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Showing posts with label affordable japanese food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affordable japanese food. Show all posts
Friday, October 18, 2019
NANKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT: QUEZON CITY'S SECRET STEAK PLACE

I found myself driving to a familiar location in the metro. Granted that I live up north, I figured that this Japanese restaurant would be able to give me my fix of wants and needs food wise. Nestled in a quiet spot just off the Tomas Morato/ Timog Area in Quezon City is NANKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE. Generally speaking, the place serves Japanese food. In particular, they brand themselves as a Japanese Steakhouse.
What makes it different from a normal steakhouse? They prepare and serve the meat in a way that accentuate the flavors. The sauces are also leaning towards the Japanese side of things. If steaks are their bread and butter, then their appetizers and main courses follow suit as well. One could start with some Fried Oyster Mushroom. This would go well with an ice cold beer. Speaking of, this combination would work well during the night as they have live bands perform.
It seems that seafood is also one of their specialty. They make sure to get to freshest ingredients that the market could offer. The Grilled Ahi Tuna is made from fish that is flown in twice a week. It doesn't get any better than that.The Togarashi Shrimp are plump and juicy.
Oysters are also a champion choice when visiting NANKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE.  Each bite is just perfect. It does what it needs to do.
For pasta people, the Prawn Garlic noodles does its job. The pasta is cooked perfectly and the shrimp easy. If one could just slurp everything they could.
Another must order for seafood lovers would be their GARLIC CRAB. Although it might be a little pricey since it is based on market price, you are assured of its glorious meat and sauce. In all honesty, you could scoop everything and dump it on a cup of rice.
It isn't a steakhouse if it doesn't serve steak. The kitchen can prepare a number of steak choices. Of course they ask for your preference in terms of doneness. At most, one should choose medium well. Never well done. Granted that some find it too much to see the red in meat but that is just a mixture of water and protein. This BLACK ONYX TOMAHAWK goes perfectly well with the different sauces and side dishes that it comes with. One could go for simple rice or deep fried potatoes or other choices as well.
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Dessert is made by their in house chef. Another thing that NANKA is known for would be their in house bakery. They offer different cakes and has tons of dessert to go with your meal.


NANKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE is located at 1810 Mother Ignacia Ave Cor Roces Avenue, Quezon City. Near the rotunda. Parking is available.




Disclaimer:wrote this based on my opinion. was invited to try out the dishes.
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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
TEPPANYA: SM NORTH'S JAPANESE EAT ALL YOU CAN

A few Sundays back, I was able to experience something that would stay in my mind for a long time. I visited Teppanya in SM NORTH TOWERS with a few friends and enjoyed their teppanyaki performance. Since they are celebrating their 5th year anniversary, you could have ala carte buffet style food. They would cook most of it infront of you but you also have access to other cooked dishes and of course sashimi, sushi, and rolls.
Teppanya is a Japanese food lovers' paradise. Here food are made to order. Meaning, it's not on a buffet line that sits out for everyone. You order and they make it for you. They actually offer a lot. You could go full sushi or even rice meals like katsudon. Yes, they also have tempura in the mix. There are some premium items though that will require you to add a little bit in terms of the bill but I believe it is so worth it. The scallops and the oysters are to die for.
When you visit, I suggest trying out the teppanyaki right off the bat. Order the meat, seafood, and if you're into veggies, they also offer them. It takes awhile for them to prepare the materials. 
These would be cooked infront of you. They would let them rest for a few minutes before serving the meat. Some could be a bit tough but flavorful. If you like it soft, ask to have it cooked medium. 
This one though is a must. It's like mushroom wrapped in bacon. This is really delicious.
Don't forget to order some fried rice. You could choose between seafood and meat. Both are really good. But don't over do the rice. The goal is to try as much as you can so take it easy on the carbs. Yet, they also offer rolls that you must try. They have a number of signature rolls like this one.
Grilling is also available. They have salmon head and even some of these gindara.
Kids and kids at heart would enjoy these skewers.
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With this unlimited menu, you won't go wrong with anything. They offer the promo during lunch and dinner hours up until November. Believe it or not, I went back after a week. I really enjoyed Teppanya and will definitely return.


TEPPANYA has multiple branches around the metro.
Their newest one would be in SM NORTH EDSA.
G/F North Towers.



