seryna

japanese food at its finest! ambiance was also good. old resto but the quality of food is pretty good. the place is packed on weekends. one thing needs improvement: ladies restroom does not have a lock which is really wierd!

searching for the best sushi and tempura in metro manila? search no more! seryna is the closest to authentic japanese experience in manila. they have a very cozy and posh ambiance, too. 5 stars!

since my appetite for japanese food is never satisfied, i tried another resto at little tokyo called seryna. interior is modern and better than that of izakaya kikufuji, although smaller. we ordered the spicy tuna sushi and the grilled saba with chahan rice and it was sooo good!!! perfect japanese go-to resto for meeting up with friends. will be back :)

it's one of the best japanese restaurant by far! the gindara is amazingly good, the sashimi is so fresh i love to dig in to it more.. the ambience is as cute as the ones in japan. my overall experience is great. will definitely be back here for more.

i come for lunch and stay at the bar.  every component of the set lunch is good.  the soup is light and flavorful.  something you would not expect when you look at something that looks just like tap water.  fish is fresh.  potato salad is good.  grapes are seedless and sweet. spectacular value at 380.

reservation is a must, but were lucky enough to get in even with out having one.  a must try authentic japanese resto around makati - within the little tokyo compound. highly recommended kaisen gozen.  its a two-layer box—the bottom contains vinegared rice and pickled vegetables, while the top has twelve kinds of sashimi. like all of their lunch sets, your tray is loaded with a salad, appetizer, soup, and dessert, as well. note: it's only available during lunch time. 1130-200.

i'd say they're one of the best japanese restaurants around the metro. i've been here twice, the first time i went for lunch, i ordered their tempura bento. and the second time, i got the fish bento (macarel) and both were really good and filling. my friend ordered the sukiyaki bento and got to taste a little and its also super yummy and they're very generous with the beef, i'll order it next time on my future visit 👍

great food! we ordered katsudon, gyudon, tuna sashimi and california maki.

buuuut... after eating here, my boyfriend had gastroenteritis :(

maybe it in the juice that they serve, because that was the only thing i didn't partake.

come early as the restaurant gets crowded fast during lunch. the bento portion is huge. you'll not be disappointed. can't wait for my next visit.

another little tokyo gem, one must try their assorted 5 kinds of sashimi and their lunch sets, which i recommend the kaisen gozen. a refreshing and hearty meal especially if you want to chill during the weekends.

reservation is a must though.

little tokyo foodtrip: sashimi heaven

update: october 2015

my colleagues and i returned to try one of seryna's more unique offerings:

horsemeat sashimi or basashi (p425)

we asked when the horsemeat had been delivered to them and they said about two days ago. it is served as six frozen slices in a dish with green onions, garlic and ginger, which is meant to be mixed into your soy sauce. when we inquired why the meat was frozen our waitress said so that it doesn't get too bloody. so after dipping the meat into the sauce, i popped it in my mouth. it was chewy and a bit gamy, but was masked more by the side-seasoning -literally what eating uncooked meat would taste like. (only you do not get sick. haha.) it was an interesting experience which i would probably do again if it were not so pricey.

september 2015

when my friends and i went on a little tokyo food-trip evening, a must-try on our list for sashimi and sushi was definitely seryna. it was a little more pricey than some of our other options in the area, but only because patrons are paying for definite quality.

design-wise, the interior is very cozy with all the tables being broken into booths that can fit in between four to six people. i suspect they had bigger tables and a sushi bar in the back, but we took the booth right by the entrance. 

service-wise, the staff were all extremely friendly and helpful even if we had arrived probably an hour before their closing time. our waitress recommended dishes and answered all our questions with a smile on her face.

food-wise, we opted to get an appetizer, a sashimi platter and a sushi roll. we were given a macaroni salad appetizer which used japanese mayonnaise and i quite enjoyed it. our food arrived one after the other within 10-15 minutes.

tako biniku tataki (p240)
the appetizer which was recommended by our server. it was a small bowl of minced octopus with plum sauce, that apparently had a wasabi flavor to it. the seafood was definitely fresh and the sauce had a refreshing kick to it. i found it to be an interesting starter.

goten mori (p640)
a plate of 5 kinds of assorted sashimi. it had tuna, hamachi, grilled octopus, salmon and squid - an average of three slices per kind, except for the tuna which had five. the plating was lovely with pieces of seaweed in between. the hamachi was our absolute favorite. everything was of course, top quality and did not leave any strange after-taste in its wake. definitely some of the best sashimi i have had in little tokyo.

salmon roll (p340)
this was their special salmon roll composed of crunchy salmon skin, cooked salmon rolled up in vinegar rice, seaweed and raw salmon on the outside. the presentation was lovely and the dish had a nice crunch to it. 

over-all, i give this establishment a 4.5 for our experience. i would give it a definite 5.0 in terms of just sashimi because you are definitely paying for delicious quality. as for their other dishes though, such as the cooked ones - i think they may be a little bit over-priced but am looking forward to coming back to try them out and see. i will definitely recommend this place to other japanese food-enthusiasts.

worth waiting in line. we went here out of curiosity from my friends who shared their good dining experience in seryna. the soup in the attached photo(forgot the name of the soup) was amazing. by amazing, i mean amazing because 1, it was delicious; and 2, when they served it, it had no water whatsoever. they put a fire under it and it started to condense(i assume) and became a soup. i know it kind of sounds vague so please just try to order it. for the main course, the one that really got my attention was the saikoro steak. really, really tender cubes of meat which are very tasty! it's a really great gastronomic experience

rude japanese chef, service crew were okay. idk with other reviews, we as filipinos should have the same sympathy over this restaurant, they serve fresh sashimi to fellow jap customers, but to us pinoys they give the old stock sashimi not spoiled but not fresh. you will notice that the chef will serve the fish on display to pinoys but they get the fresh stock to serve the fellow jap. booooooo!!!!! pardonnez-moi!

one of the best japanese restaurants in the metro. my go-to if i'm willing to spend a little more than what i usually pay for japanese food, as it is a little pricier than other restaurants in little tokyo. still, who wouldn't be willing to pay more for a great experience? food is authentic, the service is fast, and the ambiance is great. best for quiet dinners and romantic dates. gets a bit packed, so prepare to wait for a table.

seryna is one of the hidden gems of makati city. there was never a time that i didn't enjoy my meal at this restaurant.  they cook and prepare their food very well and the service is fast.  everything that comes out of their kitchen is delicious. the vibe of the place is very pleasant and inviting. perfect for dates and intimate dinners. very impressive.