If you find yourself in Nuvali and are craving for Japanese food, go to Domo (short for "thank…read moreyou") Tomo ("friend") which is located at Soledad 1. My family often eats here when we're in the area. The food although basic is good and consistent. Some changes were made to suit the Filipino palate such as the use of calamansi (Philippine lemon) to accompany their sushi and sashimi dishes. One particularly interesting dish is the Krazy (yes, with a "k") roll; it's like crab maki rolled inside-out and then deep fried before being cut into smaller pieces and then topped with shredded crab stick with Japanese mayonnaise and fish egg roe. So good! Each serving yields bite sized pieces, good for sharing. I also love their bento boxes! Service is great and for a Japanese vibe, lanterns adorn the restaurant and Japanese music plays as well. The freezer for the raw ingredients is visible to diners so you know their food is fresh. Prices are quite reasonable especially with fresh ingredients.

Rodic's is one of the most popular diners in UP, and I have witnessed how much it has changed in…read moreterms of pricing! I recall paying only P35 for their famous tapsilog, and through the years, it has been increasing gradually. In this branch, I was a bit surprised to be paying P95 na! It's still relatively affordable considering that the place is air-conditioned, though I think the tapa quality has also changed. It's still good, but it may have become sweeter? Also, the egg I got was too salty. I'd still go back, though, especially since this branch still makes me think of UP as it has a picture of the Oblation as well as a cartoonized map of the Diliman campus, my beloved alma mater.

Rodic's is now in Marikina. The UP Diliman institution is now serving that famous tapsilog in the…read moreland of shoes, and all I can say is, "good for them". There's really nothing much to say about Rodic's at this point that hasn't been said in other reviews, save for the fact that their Marikina branch is their biggest one yet and actually looks like a proper restaurant. Admit it or not, their other outlets are just a shade above "carinderia" status, although that was the attraction, I think. Other than that, same tapsilog goodness abounds here.

I am back here by reason of the following order: 1. Ambiance…read more- So calm and relaxing not to mention... the rest room! State of the art, beautiful, and clean. 2. Service - Very patient and nice, always ready to assist with a smile. 3. Food - Last and certainly not the least... food is good for those with adventurous palette.

Last week we went the one of 50 -60 million malls that they have in the Philippines. The main…read morereason was because I had the need to workout if only for about 90 minutes. We ended up going to Greenhills Shopping Center partially because of the close proximity to my brother-in-laws house & mostly because they had a Anytime Fitness Center there. As faith would have it my wife's niece also worked at this mall for Pepper Lunch as the restaurant manager. Pepper Lunch is marketed as a Japanese restaurant. As with many of the restaurants (as they are numerous) they have signage outside w/images of the items being sold to entice people into the restaurant. At first glance I wasn't overly impressed, but the food was actually very good or maybe I was just hungry. We took awhile to select our dishes. I ordered a sizzling plate w/beef, rice (go figure rice in the Philippines w/corn) and a raw egg on a hot iron skillet. You mix the ingredients and viola you have a yummy meal.

At UP Town, this restaurant seems fitting to the student, family and colleague-oriented place. I…read morefirst tried Pepper Lunch at a different branch (Greenbelt 5), but this one has a more relaxed and spacious environment. I'm glad they have Iwata units to blast away the fumes from the sizzling food served. Pepper Lunch offers a unique dining experience that is semi-fast food but healthy as the meals are mostly grilled from the served hot plate. Their flagship product, beef pepper rice, is a must-try for first timers. If beef is not preferred, try out their chicken pepper rice or salmon pepper rice (for fish lovers). Note this: mix the food on your hot plate ASAP and as thoroughly as you can to cook the meat and incorporate all ingredients evenly. Some say they taste better when they are mixed better. On the other hand, some prefer to "grill" the meat on the side first before eating the rice and viand unmixed. I prefer the first one because it's more fun to feel like a pseudo chef and mixing all the ingredients together :D The freshness of the viands does come with a price, and unfortunately I am not a fan of. Yes, the price is reasonable, but it is not suitable for me to have a regular visit at Pepper Lunch. Still, it is a must-try if you're looking for a new and unique dining style.

I've always been told that the key to knowing how good a restaurant serving a specific type of…read morecuisine really is, is by looking around and checking out the customers. As soon as I entered Mao Jia Hunan Cuisine, I couldn't help but notice how every table was filled with Chinese guests speaking in their mother tongue. There and then I thought, "Now, this is the real thing". As soon as the menu was handed to me, I instantly realized this wasn't your run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. Hunan cuisine is known the world-over for it's hot, spicy flavors and true enough, from the pictures of the dishes on the menu, one noticeable ingredient that had a starring role in every dish was the red chili. After salivating over every dish on the menu, my lunch date and I finally decided to order the Five Spice Beef, Eggplant Sautéed with String Beans and the Sesame Shredded Chicken. Despite having to wait unusually long for our dishes to arrive, the food we ordered did not disappoint. True enough, each bite was filled with fiery flavor and soon after, we were perspiring from the heat, both from the food and the sweltering summer day. For those looking for a hot hole-in-the-wall spot, I think Mao Jia Hunan Cuisine is definitely worth a visit.

Mao Jia serves Chinese food, and the similarities to other Chinese restaurants end there. Unlike…read morethe usual Cantonese food, this place serves Hunan cuisine. You might think that this restaurant is out of place in the quiet Bagtikan Street, but you'll be surprised at the amount of Chinese customers it has during lunch and dinner. For me, if you see a lot of "locals" that represent the type of cuisine the restaurants serve, then it must be good. Some of the dishes that I ordered were the five spice beef, the dumplings, and a spicy fish head that reminds me of a "hidden" restaurant near Rockwell Center. Everything tasted great. Oh did I mention that almost everything is spicy? It is something this cuisine is known for, but for those that can't take the heat, you can always request to tone it down. But for a place that's known for spice, why would you?

