First Bite: UMU Japanese Restaurant, Dusit Thani

I hardly visit Makati on a weeknight as I try my best to avoid wrinkles caused by stress and road rage. But this whole I-will-not-go-to-Makati is often forgotten when the words "free food" is in the picture. Oh gluttony, no wonder you’re part of the seven capital sins. Anyway, R invited me to join him, his parents and some of their company’s VPs for dinner at Dusit Thani. And since we’re talking about good food, I quickly said yes.

Hello, UMA!

UMA is Dusit Thani’s Japanese restaurant tucked inside the ground floor of the fancy looking hotel. We were welcomed by wait staff donned in kimonos and they quickly ushered us inside the huge restaurant. 

It is well decorated and every corner looks very Japanese. 

We spotted private dining rooms with Japanese sliding doors, a Japanese stone garden and lovely orchids on our way to our teppan table.

The teppan area is a bit cramped so make sure that you have done your business before sitting down. 

First served was our fish appetizer on some salty clear sauce. It didn’t really leave much impression except that the fish was rather chewy because of its skin.

The ginormous California Maki was served next and it made me wonder if I was just hungry but it was pretty good. The Japanese rice was delectable and wasn’t the type that would make you think if you were munching on rice or paste. 

The mango, kani and other ingredients also delighted my tastebuds. 

Restaurant Love: Omakase

I absolutely love Japanese food. I cannot count how many times I mentioned that in my blog but… who cares? I love Japanese food. It never fails to make me smile (especially with a plate of salmon sashimi on the table). And those random Japanese dinner dates are loooooove~~~ <3

Hello, Omakase!

It has been a long time since I last visited Omakase. I still remember the maki platter and the super friendly prices. I think I went crazy over the platters.

This time, R ordered Spicy Tuna Salad (PHP250), Soft Shell Crab Tempura (PHP550) and Dynamite Roll (PHP250) while I got Salmon Sashimi (PHP240) and Zaru Soba (PHP195). I wanted to order one more dish but R said that I always waste food. TT_TT

After a short wait, the spicy tuna salad arrived.

It wasn’t really that spicy. I loved the salad dressing on the cubes of tuna and the crunch of the tempura crumbs.

The salmon sashimi was pretty okay too. Not the best as it was not the type that melts in your mouth (or so how my former officemate calls it—party in the mouth) but it was still delightful.

Soon, the soft shell crab tempura arrived and R noticed that the serving size seemed to be smaller than before. (Or that the serving size is still the same but is now more expensive.) It’s best to ask for an additional sauce when you order this.  

Restaurant Discovery: Moku Japanese Cuisine

I have been planning to visit the Japanese restaurant on the second floor of the Korean restaurant Lee Hak but the pull of the other restaurants in Kapitolyo was just too strong. But I finally had the chance to visit Moku Japanese Cuisine a few Fridays back when the crazy traffic made us stay in Pioneer.

I was famished. Crazy famished. In short, I was in my HANGRY state. It took us a while to realize that the only way to get inside Moku is through Lee Hak. The guard told us we have to ride an elevator and there ARE NO ELEVATORS in Pioneer Center. I know. I’m a Pioneer Center girl. Anyway, we circled around the area for 10 minutes or so before we realize that we have to get inside the Korean restaurant to get in the Japanese restaurant. There is definitely a lack of signages. Grr.

Hello, Moku. I had a hard time finding you.

I was delighted though with the set up. It was prettier than I thought it would be. There were three (or was it four) teppan tables in the middle and several tables with comfy couches on the side.

I quickly ordered the following: Teppan/Maki/Sushi (PHP1180), Salmon Sashimi (PHP290), Cold Soba (PHP250). My sister ordered Oyakodon (PHP220) as she’s not too keen with teppanyaki. We also ordered house iced tea.

The iced tea arrived first and it was… bland. Oh well. At least it won’t make us thirsty.

The teppan master (I’m not really sure how they are called) asked us if we want a “performance” and we said yes. Hey, take advantage of it! Teppan meals are not cheap. (Well, he failed a few times but it was still entertaining.)

 

We enjoyed watching him throw stuff in the air while we munch on our crisp salad. I liked it so much that I also ate my sister’s share.

 

The miso soup was your usual miso soup.

They then served some Korean side dishes. I got slightly confused there. But hey, free food!

The salmon sashimi arrived next and it was thick and fresh. I enjoyed it a lot! It was bliss. <3 However, they seem to have some intense hatred with wasabi. They placed too much on my dip.

The bean sprouts and the beef teppan went well together. The beef was juicy and was cooked well. It doesn’t even need to be dipped in the sauce.

Restaurant Discovery: Ogetsu Hime

I’m so thankful that some of my friends decided to stay in Manila this Holy Week so I was able to drag a few friends for a food trip over the weekend. Our plan was to visit four stops in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) but I guess we were no longer used to eating a lot as we just managed for stop by three restaurants.

It was one hot Saturday when M, T and I went to SM Aura. Our plan is to stop by Ramen Nagi first but the line was crazy at 11:30 a.m.! So we decided to just have our names listed for reservation and looked for another restaurant to have a quick meal to appease our grumpy tummies.

We thought of going to Magnum Bar first but the place was packed as well and it was just too hot to wait outside. So we opted to go to the restaurant beside it, Ogetsu Hime.

