New Japanese Food Haunt: Dohtonbori, SM Megamall

After a bout of running errands in SM Megamall, Hubby and I decided to have lunch at the Dohtonbori located in foodie haven Mega Fashion Hall. I found it funny that despite the restaurant being around for the past three years, I’ve only just gotten around to it recently.

Named after one of Osaka, Japan’s principal tourist destinations known for its rich and varied gastronomic options as well as its vibrant nightlife, Dohtonbori is driven by its philosophy of “Teppan Communication.” This philosophy strives to make the environment surrounding the teppan – the iron plate on which the restaurant’s signature dishes are cooked – enjoyable and fun, where diners can experience a sense of being connected with each other as they share a meal.

The restaurant’s premises is reminiscent of the streets of Osaka, with light-colored pine wood walls, brightly-colored streamers and even a vintage bike on display!

For our midday repast, we opted not to avail ourselves of Dohtonbori’s claim to fame: the okonomiyaki. These are savory pancakes popular in Japan but unfortunately unfamiliar to Hubby and myself. (Well, we’ll probably try them on our next visit.)

Instead, we decided on ordering dishes that are more familiar to us, which include:

Endamame (Php90). Served freshly steamed and lightly salted, this is Hubby’s go-to appetizer whenever we’re at a Japanese resto.

Ajitama Ramen (Php350). Firm ramen noodles in a steaming soup base (I opted for the rich Tonkotsu broth), served with a melt-in-your-mouth piece of chashu pork, aonori seaweed and the tasty soft-boiled egg tamago.

Tempura Zaru Soba (Php350). Cold Japanese soba noodles served with dipping tsuyu sauce, wasabi, spring onion, shredded nori, and sesame seeds.

USDA Angus Striploin Yakiniku (Php750). A 200-gram well-marbled piece of striploin expertly cooked by a wait staff on the teppan right on our table.

Our lunchtime foray into this piece of Osaka gave us a tasty and filling meal that fueled us up for the rest of our mall errands.

Did you know that Dohtonbori works with the Autism Society of the Philippines on its Autism at Work Program? This means that staff are trained and well-equipped to assist persons with autism who visit the restaurant. Furthermore, persons on the autism spectrum are trained, employed and accepted as part of the restaurant’s staff and the whole Dohtobori family. Being a mom of a child on the autism spectrum, I’m happy to support establishments like this that help to get differently abled people such as my son be more integrated into the mainstream and more productive members of society.

This Dohtonbori branch is located at Third Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City (open daily from 11am to 10pm). For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 4772066.

Other branches are located at:

Cullinan Prime Building, 8 Missouri Street, Greenhills, San Juan City
Second Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
Second Floor, Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Upper Ground Floor, SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City