Itadakimasu! | Restaurants in Manila for an Authentic Japanese Experience
May 22, 2017 • Therese Aseoche
Who doesn’t love Japanese food? There are so many to choose from in the Metro but there are certain ones that are a cut above the rest. These ones are the closest we can get to authentic Japanese food. Which one of these have you tried?
Dohtonbori
Find the nearest branch here
(+632) 570 2765 | Facebook, Instagram
Budget for two – PHP 1,000
It’s high time for Kansai’s culinary pride to catch the attention of Filipinos. Head to Dohtonbori to indulge in the tastes of okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake mixed and topped with a variety of ingredients, prepared right in front of you just as okonomiyaki restaurants in Japan do.
Kyo-to Kaiseki
GF 119 C. Palanca Jr. St., Legaspi Village, Makati
(+632) 805 77 43, (+63) 917 596 9697 | Website, Instagram
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.
Kyo-to Kaiseki specializes in kaiseki ryori, which is a high-end traditional Japanese multi-course haute cuisine. Here, you get to dine in an intimate and luxurious set-up where you can choose to eat at the counter and watch its resident chef, Chef Kawamoto, cook up your dishes right before your eyes.
Tori Ichi Yakitori & Bar
Find the nearest branch here
Facebook, Instagram
Budget for two – PHP 850
Most of us rarely think about yakitori as a cuisine to experience, but Tori Ichi makes us consider it. Their variety of yakitori is cooked the authentic Japanese way of grilling over premium charcoal which they import all the way from Japan. You can get a variety of extraordinary skewers like bacon-wrapper mochi, and kimchi.
Ogawa
2F, Fort Entertainment Center, 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(+632) 886 49 94, (+63) 917 856 4292 | Facebook, Instagram
Open every day from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M., and from 5:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M.
Budget for two – PHP 1,350
Ogawa takes you to a trip to old town Japan from the moment you step inside, and the meals they serve taste just like you really are there. Their meat and seafood are of high quality—just what you should expect from an elegant Japanese restaurant.
Genki Sushi
BGC Stopover Pavillion, Rizal Drive Corner 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(+632) 624 28 67, (+632) 753 62 48 | Facebook, Instagram
Open Sunday to Thursday from 11 A.M. to 10 P.M., Friday to Saturday from 11 A.M. to 11 P.M.
Budget for two – PHP 700
Genki Sushi brings us an authentic kaiten sushi experience all the way from Japan. It’s a fun place to dine with family, friends, or a significant other because of its interactive ordering system that brings the sushi plates straight to your table through a conveyor belt.
Ichiba Japanese Market
2F, Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila, Newport City, Pasay City
(+63) 917 732 2176 | Facebook, Instagram
Open every day from 11 A.M. to 12 A.M.
Budget for two – PHP 1,200
The concept of Ichiba Japanese Market is that it’s made to look like a street lined with different food stalls serving various authentic Japanese specialties, like ramen, sushi, and yakitori to name a few. It’s inspired by the well-known food and fish markets in Tokyo and Osaka that both locals and tourists love to go to. You can order food and drinks from any of the ten stations and then pay for everything in the cashier up front, just as they do in Japan.
Minami Saki
GF, Astoria Plaza, 15 J. Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City
(+632) 687 11 11 | Facebook, Instagram
Open every day from 11 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., and from 6 P.M. to 10:30 P.M.
Budget for two – PHP 1,300
Minami Saki is a completely underrated restaurant hidden within the concrete jungle that is the Ortigas Business District. It’s located in the ground floor of Astoria Plaza hotel, but dining in makes you forget where you actually are. It’s a very cozy place decorated with faux sakura blossoms and wooden interiors that makes it feel like a traditional restaurant in Japan. They serve one of the best and fresh-tasting sushi in the Metro that you could ever put in your mouth.
Yayoi
3F, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
(+632) 634 48 65 | Facebook, Instagram
Open every day from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M.
Budget for two – PHP 1,500
Yayoi is the very first restaurant in the Philippines that specializes in teishoku style of Japanese dining where meals are served in sets that include rice, soup, vegetables, and pickles. But that’s not the only thing that makes the restaurant so unique; it’s also the seemingly authentic Japanese experience of ordering through touch screens located on each table. Definite must-tries are Hitsumabushi and Namban Teishoku.
Which of these restaurants have you been to? Share with us your experience below!