Disclaimer:wrote this based on my experience. Was invited and also went on my own.
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Monday, September 10, 2018
KARMA SUSHI BAR GRILL: The Japanese Resto to visit when in Flagstaff, Arizona

 By now you might have been wondering, where is Jeng? ... I'm thinking about the same thing too. The past few months have been a blur. I've been to different places and have been bouncing from hotel rooms to apartments and even dorm-like residences. Don't worry though as I think I'm settling down. Recently, I just moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. In case you're wondering where that is, it's near the Grand Canyon. About a hour and a half drive away, you could say that this town is the perfect stopover.
 The town is actually almost 7,000 ft up. So, it's pretty cool here unlike Phoenix (don't get me started). To be honest, it feels like Baguio. Although, it could get pretty cold during the night. As low as 8 degrees C and even more during the winter. Yes, it does snow here and there's also a nearby ski resort to prove it. Anyway, I'm getting all mixed up talking about my left from my right when I'm supposed to write about my first decent meal in ages.
You see, I have been craving for some Japanese food. For the longest time, I have not had a good restaurant meal. If you've been following me (thank you very much), you would know that I would eat everything and anything but when I'm craving for something, I would move mountains and even fly out of the country just to get my fill. Thankfully, there was a highly recommended Japanese restaurant nearby. So, we visited KARMA SUSHI BAR GRILL.
 Located along the iconic ROUTE 66 and just across the Amtrak station, KARMA SUSHI BAR GRILL is a great place to spend your lunch, snack, dinner, and late nights. Other than serving delicious Japanese fare, they also have a number of drinks that would make any thirsty person jump for joy. So believe it or not, they have happy hour treats. To start things off, we had the pork gyoza ($6). It was a little bit oily according to my lunch mate but to be fare, it was just right for me. Gyozas, I believe needed to be "burnt" on one side to give it that color. Flavor wise, it was pretty good.

 You can't really go to a Japanese restaurant without ordering a roll. We went for the Paradise ($12). It had a number of ingredients that would make you question your decision but believe me when I say that it works. There's ebi tempura, snow crab, a little bit of jalapeno, with cream cheese, and topped with salmon. Although you might end up just tasting the cheese, you could definitely appreciate the flavors each part gives to the whole dish.
 Thinking about a different dish, I went for the SPICY TUNA SALAD. I was really happy when I saw the generous fresh cuts of tuna on top of greens, wakame, and a mayo based dressing. Even if it wasn't what I was expecting, this was pretty good.
 My lunch mate went for TONKOTSU. A typical ramen would be your tonkotsu. In terms of flavor, it's similar to some of the ramens I have tried in Japan and in Manila. If you're up for something warm, you can't go wrong with it. On the other hand, I wanted something simple and familiar. I ordered the EBI UDON. The difference between the ramen and the udon would be the type of noodles and the broth in which they are served. Ramen are generally heavy. Udons, not so much. I'm happy to report that, the noodles were al-dente. BUT, the broth itself is definitely UDON but I would have wanted KARMA SUSHI to have given it a little bit of twist to make ti more memorable.
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Before I forget, the ebi tempura that came with it was pretty good. Not extremely good like the ones I had in Fukuoka and Osaka but they're decent. PROTIP: go on an off-peak hour. They could get busy.

KARMA SUSHI BAR GRILL is located on 6 E Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. They're open from 11am and would close either 10 or 11pm. Pay parking is available infront (parallel) and also across.




Disclaimer:Paid for the meal. Wrote this based on my own experience and opinion.
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Monday, July 9, 2018
KIEN: Must Visit Tokyo Restaurant For An Affordable Michelin Experience

