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    Little Tokyo

    4.3 (19 reviews)
    PriceyJapanese

    Little Tokyo Photos

    LITTLE TOKYO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Kaity C.

    Located across Makati Cinema Square is a cluster of Japanese restaurants and small grocers aptly called Little Tokyo. Around the perimeter of the area, a ramen bar, izakaya and restaurants serving all kinds of Japanese dishes are located. But to get to the center of Little Tokyo, one must pass through small entryways and that's when you begin to experience the quaintness of the area, which is reminiscent of side streets found in Japan. Once in the courtyard, you feel as if you've really been transported into the Meiji period. Red lanterns light up the area and tables and chairs are all around, perfect for al fresco dining. Inside Little Tokyo itself, there are about five restaurants one can choose from. Personally, my favorite is the restaurant which serves amazing okonomiyaki. The restaurant's name escapes me now but its owner is quite well known to be a baseball fanatic.

    Catsi C.

    The city keeps changing but this side of Makati keeps homage to authentic Japanese food. Izakaya Kikufuji never gets old. Urameshi-ya moved to a new location but still stands Seryna, Yamazaki, and Nodasho. The walkway inside is poorly maintained in terms of cleanliness.

    The gate to a parallel universe. Ready to land in Japan?
    Danyella P.

    Almost every big city has neighborhoods where specific ethnic groups concentrate, like NY's Chinatown or Little Italy. In Manila it's not different. Little Tokyo brings together many Japanese restaurants, groceries and everything related to Japan. Going there is like entering a parallel universe. There's a japanese-style entrance that indicates you are now in Little Tokyo. Then the Japan experience begins! The compound looks like a little village. As you walk through it, you'll see lots of typical lanterns, beautiful gardens and façades with Japanese ideograms. The path leads to the main attraction, which is a courtyard surrounded by many restaurants. The tables are disposed all together and it's very pleasant to have a sit there and try some sushi and sashimi from one of the restaurants. The Japanese who live in Manila are assiduous visitors, what gives Little Tokyo a feeling of authenticity. Therefore, if you want a casual and picturesque place to have dinner, I highly recommend the visit. The best Japanese restaurants in town are there. The hard job will be deciding which one to try!

    Sam S.

    Been wanting to dine in an authentic Japanese restaurant? Wishing to go to Japan and experience their real cuisine, but can't because you're busy or lack budget or just don't have enough time? Well then, you can always find a piece of Japan in Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo is a compound and appears to be a mini food city, with restaurants surrounding the tables and chairs at the middle of the area. For our first first visit, we decided to dine in Urameshi-ya, since we were enticed by the grilling smell of beef from the inside. Beware though, the temperature's hot yet manageable, like all other cook-your-own restos out there. Once you get inside Urameshi-ya, opt to sit down in one of their authentic no-shoes-allowed square tables. You'll feel more Japa-nice this way! I recommend, for 5-6 people dining (also works if you're only two!), to order their set menus, which already include beef, pork, chicken, vegetables and other side dishes. Grill your own food and order as many rice bowls as you can! We ordered one set menu thrice in one night. And we were only five people eating. That's how good their food is.

    Therese A.

    Little Tokyo is exactly that. It's a very small area full of restaurants that serve good, authentic Japanese food the way they do in Japan. My family decided to eat here for New Year's Eve dinner because it was right beside our condo were we stayed for that weekend. My sister was apprehensive, saying "Aren't there yakuzas milling about in that area?" Well, yakuzas or no, we just had to try it out. We ate at this particular restaurant whose name escapes me right now. They specialized in Japanese barbecue, so we had a grill at our table and a patient waitress cooking our meat. It was a pretty cool restaurant because there was a cabinet full of manga and books (they were in Japanese though), you had to take your shoes off when you're seated at your table, and they actually served yummy Japanese yogurt as dessert! It made me miss Tokyo all the more. And and no, no yakuzas if you were wondering. Unless, they were celebrating New Year's Eve elsewhere, haha.

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    Review Highlights - Little Tokyo

    Situated across Makati Cinema Square, Little Tokyo is a nice little slice of...

