heart and tummy so why do you keep making me drool?! Well, not that I'm complaining or anything close to that. 

Hello again, Izakaya Sensu. 

I got an email from the lovely Mela of Raintree Restaurant inviting me to its Unagi Festival last August but I was out of the country that time so I missed its launch. Thankfully, the unagi festival is until the end of the month so I got my unagi fix as soon as I got back in Manila. 

First Sip: Chotto Matte

A trip to Izakaya Sensu is not complete without visiting its neighbor Chotto Matte which means "wait a minute" in Japanese. I failed to ask why they named it such but I think it has the same concept as Brotzeit (which means break). The idea is to slow down and have a drink or two. And this is why Chotto Matte is open from lunch till dinner. 

Hello, Chotto Matte! 

This speakeasy bar seemed to attract a slightly older crowd with its dim lounge-like setting. 

With a huge selection of Suntory beverages, Japanese liquor lovers would go crazy over the wide selections! They have beers, cocktails, mocktails, sake and whathaveyou concoctions like Sakuratini. 🍸

I went with Chu Hi Sours line of beverages which is marketed as great light afternoon drinks. I initially ordered Melon (PHP195) but Andrej (one of the owners of Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte) insisted that we also try Grapefruit (PHP175).

Melon was served first (as Grapefruit was requested after I ordered my drink). 

It was basically a melon-flavored shōchū. (Shōchū is a Japanese traditional hard liquor that typically contains 25% alcohol by volume. It is usually distilled from rice, barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes or brown sugar.) 

It had a nice hint of melon and it was like drinking a refreshing glass of light beer. Personally, I think that it would have been better if the melon taste was a bit stronger so that I'd have a sweeter drink to pair my meal with. 

First Bite: Izakaya Sensu

I have been waiting for Izakaya Sensu to open for months! Ever since I saw its board up last May, I counted the days, weeks and months that passed. It was no exaggeration at all as I was confident that this restaurant will deliver given that it is under the Raintree group of restaurants. And finally, after confirming that Izakaya Sensu will open on July 9, I cleared my weekend plans just to visit this place. Sadly, the place was not open to the public just yet. July 9 and 10 were exclusive to media and friends of the owners. With a broken heart, I had dinner elsewhere and messaged one of the owners (who used to be a former colleague of mine) how sad I was for not getting my uni sashimi fix. She sure knows how to mend broken hearts though as she asked me to head back if I was still around and that it'll be their treat! Unfortunately, I already had a huge bento for dinner and told her I'll drop by Monday instead. And I did yesterday.

Hello, Izakaya Sensu! 

We were greeted by a well-lit Japanese restaurant with high ceiling adorned with wooden lighting fixtures. 

We sat at the brightest spot best for food shots and ordered the following: SENSU Kawari Kusi 5 (PHP195), Butabara Aspara (PHP60), Butabara Enoki (PHP70), Uni Isobe Age (PHP495), Dragon Roll, Soft Shell Crab Roll and Ebi Tempura Roll (I was so giddy to be finally here that I forgot to take note of the prices but these are within the PHP250-300 price range). 

While waiting, we had a wait snack made of salmon with tuna and veggies. It had a light flavor and was great to whet one's appetite. 

I also managed to have a quick chat with one of the owners, Andrej. He said that originally, the Japanese chef wanted to get all the ingredients abroad and most of the seafood from Tsukiji Market. But that would entail high costs and they would have to charge so much. Luckily, they found some local (and quality) suppliers for some ingredients like uni. But for others like salmon and hamachi, they have to get it elsewhere to ensure top quality dishes . He also told me that they are still testing the waters so Izakaya will be open just for dinner this week and will start to serve lunch meals next week. (Note: They close after lunch service and will resume operations for dinner service. So no Japanese afternoon breaks for now.)

First served was the huge plate with all the rolls. 

I sure had a hard time taking photo of this one so I used magic instead!