chirashi don – Jellybeans in the City

Playful takes on Japanese cuisine at Saigosan, Uptown Mall BGC

Just when you thought that you’ve seen all there is to see when it comes to Japanese food, here comes Saigosan, all ready to set the local foodie scene on its ear.

This recently opened izakaya-style restaurant in Uptown Mall BGC is geared to take its diners on a fun food trip across Japanese pop culture with the enticement of delicious comfort food and classic dishes.

The latest venture of the restaurant group that manages The Red Crab Alimango House, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island and Pier at Clawdaddy’s, Saigosan offers a uniquely colorful dining experience situated between an exciting commuter train ride and a comforting stay at a ramen shop.

Here, Nobu-trained Chef Chris Oronse and his team whip up playful and creative takes on familiar Japanese food that will surely tickle the fancy of young and young-at-heart foodies with a predilection for Japanese pop culture. These include:

Classic Gyoza (₱225). The all-time favorite pan-fried Japanese potsticker filled with ground pork, cabbage, aromatics and seasonings, served with a soy sauce and vinegar-based dipping sauce.

Mini Volcano (₱280). Saigosan puts a fun twist on the classic California maki roll, thanks to its topping of chopped kani (crab sticks) and bonito flakes.

Chicken Katsudon (₱345). Tender strip of breaded chicken served with egg chahan (Japanese fried rice) and your choice between Domi and Curry sauce.

Chasu Bacon Breakfast Ramen (₱499). Breakfast favorites such as bacon slices and fried egg served on top of firm ramen noodles in a rich pork soup.

Chirashi Don (₱525). A variety of sashimi such as fresh salmon, tuna, tanigue, ikura (salmon roe) and tamago (rolled omelette) artfully served on a platter with a bowl of rice on the side.

So if you want to experience your favorite Japanese food in a fresh, fun and colorful way, then get on board for a delicious ride at Saigosan.

Saigosan is located at 3rd Floor, Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, open from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 915 8126855 or email saigosan.bgc@gmail.com.

To stay updated on its promos and offers, follow Saigosan on Facebook and Instagram.

Fresh flavors of Japanese food at Soru Izakaya, Maginhawa

My fam and I have a very strong affinity towards Japanese food. As it is one of our favorite cuisines, more often than not, we end up choosing Japanese restos when dining out.

Such was the case when we decided to eat out in the Maginhawa, QC area the weekend right before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was announced.

At Soru Izakaya’s Maginhawa branch, we were able to get a table relatively quickly despite the bustling dinner crowd.

There, we we were able to enjoy our favorite Japanese dishes, which included:

Lava Maki (Php430). Salmon skin, crabsticks and tamago topped with salmon and tuna cubes in spicy mayo. This dish, which served as our appetizer, also featured the whimsical mayo design that Soru Izakaya became known for.

Tantanmen (Php330). Hubby likes his ramen spicy and this one fits the bill. It is made with firm ramen noodles in spicy miso and peanut broth with chasyu pork and mixed vegetables served with slices of seasoned egg. Of course, he had to share some of it with me!

Katsudon (Php295). My princess’ near-constant craving which is made with deep-fried and breaded pork loin served with egg cooked in sweet and savory sauce over steamed rice, topped with melted cheese and onion leeks.

Tomahawk Katsu (Php355). My little boy’s go-to order which consisted of deep-fried breaded pork tomahawk cutlet served with sweet and savory katsu sauce and shredded cabbage doused in roaster sesame dressing. We ordered a cup of rice to go with this dish which the little boy demolished in record time.

Chirashidon (Php360). My new favorite Japanese dish made with torched tuna, salmon sashimi cubes, kani, tamago and endamame over sushi rice. I just love the variations in flavor and texture in every bite.

Looking back, I’m glad that we were able to spend some time together out of the house, enjoying one of our favorite cuisines, before we had to sequester ourselves at home due to the quarantine. (I’m also thankful we managed to stay and healthy thus far.)

We’re all looking forward to the time when we can venture out and go back to our favorite places to dine and enjoy.

How about you? Which of your favorite restos were you able to visit before the quarantine started?

Want a taste of Soru Izakaya’s dishes but stuck at home because of the quarantine? Here’s some good news: During the ECQ, this branch is open from 10am to 5pm daily with a limited menu available for takeout or delivery via Grab Express or Lalamove. To order, text your name, address, contact number and orders to +63 917 7040515, +63 917 6363526 or +63 935 7830298.

When the ECQ is lifted and you can visit the resto with your friends and family, you can also get free dishes when you unlock your Zomato Gold privilege.

Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 (Buy 1 Get 1) deals on food or 2+2 (Buy 2 Get 2) deals on drinks for dining in at partner restaurants. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use the code JELLYB to get 45% off the membership fee.

