I always felt that Omakase was a little too expensive for the quality of its Japanese food (at…read moreprices upwards of P300 on average), but they do have some pretty standout dishes and they are more expansive with their sushi & maki menu (although their specialty Sushi Boat is still really kulang huhu- they should put eeeverything in it!). I particularly love their Chicken & Beef Teppan! It doesn't come with rice, but you can order some on the side. I usually go without though 'cause it has a pretty hefty siding of sauteed beansprouts so it's a pretty complete dish. It's SO tasty! I'm not sure it tastes very Japanese, but I'm not complaining! They put in a lot of garlic and the marinade seeps into the meat really well, mmmm. They also have a pretty good Aspara-Beef Roll and Tofu Steak!

One of the newer unlimited grilled or barbecue places in the area, the place is well lit, well…read moreventilated and offers seafood as well (which is quite different from others). Between the 599 and 499 options, the 599 is definitely a better deal. We basically tried all the meats, and would advise that you get the beef platter as it comes with five different flavoured meats. The quality of meat is better than many others (in my opinion). The cheese is sumptuous, but their kimchi isn't great. Overall, I'd recommend the restaurant especially if you've grown tired of all the rest.

From the owner: Our restaurant will give you both Japanese cuisine and Korean Grill satisfaction with a wide…read morevariety of side dishes, appetizers, soups and 22 kinds of meats and seafood.

Just a few days ago, my friends and I talked about our favorite ramen restaurant, and all of us…read moreagree that Ippudo is the best among those we've tried. Although that's the case, I still enjoy exploring cheaper ramen places, and I am so annoyed right now because apparently, Hikojyu has been around for a year and a half already, yet I learned about it only 2 weeks ago! Bummer! Anyway, my boyfriend and I are so glad of this discovery! Unlike other ramen restaurants, Hikojyu's ramen choices are limited to just 2 kinds: shoyu and tonkotsu. Naturally, we ordered both! When they were served, I was a bit apprehensive because they didn't look hefty. However, on my first sip of both broths, I knew we have found the best affordable ramen shop in Marikina! They are rich in flavor, minus the umay factor that others have! Of course, given the price, the toppings were understandably limited to a few pieces of pechay, egg halves, and a chashu slice, which could still be made more tender, IMO. If you want your ramen to be spicy, use any of their authentic Japanese condiments. For our sides we tried their gyoza and potato salad. I was never a fan of gyoza save for Ippudo's deep-fried gyoza, and now, I have a second favorite! This one doesn't have the yucky mashed old veggie taste that most gyozas have! But if I had to pick just one side, I'd order their potato salad more often! It's perfectly seasoned! Wish it came in a bigger serving, though! On one corner of the restaurant is a table with magazines, both English and Japanese, plus an album filled with the owners' pictures in Japan. We met one of them, the wife, Tita Tess, and she's really nice and accommodating! Never a dull moment! Her husband is Japanese, so we know that Hikojyu's dishes are authentic! I can't wait to go back and try their rice meals!!!

Got the menchi katsu set. Bonus points for the "set" part as it was definitely the star of the…read moremeal: unlimited rice, soup, cabbage and watermelon. The core offering katsu was meh though, as it was small and didn't have enough tastiness or the oozing cheese they promised. Place was bustling, service was quick, prices are what prices are these days. Seems like a popular spot so might be in the minority here.

10/30/24 - Our farewell dinner to the Philippines & my brother in laws early birthday since we are…read moreleaving tomorrow morning. Bittersweet leaving the Philippines, but going to Singapore tomorrow. If you never been to Yabu you need to go. Yabu specializes in Katsu dishes. The Katsu is outstanding, the best I've ever eaten. The pork is dipped in egg, coated w/flour, breaded w/panko & fried. This is Katsu at its finest absolutely delicious perfectly seasoned & fried. ABSOLUTELY THE BEST KATSU I EVER ATE. I have eaten here before but was really looking forward for dinner tonight. We were tentatively suppose to meet around 3:30pm, but her brother's oldest daughter didn't come home until 5:00 which unfortunately set the tone for the evening. This was her grandfather's early birthday since we are leaving tomorrow morning. Shit happens but in the end the Katsu was absolutely awesome. I was starving as the only thing I had to eat all day was a halo halo to tide me over for what I thought would be a 4:30 dinner, not 6:30. I ordered the 120ogm Kurobata Katsu, but the server brought the 80gm by mistake. She refused to honor my order so I asked to speak to the manager. He came out and he also refused to change the order wo/charging me for their mistake. That's BS!!!! I also split a volcano cake w/my wife. The Katsu was outstanding, 5 stars, but the service lacked (minus 1star)