Yakitori One is, without a doubt, one of my favorite food court stalls. Found in SM Aura's high-end…read morefood court concept, it isn't the usual food court fare one sees peppered around the city. They serve mostly Japanese-style skewered grilled meat, glazed with a special teriyaki sauce. Since they are served on sticks, Yakitori One is my number one choice for on the go, easy snacking while I'm out shopping in the mall. I usually order them by the stick although the food stall also serves rice meals. My absolute favorites are the Chicken and Onion Leeks (Php 50), Quail Egg Pork Wrap (Php 50), Chicken Skin (Php 30), Chicken Wings (Php 90) and Pork Butabara (Php 45). It's best to have a companion with you so you can order and try more of the choices. But for solo eating, take-home is also the way to go. The next best part after eating all that yakitori is washing it down with an ice-cold Coca Cola. Excuse me while I go salivate!

After shopping in SM Aura for a bit, you always get hungry. I happened to be at the foodcourt…read moreduring lunch time, but it was too crowded, so I decided to wait it out in crate & barrel. After 2 pm the lines at this stall subsided and it was time for me to order and dig in! The sticks are between 40 - 60 php and you have a variety of choices. I had the chicken with onion leeks, since i love leeks and the chicken tights. Both grilled to perfection, very tender and nice bbq taste. The teriyaki sauce completes the experience which is both sweet and salty. You can also choose from affordable combo's. I like their clean and straightforward branding, def come back here.

I haven't been to a katsu place in a long time (last one I can remember was my birthday celebration…read morelast year!). I was always told Ginza Bairin is one of the best katsu restaurants in the metro and it did not fail me :3 I ordered something special in the menu called "Oroshi Katsu set" which has Rosu pork (the one with fat) with pomelo and daikon (white radish) with ponzu sauce (citrus-like sauce). It's just additional P20 from the classic rosu so I decided to give it a try. All their sets have refillable miso soup, cabbage, rice and fruits :) The meat was perfectly cooked - not too greasy, and the breading was just right. They have a unique wasabi soy sauce that's so good I had 4 refills of my cabbage :3 The staff also had a fast serving especially for refills and this made me enjoy my dining experience more. I was in a large group (about 14) and for the small restaurant size, the staff was able to accommodate us well. Most of the customers are families and students from the nearby schools. I even saw some students studying while munching on their katsu, which is not a bad idea at all! I think the best spot to get is the one with the booths on the side. I'm glad I was able to try out Ginza Bairin without the hassle of lining up too long. I hope to dine in at this place again soon. :)

I've always been curious about Ginza Bairin when it first opened at UP Town Center. I thought,…read more"What the heck is with all these people lining up for a set meal?!" Little did I know what the heck everything is about when I first got a taste of their oh-so-delicious katsu sets. As it was my first time to eat there, I wanted a set that had pretty much everything in it, so I ordered this katsu set that had prawn, rosu, crabmeat, and oyster. The set came with unlimited rice, dipping sauces, miso soup and fruit slices. When I bit into the first piece - the rosu, then I saw what the whole deal was about. If there was love at first bite, this was just blown away at first bite! The meat was super tender and evenly cooked and it was so delicious. I put down the piece of rosu and worked my way into the next deep fried goody, the prawn. The prawn was large and crispy and it tasted different from the other tempura you're used to. I think it has something to do with the batter. The crabmeat ball was also good, and you know Ginza Bairin isn't cheating its customers because instead of kani, they used real crab meat! It was rolled in this deliciously crispy outer layer and super soft and mushy on the inside. My favorite however, was the oyster. It was pretty large and tasted fresh and you just have to savor every morsel of oyster. (Although I wish there was another piece of oyster! :( ) Overall, I liked my dining experience at Ginza Bairin and the place really stood out for me. While the set was kind of on the expensive "treat yoself" side, it doesn't matter - the flavors are there, the crispiness of the dish is there and what's more, you really get what you pay for with its premium ingredients and a whole dining experience.

Tldr; pretty good Japanese and preuvian fusion restaurant…read more Ambiance: modern and Japanese inspired, Lots of wood and relatively good number of seating. It's comfortable but the bar seating felt like there was ac straight on my seat. Service: service was good. I noticed food kept coming out and each time whoever was able and close by took the order to the same table! They had three people serving that same table food. Had to ask for my hot water twice but was prompt as soon as I asked the person behind the counter. Food: I really liked the soft shell crab, I want to try the others next time. I only ordered half which was 5 pieces, I liked that you could do this. The udon was good the noodles were different that what I'm used to and slightly too soft but still Al dente. The soup was slightly too salty for my taste but still flavorful. I was disappointed in the duck portion but it was enough. The duck was very tender and went well with the soup. Overall would go with a different protein for this udon next time, and focus on sushi rolls.

Wanted to try this place for lunch. Interior is nice, wooden chairs and tables and a little dark…read more We were seated in the far end where a huge ladder was situated (safety hazard! More on that below) We had a total of 4 dishes to share between my sister and I. We ordered a tuna ceviche which was fantastic - fresh and tangy just the way i like it. The sushi rolls can be ordered in pieces of 5 or 10 and so we got 5 pieces of the Salmon Miso rolls (one of their best sellers) and 5 pieces of the Uni rolls (also popular). The salmon sushi rolls were very good and fresh. We then ordered and shared a main - the tuna and uni cheese Risotto which was good. Overall the food was good. For drinks we had their Sake Sangria which was a little too strong for my liking. Oh and when we left the place my cousin exited near the ladder which wobbled and nearly fell... um i understand the aesthetics but having that there is pretty dangerous.