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    Tanabe Japanese Restaurant - Front

    Tanabe Japanese Restaurant

    4.6(8 reviews)
    3.5 kmManila City
    ₱₱₱

    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!

    Photos
    Tanabe Japanese Restaurant - Menu

    Menu

    Tanabe Japanese Restaurant - Special soup

    Special soup

    Tanabe Japanese Restaurant - Dining area

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    Dining area

    Izakaya Nihonbashitei - Ginnan, grilled gingko biloba seeds

    Izakaya Nihonbashitei

    4.8(4 reviews)
    2.9 kmManila City

    Hearing Nihonbashitei is always a delight to my ears. Shrimp tempura, Spicy Toro Maki and Grilled…read moreEel! Oh how I salivate with just the thought of it. No wonder this is also the favorite restaurant of our dear President. Says a lot about his taste in food! While I usually frequent their Pasay Road branch (where President Aquino usually dines), I find this branch a lot bigger and perhaps a lot cleaner. The food is practically the same so I find myself eating more frequently here. However, I was quite shocked to find out about the jacked up prices of my favorite eel set meal. While I do understand how difficult and expensive it must be to get a hold of and cook eel, one bite of this dish and the price is always worth it. There is perhaps no other restaurant that offers eels as yummy as this. Thanks to President Aquino for the reco!

    The thing that strikes me the most about Nihonbashitei is how extensive the menu is. I don't kid…read morebecause every time I eat there, (and I eat there a lot,) there always seems like something new for me to try. The first time I read about natto, I was equal parts intrigued and disgusted by it. Given that, the one thing I was totally sure of was I had to try it. Until I came across Nihonbashitei, this bummed me out because I couldn't find a place in the metro that served it. If you're an adventurous eater looking for new Japanese dishes to try, you're going to love this place. Even if you aren't that fond of much outside the staples like sushi, yakitori, and katsu, you're still going to enjoy yourself because everything on the menu is a treat. Cheers!

    Photos
    Izakaya Nihonbashitei - Takoyaki

    Takoyaki

    Izakaya Nihonbashitei - One of the cheapest places you cant get a decent Nigiri!

    One of the cheapest places you cant get a decent Nigiri!

    Izakaya Nihonbashitei - Special Gyoza

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    Special Gyoza

    New Kamameshi House

    New Kamameshi House

    4.3(4 reviews)
    1.8 kmManila City

    My parents have been taking us to Kamameshi (in all its current and former branches) since we were…read morelittle. Even they had been coming around since they were young, so that counts for something. And it is pretty easy to see the reason behind its longevity: their food is incredibly authentic. Always, the rice. That steaming hot, sticky, kamameshi, delivered to your table in that pot, with its ground chicken crown. Toss it around, and serve yourself some of that soft stuff. And if you thought the experience was over, think again: you still have the bits of rice that stuck to the metal pot, and got crispy ("tutong" in Filipino) to scrape off. Aahhh, burnt carbohydrates. So good. Everything goes best with tempura, chicken terriyaki, and if you're into it, liver terriyaki.

    I was ecstatic to finally eat at Kamameshi House because my parents never fail to mention it when…read moreit comes to authentic Japanese food in Manila. My dad told me that he's been eating there since the 80's when he was still a student at DLSU and that the quality of their food and service never faltered through the years. I came with my family so I got to try some of their sushi as well as their amazing Katsudon (the egg was creamy and the pork extra tender), the piping hot and delicious Sukiyaki, the juicy Chicken Teriyaki and the crispy Ebi Tempura. All of the dishes were exceptional but what made our meal perfect was their famous Kamameshi (literally translate to "kettle rice"), which is their specialty. We ordered the Gomoku Kamameshi, which was a mixed rice and the Kani Kamameshi and both were extra flavorful and filling.

