tanabe

i think this is my second time to dine at tanabe.

it was a bitter sweet lunch at tanabe. i had lunch with my supervisor and colleagues from the division/office.

my japanese supervisor was having his last lunch with us as he will be transferring to our viet nam office.

my supervisor and i got the sashimi bowl (for lunch). our other colleagues got curry and pork. my japanese colleague joked that the service and the curry was just like from his canteen during college. he was not happy with his curry. my russian colleague/boss thought that his pork cutlet was just okay (the wait staff forgot to get his order and he ordered the quickest meal that can be prepared).

the sashimi bowl was great. i had a nice time trying to finish it. this is my new go to place for a sashimi bowl in manila as sakura was closed last year.

for apettizers we got salmon and yellow tail sashimi. the quality of the fish was excellent. the sashimi is highly recommended.

i heard from staff from my office that they saw cockroaches in this store before. luckily, we did not see any. but such rumors from credible sources will still earn a 0.5 point deduction in my rating.

to date, tanabe is the main japaneserestaurantin manila, in my humble opinion

authentic japanese food :) kinda pricey compare to other japaneserestaurantnear the area.

we ordered salmon sashimi, spicy salmon, gyudon and katsudon.

if ever you're in the malate area, here's a japaneserestaurantworth trying.

one random wednesday as i was about to head home from work, tim texted me to let me know he was going to parañaque to drop something off for one of his clients. so i, being the amazing girlfriend that i am, decided to accompany him. as my prize (haha), tim brought me to one of the restaurants he and his friends used to eat at years back.

california roll (p240)
kani stick, shrimp, cucumber, and tobiko
i honestly tried to order a different roll, but the combination of mangoes, kani, and cucumber is a sure win, so i always end up picking it anyway.

still the reliable go to japaneserestaurantin manila. authentic flavors and value for money are the keys to its longevity. definitely, one of the best in the metro.

we ordered our usual - edamame, california maki, teka maki, agedashi tofu, chicken karaage, salmon sashimi, spicy tuna tartare - everything was good and authentic.

it was for my birthday dinner and i'm glad i found another legit japaneserestaurantthat i can go back to 😘

this is my first time to eat sashimi. i am very satisfied with their tuna and salmon sashimi. their fish are are so delicious and tasty. :) i can not find other sashimi just as what i've tasted in thisrestaurant:)

of course they can't match the quality of seafood from hokkaido, but it's so far the closest to the restaurants in tokyo and kyoto.

the place may jot be as fancy as the new big japanese restaurants in manila but what makes tanabe really good is the quality of their ingredients. never adulterated compared to the highly marketed japaneserestaurantoutlets all over the metro.

if you're dinning alone or in a small group of 4, the bentos are truly perfect. by far, the best and my favorite non-fine dining japaneserestaurantin manila. a very nice place to share quality traditional japanese cuisine (especially their sushi) with friends and family.

located in the iconic remedios circle of malate, manila and right next to the even more iconic cafe adriatico - this japaneserestauranthas been around for a while now. it is one of my family's go-to spots for sunday lunch.

following traditional japaneserestauranthours it is open from 11am-2pm for lunch then 5.30-10pm for dinner. every time i have come here for a meal, it is never empty and there is always at least one or two japanese people dining there.

their menu offers a variety of dishes, but i actually consider this to be one of the more pricey japanese restaurants i have ever eaten at. ala carte orders are from p300-400. for lunch though, they have bentou box sets which range from p320-400. i consider these value for money, especially when their regular bentou boxes range from p600-800. when i am feeling rich (haha), i usually go for the gindara set. 

the bentou box comes with the main dish, a big bowl of rice, two pieces of tempura and deep fried vegetables, a side salad, four pieces of sashimi (tuna and salmon), miso soup and that "egg-flan-like" dessert. it is actually quite a lot of food and definitely very filling. i have noted though that their "fresh" sashimi always tastes like it had just come out of the freezer. it is somewhat fresh, yes, but there is always an icy flavor to it. the sushi though is quite good, but only comes at 6 pieces per order. i have tried some of their other ala carte options and ricebowls, they are all tasty.

over-all, i give them a 4.0 because even if i do keep coming back (with family members) it is usually out of convenience. in my book, it is one of the better japanese restaurants to eat at in malate, but not the best. especially when it comes to value for money. the service is pretty good though. i would still recommend this place to friends, but only those who have cash to burn.

authentic japaneserestaurantthat served fresh sushi and sashimi. taste really great, good service, and worth the price ! also great place for hangout !

authentic japaneserestaurantat the heart of adriatico malate. the place is full packed on a sunday lunchtime. cozy ambience plus food was served quickly. price is a bit expensive but they served quality mixed sashimi. will try their wagyu beef next time.

hands down best unagi i've tried in manila so far. even better than haru. sashimi bowl is not so bad either. any of the grilled fish dishes are tasty too. the waiters seem distracted though and act like they're not that interested in their work, which is sad because therestaurantis almost always busy with satisfied patrons.

update: september 28, 2016. after over three years, i finally got the chance to return to my favorite japaneserestaurantin the philippines, and even though some of the menu items' prices will give you sticker shock, don't let that stop you from coming to this fine establishment... which is, by far, the best japaneserestaurantthat i have ever been to in metro manila! i say this not only because of its great service or its nice, authentic environment, but also primarily because of its food -- it's to die for! regarding this restaurant's nigiri, the ikura (salmon roe) is heavenly as it sends my taste buds and my blood pressure soaring sky high, and the uni (sea urchin) is fresh and just melts in your mouth like butter (not that i'm in the habit of eating sticks of butter). additionally, if you see a lot of japanese people eating in a japanese restaurant, then it must be that good! it also must be that good when japanese staff members from the japanese embassy recommend thisrestaurant, too. my two centavos.

august 29, 2013. this finerestaurantis located in classic malate which has seen better days. but with location issues aside, this is actually the best sushirestaurantin metro manila that i have been to. the food is excellent! the sushi tastes fresh, and this comes in somewhat generous portions. the staff is also very friendly, courteous, and helpful, and the environment was clean and well-maintained. my two centavos.