[ NIHON BUNKA KENKYUU ] BUNKEN 101: Reviews, comments, and insights on Japanese pop culture.
Even as a college student on a meager allowance, dining out has one of been my favorite leisure activities. However, a regular paycheck puts an added dimension to dining out, allowing you to sample places that used to be prohibitively expensive -- at least to school brats on a budget. On that note, let's talk about the better casual dining places to sample fun, flavorful Japanese cuisine.
SUSHIYA
My first encounter with SUSHIYA was dropping by their T. MORATO store for a quick bite after the annual UP Lantern Parade. I started out with their superb oyakodon (chicken simmered in broth, served on top of rice with a raw egg) and ebi tempura -- which everyone and their mother seems to love, and have since moved on to other choices on the menu that the unadventurous would refuse to touch. I highly recommend their chirashidon (assorted sashimi slices on sushi rice), as well as their maguro sushi and teppanyaki.
Actually, SUSHIYA seems to be the best place to have tuna-anything, because their chefs and purchasers know how to pick and prepare the best tuna. It's always fresh and juicy, and can be enjoyed with only the slightest drop of shoyu and a hint of wasabi. To get the most out of the maguro teppanyaki experience, I recommend getting it as a bento set for two, which comes with rice, sashimi, tekamaki and kappamaki (tuna and cucumber rolls), sauteed bean sprouts, and what appears to be a mountain of kakiage (vegetable fritters). I'm drooling just thinking about it.
SUSHIYA has several branches other than their T. MORATO store, like the ones found in SM MEGAMALL's MEGASTRIP and MARKET MARKET's ASIAN FOOD MARKET. Try dropping by on a Monday after work, as I find that their seafood is freshest on that day. Meals for two go for around PhP 300 to PhP 500, but while dining solo will set you back a little over a hundred bucks -- maybe less of you take advantage of their set meals.
ISSHIN
For me, ISSHIN Japanese Restaurant on ARNAIZ AVENUE, MAKATI is the best place to get ramen in MANILA. There may be places where the stuff tastes better, but I'll bet they're far too expensive to be enjoyed on a regular basis. ISSHIN's, on the other hand, is really tasty and really affordable -- as cheap as PhP 130 for their shoyu ramen. And the servings are impressive! The noodles come in a standard Japanese ramen bowl that to the normal Pinoy would constitute a meal for four; it's great for folks with big appetites or for couples who like to split everything into two.
Also recommended are their beer snacks like yakitori, gyouza, and yakisoba. This is a great place to get them because it's as close to the taste of authentic TOKYO street fare as you can get; a lot of middle-aged Japanese salary men can attest to that, since the place is packed even on weeknights. All you need now for a real izakaya experience is a bunch of giggling OLs pouring drinks for their already inebriated bosses.
Eating at ISSHIN is more fun if you're a big group; that way the waitresses will put you in the tatami room tables which seat 6 to 8 persons. And don't worry about sitting seiza -- there's a cutaway portion under the table where you can sit western style, but give the illusion of sitting on the floor. Meals will cost you from PhP 100 to PhP 300 for one, or PhP 300 to PhP 600 for two. And if the waitress asks you if you want dessert -- say yes! The ice cream or chilled nata de coco they'll be serving you is on the house!
TERIYAKI BOY (or as their Japanese store sign says, FUTOTTA SHOUNEN)
The house speciality is of course teriyaki, but there are other great things you can find on their menu. Their toufu steak and mapo toufu don (spicy pork and tofu on rice) are great for those who want a meal that's light and filling at the same time. You can also order a pile of smaller dishes like their gyouza and kani salad. And if you find yourself in their EASTWOOD CITY store, don't forget to order a couple of sticks of yakitori made fresh on their outdoor grill; it goes great with a tall glass of iced barley tea or a beer.
You can also order sushi and sashimi a la carte; I recommend getting their salmon sushi and maki rolls, as salmon seems to be their best prepared fish the same way tuna is SUSHIYA's speciality. The chain also has the best California maki rolls in MANILA; I've eaten a lot of mango and crabstick roll in my lifetime, and I swear TBOY's is superior to the ones offered at other local restos by far.
TBOY's is becoming really popular and widespread, with branches at major malls like the GLORIETTA, MARKET MARKET!, and SM MEGAMALL. My personal favorite is still their EASTWOOD CITY store because of their open-air yakitori grill, and the fact that their salmon hasn't failed me yet (I got a bad batch at their GLORIETTA store once T_T ). It's best to bring at least PhP 200 per head so you can sample a wide variety of dishes, but you can also get a perfectly decent donburi bowl for half that price.