This Soru Izakaya branch is located at Ground Floor, 140 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Scout Torillo corner Scout Fernandez Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Japanese seafood dinner at Omakase, Greenhills

In our bid to eat a bit healthier after a bout of errands in Greenhills, Hubby and I opted to have an early sushi dinner at Omakase.

This Japanese resto started out as a takeout counter in Quezon City. The term omakase actually translates to “I leave it up to you.” In Japan, diners can sometimes leave it up to the chef to serve his recommended selection of seasonal specialties instead of ordering their preferences.

While that is not the system set in place in this restaurant, it does boast of an excellent selection of maki and sushi.

Hubby and I dined on a sampling of this selection with our orders:

Sashimi: Salmon (Php300) and Tuna (Php300). Raw fish sliced into thin pieces and served with soy sauce and a little wasabi.

Spicy Maguro Roll (Php310). Deep-fried spicy tuna topped with ebiko and scallions.

Chirashi Don (Php385). Assorted raw seafood over sushi rice served with miso soup.

Ebi Tempura (Php370). Five pieces of lightly battered and deep fried shrimp served with tempura sauce.

These classic seafood dishes (our go-to fare whenever we’re at a Japanese restaurant) were promptly served by the wait staff. The raw fish in the sashimi and chirashi don were fresh and flavorful.

This Omakase branch is located at Ground Floor, Connecticut Carpark Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan, open daily from 11am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 84709807 or +63 930 2523575.

Other branches are located at:

Pasig: Ayala Malls Feliz
Marikina: ESJ Building Gil Fernando Avenue
Quezon City: Il Terrazzo Mall Tomas Morato, Holy Spirit Drive Isidora Hills Subdivision
Muntinlupa: Molito Commercial Complex Alabang
Makati: Grab Kitchen Glorietta 2

No time to visit an Omakase branch? Have your orders delivered to you via Food Panda.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Japanese family food feast at Sumo Sam, Gateway Mall

While on our family staycation at Novotel Manila Araneta Center, the family decided to venture out to the nearby Gateway Mall for dinner.

Our original choice turned out to be already permanently closed; so Hubby scoured the area and opted for Sumo Sam.

The restaurant’s menu states that its origins can be traced back to the fanciful story of Sumo Sam, a legendary fighter and lover of good Japanese food who was dropped by a flock of cranes at the foot of Mount Fuji and raised by local sumo wrestlers as their own.

Having grown in skill and renown (as well as in appetite), he met the beauteous Miyuki whose village was cursed by the evil lord Aiku. He volunteered to fight the evil lord that night of the full moon. Before his battle, Miyuki served him food he never tasted before, and he felt himself getting stronger.

That night, he battled for his life and his newfound love for Miyuki and emerged the victor.

The restaurant’s offerings allows its diners to relive the feast that Miyuki set before Sumo Sam which helped to strengthen him for battle.

For our dinner during our staycation, our feasted with fresh and filling Japanese food, prepared and served in Sumo Sam’s signature whimsical style, which include:

Tuna Sashimi (Php298) and Salmon Sashimi (Php298). Mainstays on our table every time we eat at a Japanese resto, these whet our appetite for more.

Dynamite Roll (Php288). A burst of flavor from the tuna and creamy spicy mayo amidst the usual vinegared rice.

Tonkatsu Set (Php398). My kids’ staple: a sizeable cut of hire (pork tenderloin), battered and fried to a golden brown color and served with rice, shredded cabbage and soup.

Steak Combo (Php898). Hubby ordered for himself a juicy slab of prime rib eye grilled to medium doneness and accompanied by grilled salmon, a fresh house salad, miso soup, Japanese Fried Rice and three pieces of California Maki.

Chirashidon (Php399). I have developed a taste for this dish of sticky white rice topped with beautiful cuts of seafood; a tasty and filling alternative to my usual go-to meat dishes.

I found our Japanese family food feast here to be quite satisfying. Our orders were served promptly by the attentive servers and we were situated quite comfortably at our table amidst the brightly colored Asian and Western fusion decor of the restaurant.

This Sumo Sam branch is located at the Upper Ground Floor, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 9pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 3510760 or +63 917 5938399.

Other branches are located at:

Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati (open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 11pm; Tel No: +63 2 9030847)

Level 2, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Makati City (open daily from 11am to 10pm: Tel No.: +63 2 7296292 or +63 2 8957532)

Level 6, Shangri-la Plaza, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City (open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 10pm; Tel No.: +63 2 6375704)

Third Floor, Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila, Quezon City (open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am 10pm; Tel No.: +63 2 6254293, +63 2 6546813, or +63 917 4327272)

Second Floor, The Block, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City (open Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 9pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 10am to 10pm; Tel No.: +63 2 3557714)