My daughter was craving for gyoza so when she accompanied me to my office last Wednesday, I gave in to her craving by having our lunch at nearby Omotenashi Japanese Restaurant and Bar.
The term omotenashi directly correlates to Japanese hospitality. It is the combination of words “omote” which refers to the face one presents to the public and “nashi” which means “nothing.” The resulting word means “selfless service,” anticipating the needs of the guest and providing service from the heart.
From the outside, this Quezon City Japanese restaurant may seem like a rowdy drinking hangout, especially with the banners promoting its beer promos. Inside, however, the decor is more subdued: natural light from the windows is soft which bounces off from the white walls decorated by paintings of fish and traditional Japanese scenery, and pictures of the food offered inside. That said, I find the interiors lacking the zen quality I’ve come to expect from Japanese restaurants.
We ordered Gyoza (Php188), Ebi Tempura (Php378 for 5 pieces),Chicken Teriyaki (Php328) and Gomoku Chahan (Php188). The gyoza, or minced pork dumplings, were served hot and had a good balance between the pork and aromatics in each bite. The tempura and chicken were well-seasoned and went nicely with the chahan, or Japanese fried rice.
I took advantage of a reservation app that gave me 20% discount on the food items so, even with a 10% service charge, my total bill came out as less that Php1,000.
I had some misgivings about the service charge, though. Despite being polite and helpful, the lone wait staff was a long way from the quality of service that the name and tenet of omotenashi implies. Some more training and support from the restaurant management may be in order.
This branch of Omotenshi Japanese Restaurant and Bar is located at 42 Sgt. Esguerra Corner Eugenio Lopez Street, South Triangle, Quezon City. For inquiries, call +63 9178148511.
Register to Eatigo through this link and get up to 50% off your food bill in this resto and various other restaurants in the metro as well as Php100 worth of rewards.
Check out my reviews of other nearby Japanese restaurants:
Jellybeans in the City 
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