A couple of family members and I dined here on my first night in Quezon City. The staff at the…read moreCrazy Katsu are very friendly, polite, and helpful, which is basically the norm at all restaurants in the Philippines. I was very surprised at the large portion sizes they serve here! It was definitely a pleasant surprise though. The katsu curry was a bit disappointing. The curry wasn't that flavorful, but the pork was crunch, yet moist. Despite being underwhelmed by the curry, I wouldn't mind dining here again to try other dishes.

Crazy Katsu has been around for quite some time now. Even before the sudden Maginhawa restaurant…read moreboom, it's been one of those places people knew had good food. For a while, it was probably the only place I could get decent Japanese food without having to venture out into a mall. As made obvious by the name, Crazy Katsu specializes in... well... Katsu, ie. breaded pork cutlets. This was Yabu before Yabu came to Manila but without the gourmet edge. Crazy Katsu has one simple main item: breaded pork cutlet. No fancy trimmings or cuts. Just a breaded pork (or chicken) cutlet you can either have with rice with either the usual katsu sauce, as katsudon or with curry and rice. Their pork is thick cut and juicy. My only qualm is that it doesn't look like they give you the whole cutlet with the curry. But maybe I'm just being greedy. Given the potato, carrot and curry sauce that comes with the rice... it's filling enough. This place is still my go-to when I feel the need to eat out. It's still a good filling meal without breaking bank and not having to travel too far.

I was very happy to find that a new Japanese restaurant had opened its doors in SM Hypermarket as…read moreI'm there all the time and there's no cuisine that I love more in the world than the aforementioned. So I sat down, asked for a menu, and took my sweet time looking through it. I couldn't wait to try out what this place had to offer! I ended up asking for the miso soup, ebi tempura, and a nice tall glass of their red iced tea. On my first visit, I was impressed. It was delicious and I savored each bite. The sauce was served piping hot too which made the meal that much more special. However, the second time around, I found that the tempura was cooked in oil that had been used numerous times before. That was very disappointing. I'm willing to give Hanako a third try but if they strike out, I'm out.

Since I've started frequenting Sm Hypermarket, I keep discovering that SM really does have it all…read morefor you. Near dinner time one night I wanted something that tasted even just close to Japanese food and found Hanako. I wasn't expecting much but really enjoyed it, especially at the decent price range. We ordered the fried rice (gohan) worth P70 and got a bowl that could have been shared by 2 people. I took a mental note to get that for take-out next time. We kept it simple and stuck to agedashi tofu with an extra order of beef with it and we had a good meal out of that.

This Japanese restaurant joins the big leagues such, as Seryna, Izakaya Kikufuji, Umu at Dusit, and…read moremany more. But your perception may vary, as my reviews are mostly from the southern region of Metro Manila. FOOD 5.0 Nama Uni Sashimi (420 PHP) Sea Urchin or sea hedgehogs are those spikey things that I always think about avoiding when going to the beach But, I love them on my plate, It is very sweet and delicate, and it tastes like the sea smells, with a soft, almost creamy texture. A 3-step process starts with a piece of Nori (seaweed wrap), then a slice of cucumber, a hefty plump of uni on top, close it off and surprise your mouth with a taste of the sea. Tofu Gratin (395 PHP) Shrimp flavoured white sauce that's smothered with cheese and lots of it. The gooey feels were just too strong and I couldn't but scrape the pan clean. Every spoonful is a renewed experience, so it doesn't get boring. Assorted Sushi (720 PHP) Their hot dishes overwhelmed our taste buds with clean flavours, which led us to unintentionally ignore this initially. Sushi pieces that are above average in size and offer a refreshing taste. Beef Sukiyaki Iron Hot Pot (530 PHP) Beef Sukiyaki that's filled with a rich broth flavoured by the tender smoked beef. This is a dish to remember and one of the items I will recall and recommend. Tonpei Yaki (430 PHP) A Japanese style Frittata topped with extremely thin slice pork that wiggles from displaced air around it. It looked alive upon my first glance. You'd be wrong to think that these paper thin slices of pork wont satisfy, because flavour is not in volumes, but in density. These melt in your mouth and just release flavour that you'd usually encounter in chunky portions of pork. I for one enjoyed less weight and more flavour. The frittata underneath is fairly standard. SERVICE 4.5 Waiters take pride in the food they serve, we were even prompted to taste the Tofu Gratin first as it's tastiest when hot. They're informative when guiding you through the menu and suggest based on your taste and not the most expensive like in other places. AMBIANCE 4.5 I love places that impress on ambiance and Mangetsu surely did. High ceilings and even a second floor for private functions, this place is well decorated and spacious. Air-conditioning is centralised, which means an evenly cooled environment.

Interior aspect makes us feel high sense and quality, but actually foods served there are nothing…read morespecial. Maybe good for business purpose of use.

As stated in my other reviews, gyoza is my least favorite Japanese food (along with teriyaki), so I…read morewasn't expecting much from Takami, but upon my first bite of their gyoza, I fell in love! Their gyoza doesn't have the same yucky mashed vegetable filling that most restaurants use; theirs is MEATY! My friends and I tried two variants, the beef bulgogi and buffalo chicken, and goodness, both are quite good, especially the former! They're quite cheap, too! We also sampled their cheesy bacon okonomiyaki, which is cheesier and more baconified than a certain pizza brand's haha! Another interesting item from Takami is their torched teppanyaki, and we tried the cheesy beef gyudon and chicken cheesy teppan, which I enjoyed more. It was satisfying to see both of them torched in front of us. I'm very much willing to brave the traffic just to eat at Takami again! Affordably yummy Japanese food!!!

