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. 

Love at First Bite: Dohtonbori

Thanks to the mouthwatering photos I see here, I had a few sleepless nights and experienced intense FOMO (oh yeah! I feel like a millennial) when looloo held a rendezvoos in this popular okonomiyaki restaurant along Missouri Street. And after months of drooling and waiting and more drooling, I have finally set foot inside... DOHTONBORI!!! 

PON POKO PON NO PON!!! (Did I get it right?) 

We were asked if we would like to dine in the tatami mat area and I immediately said YES. Let's eat Japanese style! Woohoo!!!

Water was served right after we sat down. (Plus points for that as the heat was too much!)

After browsing the menu, we settled with Deluxe Okonomiyaki (PHP360), Kalbi Yakiniku (PHP280) and Grilled Salmon Chanchan (PHP380).

The kale yakiniku was served first and the server prepared it for us due to our fear that we'll mess things up if we do the grilling and flipping. In less than 10 minutes, the kalbi yakiniku was ready to be enjoyed. 

It was good. Tender beef with lovely sweet sauce. However, it was a bit on the bland side. 

The deluxe okonomiyaki and salmon chanchan were prepared next and it took longer than the yakiniku. 

Second Bite: Ogetsu Hime

Japanese food is LOVE. I have said this too many times but I want to say it again… Japanese food is the best (for me)! Salmon sashimi, teppanyaki, tonkatsu, tempura, maki, sushi, ramen… *sigh* <3 And so one Saturday, I visited one.

Hello again, Ogetsu Hime!

I’ve been to this place before when I had a Black Saturday food trip with some friends. I recall though that we only had an hour to enjoy the food as we were waitlisted at Ramen Nagi and we were told that we have to be there when a table becomes available for us. This time though, I had more time to enjoy the salmon.

R kept on recommending Ogetsu Hime as he was in love with the Matsusaka beef and it was on sale (50% off!!!). So when we met, it was pretty obvious where we’ll head after the “mysterious activity” (which was ice skating).

We got the following: Matsusaka beef (PHP3,900 regular price but at PHP1950 when we visited), Salmon Sashimi (PHP350), Anago Sushi (PHP510; sale price PHP255), Hotategai Sushi (PHP420; sale price PHP210). R also got warm bottle of sake.

The first dish served was the salmon sashimi  and as before, it was fresh and made me one happy foodie. R was generous too to give me the last piece. (I wouldn’t if I were in his shoes. Well, unless the person does the Puss in Boots eyes.)

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: Akira The Art of Sushi and Teppanyaki

I think I have mentioned way too much already how much I love Japanese food. My friends know how to lure me out of my hibernation mode... Japanese food, new restaurant, or eat all you can. Why am I so easy to bribe? WHY?

My AmCham friends and I decided to have a reunion since it has been 5 years since we all first met. From a batch of 25 (plus one adopted person from another batch), 3 made it from our batch and our adopted batch mate. Reunion, fail. Fun dinner, success!

It has been a night filled with laughter and reminiscing about our bloopers and fascination about the teppan table at Akira, a new restaurant in Shangri-La's East Wing.

Since the food was quite pricey, we decided to order for sharing. We got the teppan Set B: US Rib-Eye with chicken, shrimp, and beef plus miso soup and fried rice on the side (PHP1068), Wagyu Ramen (PHP489), and Akira's house iced tea. I also ordered salmon sashimi (PHP228), a must order whenever I'm in a Japanese restaurant.

Service was quick as before we noticed, our food is being prepared right before our eyes. We just have to take photos.

Restaurant Discovery: Asagao

I used to frequent Pearl Plaza for lunch or early dinner during my college days and I missed it so much (and more so when my colleagues and I had lunch there a few months ago).

So many things changed. I noticed that there are new restaurants around thus I asked my mom to have our early dinner there instead of the usual mall-based restaurants.

I really missed Pearl Plaza. It used to be my third home (UA&P as my second).

We checked around and we were stuck between Adobo Republic and Asagao. Since my mom was not in the mood for adobo (well, I was not sure if they serve other dishes), we went to Asagao.

The place had very simple interior… not intimidating making it very welcoming to students.

SELF SERVICE

After 30 seconds of the servers’ non-movement, we realized that we had to approach the counter to order. Well, there was a small sign near the counter as well. I guess we got spoiled with the other restaurants.

We ordered Beef Teppan (PHP215), California Maki (PHP125), and Salmon Sashimi (PHP210).

First dish that arrived was the California Maki.

Well, it was the typical California Maki. The thing I liked about it though was that it used Japanese rice and not the usual that was cooked with too much water.

Next served was the Salmon Sashimi.

At first, I thought that the salmon was not fresh because the color was a bit different from those I’ve tried before. But I was proven wrong after taking a bite. It was sliced a bit thick but it was still the soft salmon that almost melts in your mouth sashimi love. For PHP210, it was a steal!

As for the Beef Teppan, it was average.

The beef was tender but it seemed to be a bit too oily and salty (I guess it should be eaten with rice). Also, the vegetables were a bit too hard. I wasn’t so sure if the vegetables were meant to be served a bit raw. It added some crunch though.

The place offers pretty good Japanese food at student-friendly prices. Not bad at all.

Asagao by Kamirori is located at Pearl Plaza, Pearl Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City.