Ogetsu Hime was about half full so it w asn’t that hard for us to get a table. And since this was our first stop, we opted for only a few dishes: Oyako Shake Roll (PHP240), Rainbow Batera (PHP240), Gyoza (PHP165), Goma Ebi Tempura Roll (PHP205), Enoki Bacon Kushi Yaki (PHP190) and Momo Teri Maki (PHP205).

Given that we only have an hour to eat and rush back to Ramen Nagi, we were in a hurry and Ogetsu Hime did not fail us with its quick service.

First served was my Oyako Shake Roll and it was divine. Thinking that the right and polite way to eat Japanese food is eating it whole, I stuffed the whole maki inside my mouth. And yes, I choked a bit while doing so. Why do makis have to be humongous anyway?

The salmon was fresh and there was a slight tangy taste from the cream cheese. There was also an interesting play of different textures brought by the smooth salmon and the slightly crispy salmon skin. I wasn’t able to taste the avocado and the wasabi mustard that much though.

Restaurant Love: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

I just can’t get enough of Japanese food. Given a chance, I’ll live in Japan and eat all the salmon sashimi I could get my hands on. But of course, that would be too much. So let’s throw in some ramen. There you go. That is the life. Okay, I kid. But I really am too attached to Japanese cuisine. I was so thrilled when I got an email from them before giving me a heads up on their new dishes. I was out of the country then but I promised Riza of Ikkoryu Fukuoka that I will drop by as soon as I’m back. Well, fine, it wasn’t as soon as I anticipated as there were just too many new restaurants to visit. But Black Day was the perfect day for some ramen love. 

For some reason, J and I meet on the 14^th of the month. It started with Valentine’s Day where we traded gifts. (Hey, single people can celebrate Valentine’s Day too you know.) It was followed by Pi/Pie/White Day where we had some beer can chicken and finally, Black Day. And yes, I forced J to wear black.

We actually had no idea where to eat when we met but since we were both famished, we had to think fast. We eliminated the cuisines we do not fancy that night and ended up with around four restaurants to choose from. J initially crossed out ramen but remembered his Monday ramen nights and finally gave in to have dinner at Ikkoryu Fukuoka. 

 

The place wasn’t as packed compared to when it first opened (where wait time was around 30 minutes to an hour). The servers were very attentive and gave us menus as soon as we sat down.

Restaurant Love: Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant

I have been pretty inactive with Couchsurfing for a few years now. The only way to lure me to reply to posts or appear in gatherings would be food. My friends know that. Alcohol, parties, or whatnot are not appealing to a cat-lady-without-a-cat me. And living near Kapitolyo has been a blessing for me to guide fellow foodies where to eat. However, there's this one place I always miss whenever I eat there. Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant! It opened last year but I never had the chance to eat there. But finally, someone was game to try it with me.

Haru, Haru! (Hello, Hello! Okay, I killed the joke.)

I was pretty impressed with the interiors. It is so... Japanese. There are umbrellas and little bridges, and even musical instruments all over the place. Good job there!

I find the way to call the server really charming. We just have to ring the bell that's stringed to the ceiling. The server was very attentive too but failed to give much recommendations. But we managed and settled for the following: Salmon Sashimi (PHP308), Tuna Sashimi (PHP198), Tori Kuwayaki (PHP258), and U.S. Beef Rib Eye Teppanyaki (PHP598). 

 

The service was pretty quick as I would give it an estimate of 15 minutes before they served the first dishes.

After one bite of the salmon sashimi, I went to sashimi heaven! At that moment, I was the ideal customer of restaurateurs as I was so giddy munching on my food. The salmon was fresh and it was milky as well. Oh salmooooon~

Promo Alert: SumoSam Unli Tempura and Sushi

I think it's pretty obvious that I have this strong passion for Japanese food. One thing that could make me go out on a super lazy day is... salmon sashimi. But I wasn't fond of it at first. The first time I tried eating salmon sashimi was when I was in my last year of college. (Late foodie bloomer?) But give me unlimited Japanese food, even if it's not salmon sashimi, I will be there in a second (or an hour if it's traffic).

 Presenting... SumoSam's  Unli Tempura and Sushi for only PHP499!

Yes, you read it right, unlimited... until further notice!

But wait, it gets even better as the ramen, salad and dessert are all part of the unlimited offering. Plus, just add PHP300 and you get unlimited wagyu beef as well!

 

So, what's the catch? It's only available at SumoSam's Somerset Olympia branch (across Ayala Triangle). Not really a big deal right?

Restaurant Love: Mangetsu

It’s finally a few days before my birthday again! It means lots and lots of eating and planning lunch and dinner dates with the people I love. I just love celebrating birthdays (even if it’s not mine). 

I’ve been wanting to try Mangetsu for quite some time now and since some of my friends and I finally found a date where we’re all free, I took it as a chance for us to all go to that Japanese restaurant.

 Konnichiwa, Mangetsu!

 

I was a bit scared that we might not have seats given we're meeting on a Saturday so I made sure to reserve a table for 6 the day before. I was expecting a full house but there were still a few tables left vacant when we arrived. 

I love that they welcomed me by first name. It made me feel like a regular customer. :D