    Photos
    New Kamameshi House
    New Kamameshi House
    New Kamameshi House

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    Nobu Manila

    Nobu Manila

    4.0(31 reviews)
    4.0 kmParanaque City
    ₱₱₱₱

    I had high hopes for Nobu Manila's Valentine's Omakase, but the experience fell short of its…read more"high-end" reputation. For a PhP 6,500/head dinner, I expected seamless service and premium quality, neither of which were fully realized. The Ambience: We arrived at 4:30 PM for the 5:00 PM seating, only to find no staff at the front desk and no lounge area for early arrivals. The place was literally closed and opened on the dot, 5pm! The lack of a dress code (there was a diner in shorts) and the non-festive music made it feel like a casual Tuesday rather than a special occasion. While the varnished wood tables look nice, they lack the refinement of fine dining; condensation from drinks pooled easily on the surface. The Service: Despite the restaurant being only half-full, the wine service was sluggish there were multiple times when I had to think if the staff was expecting me to stand up and grab the bottle of wine and pour it to the glass myself, there was even a time when the staff attempted to clear my plate while my wife was still eating--a basic fine-dining faux pas. The Food: This was the biggest letdown. The crackers tasted stale, the lobster bisque lacked body, and the squid sushi was bland. Most disappointing were the mains: the fish skin was rubbery, and the Wagyu was overpowered by an overly tangy sauce. Even the desserts felt repetitive in flavor. It's hard to recommend this Omakase when the execution doesn't match the price point.

    Went here for drinks and quiet bite. The restaurant is inside the hotel with the same name…read more Everything is good, nothing special. Compared to others in NYC, LA, OC, Greece, etc, this one was not my top pick for some reason. The vibe and service was so so, and so does the foods. Cocktails are also just so so...I noticed that in Asian, besides HK & Japan, Sing & Thailand, not so much of good mixers. Overall it was just okey place.

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    Nobu Manila
    Nobu Manila
    Nobu Manila

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    Ichiro

    Ichiro

    5.0(2 reviews)
    2.7 kmManila City
    ₱₱

    What I love about eating out in places near universities and schools is that you are sure to find…read morerestaurants that are dirt cheap. Well, I say dirt cheap now since I am already earning money on my own, with my fancy managerial title and all that. These restaurants cater mostly to students, and that usually means that the food is served in huge servings for a fraction of the cost - it's all about cost-effectiveness, as far as students are concerned, so most businesses around schools tend to drive down prices as much as they possibly can. An example of such restaurants is Ichiro, which is found in One Archer's Place, just a couple meters from DLSU's Agno Gate. I would say Ichiro would be Yabu's cheaper yet equally satisfying cousin. Though their menu is not as upscale and varied as Yabu's, Ichiro's katsu can rival the big brand's just the same. If you enjoy Yabu's interactive prelude to your meal in the form of crushing sesame seeds the mortar and the grooved pestle, you will also find it here. The katsu is thick and well-breaded with golden and crispy breadcrumbs, and the sauce base is also thick, syrupy and well-seasoned. This restaurant gives you a bang for your buck. The place is a bit hidden since it is in that awkward spot in the mezzanine, but you'll find it on your way to the washrooms, which are located far back into the building.

    If Ganjou exists as a cheap version of Omakase, then Ichiro exists as a cheap version of Yabu. And…read morejust like Yabu, Ichiro has excellent Katsu. Really, it's hard to get Katsu that's really damn good. Most Katsu I get from a lot of places is either really bland, kind of soggy, or just plain undercooked. Ichiro's Katsu looks and feels like a premium, well-cooked Katsu from the get go. Upon looking at the menu, you're going to notice that Ichiro has a very comprehensive set of Katsu variations, from their regular Chicken and Pork Katsu to the hit, Cheese Roll Katsu, which is basically, well, Katsu with cheese inside. Regardless, no matter which version you order, you're going to get a satisfying meal. All have a side of delicious Miso Soup, a healthy serving of rice, and their sauce, which is sweet and also a little bit sour topped with sesame seeds. (That you get to crush yourself!) Their Katsu has a lovely golden brown exterior. It's crunchy on the first bite - and the taste keeps you going all the way until the last bite. Ichiro's definitely an awesome Japanese restaurant, at a price that's perfect for students. It makes sense that plenty of diners come here every night.

    Photos
    Ichiro
    Ichiro

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    Little Tokyo - japanese - Updated May 2026

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