I haven't been to a katsu place in a long time (last one I can remember was my birthday celebration…read morelast year!). I was always told Ginza Bairin is one of the best katsu restaurants in the metro and it did not fail me :3 I ordered something special in the menu called "Oroshi Katsu set" which has Rosu pork (the one with fat) with pomelo and daikon (white radish) with ponzu sauce (citrus-like sauce). It's just additional P20 from the classic rosu so I decided to give it a try. All their sets have refillable miso soup, cabbage, rice and fruits :) The meat was perfectly cooked - not too greasy, and the breading was just right. They have a unique wasabi soy sauce that's so good I had 4 refills of my cabbage :3 The staff also had a fast serving especially for refills and this made me enjoy my dining experience more. I was in a large group (about 14) and for the small restaurant size, the staff was able to accommodate us well. Most of the customers are families and students from the nearby schools. I even saw some students studying while munching on their katsu, which is not a bad idea at all! I think the best spot to get is the one with the booths on the side. I'm glad I was able to try out Ginza Bairin without the hassle of lining up too long. I hope to dine in at this place again soon. :)

I've always been curious about Ginza Bairin when it first opened at UP Town Center. I thought,…read more"What the heck is with all these people lining up for a set meal?!" Little did I know what the heck everything is about when I first got a taste of their oh-so-delicious katsu sets. As it was my first time to eat there, I wanted a set that had pretty much everything in it, so I ordered this katsu set that had prawn, rosu, crabmeat, and oyster. The set came with unlimited rice, dipping sauces, miso soup and fruit slices. When I bit into the first piece - the rosu, then I saw what the whole deal was about. If there was love at first bite, this was just blown away at first bite! The meat was super tender and evenly cooked and it was so delicious. I put down the piece of rosu and worked my way into the next deep fried goody, the prawn. The prawn was large and crispy and it tasted different from the other tempura you're used to. I think it has something to do with the batter. The crabmeat ball was also good, and you know Ginza Bairin isn't cheating its customers because instead of kani, they used real crab meat! It was rolled in this deliciously crispy outer layer and super soft and mushy on the inside. My favorite however, was the oyster. It was pretty large and tasted fresh and you just have to savor every morsel of oyster. (Although I wish there was another piece of oyster! :( ) Overall, I liked my dining experience at Ginza Bairin and the place really stood out for me. While the set was kind of on the expensive "treat yoself" side, it doesn't matter - the flavors are there, the crispiness of the dish is there and what's more, you really get what you pay for with its premium ingredients and a whole dining experience.

Good Food & tasty Their Service fast, servers are polite &…read morefriendly Ambience good Price reasonable

Came here to eat with a couple of my family members. My uncle has been here a million times and…read morehighly recommend this place. Its very similar to a benihanas in the states just minus any excitement or show in the chef cooking for you. The food was good and the chef cooked the food really fast. The waiters and waitresses though were slow and took several reminders before they brought you what you asked. It was even hard to communicate with the chef. We tried communicating with him but it was loke talking to a wall, with one word replies. After a bit we stopped trying. Overall the food was good, maybe the chef was having a bad day. But based on the other reviews service seems substandard.

