Turning Japanese

Besides Filipino and Italian cuisine, Japanese food is one of my comfort foods. So I was really glad to dine at  Mitsuyado Sei-men: The House of Tsukemen. Mitsuyado is located at 22 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati. This restaurant was introduced to me by my mom because this was one of their customers. Upon entering the place, it looked amazing. It was like stepping into the streets of Japan. The tables and chairs were arranged as if it were tables and chairs from street eateries. The walls were decorated with Japanese street signs and other Japanese objects. It looked a bit chaotic, but as we settled down I realized it was a genius way of designing the restaurant.

Mitsuyado Sei-Men

Inside or outside? :)

cooking noodles

          Mitsuyado serves a variety of Japanese food. They have ramen and rice bowls among others. But the thing that makes Mitsuyado unique is that they serve Tsukemen. So what is this Tsukemen, you might ask. Well, it is (according to wikipedia)  "dipping noodles". The noodles and soup are served in separate bowls. The diner dips the noodles in the soup before eating. In other terms it can be described as a deconstructed ramen. J Mitsuyado makes their own noodles so that you are guaranteed of their noodle-goodness.

         

Noodle Making

noodles noodles

          My parents tried the Tsukemen, my brother had a donburi and I had Japanese style curry (because I was craving for rice at that time) :D. I did taste a bit of the tsukemen and it was good! It was like interactive eating because you had to get the noodle then dip then eat.

Tsukemen with gyoza on the side

Chicken Black Pepper Teriyaki Don

Curry Rice

          The Japanese fun did not stop there. After our meal at Mitsuyado, we walked to the store connected to it called Yamato. It was a Japanese bakery/ cafe. It had a different vibe compared to Mitsuyado. The place was bright and modern looking. The pastries were all displayed so wonderfully. At Yamato we tried their Japanese donuts, Ann pan, and croissants. I really liked the Ann pan. It was like a jelly filled doughnut, but instead of jelly it had mung bean paste. Try it for yourself! J

Yamato! 

          Till next blog!

-DOT-

P.S. forgive the low-quality photos I need to replace my camera. J  

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Yabu…dabado

Yabu…dabado

When you think of Japanese food, you might immediately think of sushi, sashimi, and tempura. Well, Japanese food is more than those things… and that’s a great thing! J Japanese cuisine can also be composed of rice bowls or donburis. One of my favorite rice bowl dish is katsudon and I’m so glad I found a restaurant fully devoted to katsu… and this place is called Yabu!

Katsudons are one of my favorites because it’s one of the Japanese dishes that don’t require soy sauce to be used. (I am allergic to anything soy). In other words, you can alter the dish without sacrificing the taste.

Ok back to Yabu.

My family and I were able to dine at their Robinsons Magnolia outlet. (Visit the new Robinsons Magnolia Mall it’s so pretty and uncongested there J). The place was full! The ambiance was great. It did not look like your traditional Japanese restaurants. As we were seated, I was intrigued by the food being served to the other tables beside ours. The food all looked the same. When I flipped thru the menu, I found the same thing. I was used to lengthier Japanese menus because of all the different types of sushis, appetizers, and others. BUT it was a good thing because it just shows that this is Yabu’s forte. So I ordered chicken katsudon set, my brother ordered the pork katsudon, and my parents ordered pork katsudons which were either Rosu or Hire. Roso and Hire were variations to the pork katsudon. MAN! The food was YUUUUMMMMYYY!!!!  It was the best Katsudon I have tasted to date. It was crispy, and not oily, on the outside and tender in the inside. It tasted best when drizzled with Yabu’s sesame-mayo or sesame-oil dressing. The set that my brother and I ordered had free miso soup, Japanese pickles, fruits, rice, and cabbage salad. Ohhh… did I mention that rice and cabbage in Yabu is UNLIMITED! J

Dad's food

おいしい

<3 <3

UNLIMITED! :)

Yabu was great! I would definitely return to Yabu soon! J  

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer and some were taken from Yabu’s Facebook page, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J For more information check out: http://www.facebook.com/yabuhouseofkatsu