I visited this place twice in a span of two days. Not because I was madly deeply in love with it (believe me, I have done that before). Rather, the first visit yielded negative results. It was fully reserved hence no lunch deal. The next day was way better as we were the first in line. KIEN is a michelin star restaurant that is worth a try.
It looks like a normal place. It's in a residential area and is surrounded by houses. You won't really know that KIEN is there other than a front loaded garden with a small sign on top.
Going for full on courses would require reservations. Other than that, the lunch sets are pretty much affordable and are on a first come first serve basis. There's actually two types to pick from and both of them are pretty good. Once has deep fried fish and some sweet pork.
From my understanding, they sometimes change certain parts of the set to go with the season. The pork was tender while the tuna was mixed with a sort of sesame dressing making it wonderful to eat.
The other set was somewhat different in a sense that you have to mix different components to make your bowl. The seafood is already marinated and you actually add a bit of broth to your rice with it. We were glad that there were a couple of Japanese ladies that were able to teach us how to eat it. Thankfully, they were able to speak in English and were a delight to speak with.
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For the price and the quality of the food, I can say that it's worth a visit. Maybe next time, you could go for the kaiseki or the multi course Japanese set KIEN is known for. It may be a bit expensive but it's definitely one of the reasons why this restaurant has a Michelin Star. Don't forget to check out their operating hours and that they're also close during Sundays. Cheers




KIEN
2 Chome-18-8 Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan
http://www.akasaka-kien.com/introduction-english/
3 minute walk from Gate 12 of Tameike-Sanno Station, Tokyo Metro
5 minute walk from Gate 3 of Roppongi-Itchome Station, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
7 minute walk from Gate 5b of Akasaka Station, Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
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Saturday, February 24, 2018
KUREJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT in AYALA VERTIS NORTH

Playful and surprising. These are my initial impression of KUREJI. It's a mix between anime and Japanese food. Once you go inside, you'll be drawn to the delicious smell and flavor in the air. Part of the VERTIS GINZA JAPAN TOWN in Vertis North, KUREJI is a unique restaurant as it specializes in sizzling ramen.
BUT first appetizers are important to note. Since one has room for more, these babies would do the trick. You could go for some Gyoza, good old partner to ramen. Crispy bottom but chewy top. To go with this, you could also try something nutty. EDAMAME isn't really a nut but rather it's a bean. Here, they cooked it with SHIO or KIMUCHI. Both has distinct flavors that would cater to your taste buds.
Chicken is also a big part of any meal. At KUREJI, they have a lot of deep fried variants to choose from. You could go for the traditional Chicken Karaage.
If you want something else that would make your dinner unique, the wings would be the best way to go. They have the SOY GARLIC YUZU, SRIRACHA, and SALT AND VINEGAR. For something hot, the sriracha would be your pick. The Salt and Vinegar though was my personal favorite. It gave a tingling sensation to my tastebuds.
Now, the specialty of KUREJI is in their SIZZLING RAMEN. It's a new twist given to our old school favorite. It combines both ramen and sizzling plate. Once served, you add some soup on it just to make everything complete.
There's a lot to choose from. You could go shio, shoyu, garlic miso, and even tomato seafood.
The Tomato Seafood was a revelation. It combined everything that you would want from seafood and ramen.
Thankfully, you have the choice to have them in rice form. To be specific, they have the pork chashu, tomato seafood, and the GYUDON. Now, if you feel the tomato seafood and found it better with rice, then good for you! We have the same preference. For others though, they might enjoy the gyudon more. Thinly cut beef slices that works with their secret sauce and egg and rice. Perfect!
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KUREJI is located on the 4th Floor of VERTIS NORTH AYALA MALL in Quezon City. It's on the same floor as the cinemas and is part of Ginza Japan Town.

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Thursday, December 21, 2017
TENYA AND RACKS JOIN TOGETHER TO GIVE BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 This holiday season two great restaurants join together to give back to their chosen charities. RACKS AND TENYA have both partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the Make-A Wish Foundation respectively. A portion of their special sets will be donated to these non-profit organizations.
 In TENYA, they offer the WINTER SEAFOOD TENDON. These Christmas bowls could be customized and are priced for just Php 395. They have tiger prawn, soft shell crab, salmon and a few more tempura surprises.
 For RACKS, they brought in the big guns by offering THE BACON CRUSTED PORK RIBS.
 This baby might not look as appetizing as the other dishes but it's delicious and straightforward.
 The saltiness of the bacon crust went perfectly well with the soft and tender meat of the rib. Add a little bit of their secret bbq sauce and you are good to go!
 They also offer these for different number of diners and guests. Patrons dining alone could available of a quarter slab while big groups could go for a huge PLATTER! Remember to try ou their broccoli and cheese. It's a "healthy" surprise.
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RACKS and TENYA would be offering these items on their menu up until January 15, 2018 in all RACKS and TENYA BRANCHES.


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