Aaaaand we have another Japanese restaurant to review: Osaka Ohsho: House of Gyoza. According to online reviews of other foodies not like me (LOL), they serve the best gyoza in town. I recently dined in Ippudo and had a phenomenal time with their ramen (which Ippudo was best known for) and their gyoza as appetizer which could also belong in the high rollers (I believe, was exactly what I said).

Of course I have to order gyoza, but I also wanted to try other items in their menu and the chicken karaage set caught my eye. Gyoza and karaage! So you’d expect it to be so good, because house of gyoza, you’d forget all other restaurants that served you your best gyoza. And at first look, perfectly steamed dumplings with supple wonton wrappers, glistening with oil and you pick it up with your chopsticks and feel it lightly. Its light golden brown underside looks somewhat inviting and promises crunch on top of soft and lightly flavored filling, the sweet soy sauce playing around your mouth, moistening your every bite. But no, sadly I didn’t forget Ippudo’s gyoza. Somehow that was crunichier on the underside and perfectly seasoned filling on the inside. Osaka Ohsho’s filling was forgettable and too badly seasoned, so that’s why I let the remaining gyoza swim in soy sauce.

But oh, for a dish they claim to excel at but not really, they redeemed themselves with their chicken karaage which was served on top of a contrasting green lettuce, sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds, served with a bowl of fried rice. The dipping sauce is teriyaki style but too much on the sweet side. The serving is large enough for one person, but don’t take my word for it, I might have just been overwhelmed by the rice.

Verdict: 1.5/5 
All in all, the gyoza was such a let down I don’t ever want to go back here anymore. The karaage is nice but please only go here if you really have nowhere else to go. And don’t believe the sign at the door. Please, don’t fall for it. Just to be sure, it’s on the 3F of SM Megamall, Fashion Hall.

Japanese cuisine has a lot to offer the world and maybe one of my favorites to-date. I haven’t been to Japan to try the food there but I’ve come to realize that there’s a lot of places you could get good Japanese food, if you just know where to look. Being sent to Vancouver for work and spending most bingeing times with poeticnook, we’ve uncovered these gems all over the city. And for me, that’s the closest I could get to authentic Japanese food for now. I don’t even want to try any here in Manila, because I’m sure it will not be at par with the ones we’ve tried.

But then, Sushi Ninja came. And to my surprise, it’s just near the place where I live. It’s situated at Westgate Center, Filinvest Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, which is just a 5min drive from our place. At first, I was really on the fence in trying this restaurant because of concerns of taste, quality of handling, and overall cleanliness. I guess curiosity killed my doubts, i mean the cat.

To start, I ordered the Tuna Poké from their special menu. I know that’s not so Japanese, it’s actually a Hawaiian dish, haha! But might as well hit two birds with one stone. Maybe the poké bowl was too much for one person, definitely looks like it’s for sharing. Or if you really dig poké I guess this is alright. The salmon was fresh and was tossed in some light teriyaki sauce, garnished with black and white sesame seeds and onion leeks. Next I had the Uni Nigiri. Now I’ve tasted uni imported fresh from Japan and golly, I will bet my life that this isn’t one of those but nevertheless, it’s fresh and had that sweet, delicate taste. Better than your average local uni.

The place had a Japanese vibe to it. Decorations made from bamboo lined the walls reminiscent of the animé shows I love to watch. The servers were polite and were all attentive. Food came in fast. Value for money is fantastic, I just paid a little over 500Php for the two dished I ordered.

Update: 
Didn’t I say we’ll go back here? During my 2nd visit, I ordered 2 new dishes. First, the Grilled Salmon Belly. I’ve had grilled salmon belly in other restaurants and the servings were small or limited. So I had to ask the server about how small their serving was, and he was taken aback and using his two hands, measured what looked like more or less a half ruler’s length, about 6in. And it was my turn to be taken aback, especially when he said they had two of those. So I said yes to it. And it did not disappoint. Enjoyed every bite of it!

And then came my Mentaiko Udon, made from spicy cod roe and Japanese flour noodle. The mentaiko was mixed with Japanese mayonnaise, topped with chopped chives, nori (dried seaweeds) strips, and bonito flakes. The serving is good for 2, so I had some to take away. Leaving the verdict the same for now.

Verdict: 3/5
There are a few others in the menu that needs to be tried like the mentaiko noodles and chirashi. And since this is just close to my place, I will definitely go back.

During this time, I was sent to Makati City to attend some training for a week. The firm that conducted the training offered snacks and lunch to their students. And since there’s just a week that I get to be out of office, I think grabbing the chance to try some restaurants around the vicinity would definitely be fruitful. Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant is located at 1F of 141 Sedeno Street, Salcedo Village in Makati. Technically just downstairs from where we had our training. Finding it was a little tricky though because the entrance is inside the building and is hiding behind the receptionist’s area so you can’t really see it from the outside. I’ve missed it twice and had to ask the security guard from another building where it was. He directed me back to the building and I thought then he was just tripping, but there it was. Hiding from plain sight.

The restaurant’s entrance is a long stairwell up to the 2F and practically occupied the whole floor. It looked like it’s good for group/team meetings and they did have some when I dined there. I also saw a bunch of Japanese folks there, so it was a good sign. Who do you trust about sushi, eh? And apparently, according to research, it is run by a Japanese sushi chef! The server then placed a cup of hot tea on my table and asked if I was ready to order.

I asked for their Ume Sashimi Moriawase and it was magnificent. Arranged on a huge plate, on a bed of shredded daikon, was a variety of fresh fish slices. Unfortunately, they didn’t have uni, but they filled my plate with salmon, tuna, octopus, squid, shrimp, and a few others that I do not recognize. I had a hard time finishing this plate because of the serving size.

Verdict: 3.5/5
If you’re looking for the best sashimi, might as well come here. The quality is superb and could really be at par with restaurants abroad. Sadly, they didn’t have the complete selection and I didn’t get to try other dishes. It’s a little pricey, but you won’t regret having this sashimi plate.