This is my 3rd Ramen place in Philippines. The others were higher end places but my sister…read morerecommended this one. I had the spicy seafood, my daughter had the no spice seafood, and my sister had the Miso. We also shared the gyoza. Everything was so delicious and flavorful. By far, I really liked this place. It has an intimate yet authentic vibe and the service was pretty good. I just think that we came at the right time and the rain probably increased traffic. Just like any place here, there is limited parking. Definitely a must see place!!

Tamagoya is definitely one of the cheapest but authentic ramen places in Manila! I keep coming back…read morebecause they keep their quality and affordability in balance :3 Must try: ramen (any flavor is gooood) and gyoza. I heard their rice bowls are great and filling too! My personal ramen picks are gomoku (vegetable + seafood) and miso ramen. Dining experience is direct to the point and not fancy, which is something that I like very much. The parking space is limited, so it's best to arrive at their opening times (11AM for lunch or 5PM for dinner). Commuting may not be as convenient, but there are several tricycles and jeeps that pass through Sumulong Highway. Staff service is also awesome - authentic Japanese style. Pay on the counter before leaving and DON'T GIVE TIPS! Even the guard that helped me back up the car did not accept my tip. Instead he said thank you and bowed to me like what the Japanese usually do huhuhu amazing! Highly recommend to try out if you're in the area. I will definitely come back for another bowl of ramen! :3

First time here. The food was amazing -- really tasty and vegan/vegetarian friendly. The best…read moreJapanese restaurant I've ever been to -- food was fresh, servings were big enough to share, and prices were fair. Staff were very friendly, attentive, and helpful, and the food came out quickly. Loved the unique and refreshing drinks too. Great job!

I have been here multiple times before since this is one of my brother's go-to Japanese restaurant…read more I can definitely understand why with the quality food, good service and good price. This time the visit was with my parents, my brother, my husband and me. We were served with delicious complimentary tofu with a great-tasting sauce. My brother ordered the aji tataki for us to start off and it's been a while since I've had this. Beautifully done and very tasty! My brother got the chirashi bowl. My husband and I shared the Gindara kaku bento - grilled cod fish, salad, salmon and tuna sashimi, tempura, miso soup with clams and mango ice cream. For dessert, fruits was the other option. My brother also ordered several chawanmushi for us to share. My parents shared the Nigiri kaku bento. There was so much food. The one down side was the fish in my parents' bento box was a bit tough, unlike the gindara that we had. I would probably recommend the Gindara kaku bento between the 2 bento boxes. We also had this soup that came in a small teapot. I had missed jotting down the name but you drink the soup from a miniature teacup. Glad we didn't order more food because there was already lots of food! Highly recommend!

Newly opened at Blue Wave, and incidentally (perhaps poetically) in front of the Japan Home Center,…read moreis a new Japanese restaurant called Fukurou, which styles itself with "authentic Japanese cuisine". Lucky enough to witness its opening ceremony, I was one of the first in line after the cutting of the red ribbon, and had the ability to choose from various ramen, bento, soba and donburi, as well as desserts and side-dishes. After choosing the Chicken Teriyaki Donburi with a side set of Kani Salad, I patiently and eagerly awaited my turn to be served, as the brand new shop and its staff scurried to fulfill the orders of all their new customers (certainly not going to be their last). While waiting, I read the various transliterated greetings and sayings on the wall, which consisted of common Japanese phrases and their English equivalent, written in various Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana characters, and thankfully readable Romanji: for example, "Good morning!" is "Ohayou gozaimasu!" and "Excuse me!" is "Sumimasen!". I also gazed upon the wall with a picture of what I believe is to be Tokyo's famous square, which I may have seen in movies or read in books, but have regrettably never been to. Regardless, when the food was served (which understandably took a long time, as they just opened), I was delighted by the fact that they also served complimentary iced tea to those who were waiting for so long. When the Chicken Donburi and the Kani Salad arrived, I dug in, and the choices complimented each other nicely, I think, as the dressing of the salad neutralized the tangy taste of the terikayi. It was quite an experience, and one I would likely try again for a special occasion, as the prices are a bit more than what I would spend for a daily lunch meal. But, the food and ambiance were undoubtedly unforgettable. I shall surely come here again!