Even with the plethora of food stalls in The Yard (one of the newest but busy food park in…read moreXavierville), Takami is strongly holding its own with its Japanese snacks takes. Armed with creativity and bravery in putting twists on known well-loved Japanese food and executing it perfectly makes this small stall in The Yard a stand-out that may even compete with other Japanese food establishments. Some of the dishes we've tried: Beef Bulgogi Gyoza and Chicken Buffalo Gyoza - Their gyozas are perfectly made with soft juicy meat inside covered with thin pillowy soft wrapper with crispy bottom. But rather than serving it with the usual dipping sauce, they put a twist on it by fusing it with different but familiar flavors. Beef Bulgogi Gyoza has a nice balance of lightly salty, sweet and tangy flavors. While Chicken Buffalo Gyoza really captured the kick-ass spiciness you expect from Buffalo Wings. Torched Teppanyaki - To put a twist to heightened umami and entertainment to the usual teppan, they topped their teppan with cheese and torched it in front of you until the cheese melts for that gooey, creamy, cheesy goodness enveloping the meat. Their torched chicken teppanyaki is highly recommendable. perfect juicy soft chicken meat with those gooey melted cheese would just make you groan with flavor satisfaction. Their torched beef teppanyaki is also good for those beef lovers. For teppanyakis, they have good for sharing serving as well as solo serving that comes with rice. Bacon and Cheese Okonomiyaki - Bacon and cheese. Need I say more? And they don't scrimp on their ingredients. Unlike other okonomiyakis where there's more batter than ingredients, theirs you'll get the goodness of bacon, cheese, bonito and vegetables in each bite.

This is just one of those restaurants that give you a really good feeling once you discover them…read more I first walked into Chomp Chomp because I saw that a whole new building popped up along Leon Guinto without me noticing it before. That's the thing about the La Salle area -- new places just sort of pop up like mushrooms in an intensely humid rainforest. My sisters wanted their big brother to take them out, so I did. I had no choice in the matter -- who says no to their little sisters? God, you're a monster. Anyway, I was very relieved when I saw the menu. Their prices were very manageable -- even more so when you see their serving sizes. That Php180 Singapore Laksa? It comes in a wok about a foot across, and the staff will light a burner underneath to ensure that it stays boiling hot throughout your entire meal. Talking about the staff, they're some of the best servers you'd ever encounter. I ate here alone and ordered enough food for four, and no one judged me. Not to my face anyway. It was the best day of my life.

I was really glad when Chomp Chomp opened in Taft about a year ago because back then, I have only…read moreever heard of Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine from friends who have visited our neighboring countries. I would also read about them in articles and foodblogs and I became very excited to try it out. Chomp Chomp is a Southeast Asian street food place, and it has a really good menu of street favorites such as laksa, nasi goreng, satay and even ramen. The first time I dined here and had the breakfast ramen, which had egg, spam and a generous portion of noodles, I knew I would love the rest of the menu. I also tried ordering the large laksa, which was served in a hot dish. I could barely finish the laksa, though it was really, really good. I like how creamy the laksa was, and it also came with a generous helping of fishballs, shrimp and fat noodles. I went to Indonesia several times last year, and I would always crave for satay and nasi goreng.They have a really tasty chicken satay which they serve with a nicely done nasi goreng, which is just the right amount of sticky and sweet. The prices are not too bad, considering that the food is good. I miss going to this place, which reminds me to keep in mind to visit this store again the next time I am in the area.

As soon as I spotted this new restaurant on Instagram, I knew I had to try it as for me, Japanese…read moreis the absolute best cuisine in the world. None comes close. Plus it's healthy. After all, there's a reason why the Japs are the longest-living people group in the world. But I digress. Tenya is an elegant restaurant. It isn't cheap, run-of-the-mill fast food and I knew that I would be in for a treat as soon as I spotted Japanese locals across the table from me. I was right. I ordered the tendon and was extremely delighted by the perfect crisp of the tempura and the properly-cooked vegetables. The sauce also complemented the food very well. Slightly on the pricey side, but I can vouch for the fact that it's well worth paying.

When my friends told me we were eating at Konbini, I was thinking, "Great, another ramen place to…read moretry!" Walking in to this "restaurant" really caught me off guard. Konbini is more than just a restaurant... it's also a Japanese grocery store. Lunch was first on the agenda, so we were instructed to choose our food through picture cards that they have on display. They also have set meal deals, which is good for those who want to try a bit of everything. I haven't tried everything yet, but so far the karaage, gyoza, chahan and yakitori are all super tasty. Spicy karaage could use a bit more heat though. I haven't tried the ramen but it's a big serving good enough for two. The grocery is well stocked with imported japanese goods. However, you can find better prices elsewhere. For a one-stop-shop though, this is the place to go for your Japanese fix.

This is a hidden gem in the GH area. Konbini is a Japanese convenience store. It has a wide…read moreselection of sake and Japanese drinks, instant ramen, snacks, etc. If you need fresh products to serve at home, head to the refrigerator area! Fresh fish and locally made kimchi are just a few of the things you'll find. The best part of Konbini is that they serve ramen and yakitoris. There are a few tables at the back. For the meats on a stick, go get a card of how many sticks you want and head to the counter. After you pay, you can have it as take away or eat it at the store. If you want to try a lighter broth with your ramen, this is the place to get it! Not as heavy as the ones served in the newer ramen shops. For the yakitori, try the MoMo! So good! :D Oh, they also have a meat section! You can get wagyu steak here too! Yum!

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.