The place did not disappoint. After trying it out I understand how this can be an easy favorite. The place has ample parking, has an attentive staff and fast service . I was amazed that their kitchen has 10 people just making sushi and grilling. Their food is also affordable. And clearly, you'll get your money's worth with their huge servings.
So what to eat on a Thursday night? It was Rex's urging that we try out items we don't normally order. I repelled this idea just cause I don't want to endure an agonizing meal and pay a ludicrous amount for something I abhor. Normally, I'd go for maki/sashimi staples and retreating to more familiar Japanese fares like tempura, grilled salmon, tonkatsu, etc. But lately, Rex's cooking made these items quite the ordinary so I just had to agree that we do need to order something else.
Cara's favorite is the Toro Spicy Maki . Look at those? THEY'RE HUGE. I can't even eat it without slicing the thing with my chopsticks. Can someone educate me how to eat this properly? How does one fit it in his mouth without sloppily massacring the whole thing?!
Rex thinks that their uni is "the better one in Manila". I shot back, "why have something better when you can have the best?" I had the fresh one in Bohol. The fisherman just broke the sea urchin into half and gave us the meat. It was tender, juicy and surprisingly sweet. Nihon Bashitei's version was a bit chewy. Then again, Rex said it could have been worse. At least, this one didn't have the awful aftertaste. He credits this to "freezing it immediately" so this was somehow preserved better (e.g. hindi nasisira kaagad). True enough, the thing was creamy and has a bit of the sweet taste (and thank God, none of that malansa flavor).
Later during the meal, Rex wanted to have tofu steak. I was never a fan of this meal, having tried it at Chef Robert's in Banawe, its just tofu and a bit of dressing and flakes. Nihon's version was a bit dry though. Rex ended up eating the whole thing.
I wanted to order the Unagi rice meal but since we are on a pseudo-diet, I opted to order the ala carte version instead. Unfortunately meal #73, wasn't it. The waitress approached us back again to tell us that she gave the wrong description, and it wasn't the ala carte version of the grilled unagi. Sadly, it was already ready to serve (and Rex not having it in his heart to send it back and have the waitress pay for it), we just ate the whole thing instead. It was unagi with egg. It was quite a pleasant surprise. This would've worked perfectly with rice.
Ordering something different has its hits and misses. In the end, I find our "order by mistake" quite delightful . And I'm definitely coming back again for the tuna. I would've even dare to try the unagi with rice, if Ate didn't assure me that it's quite delicious (for a moment there, I thought she was just pushing it, so she won't be charged). At least, I did myself a favor and not order the gyoza or chicken teryaki. All this time I had this "talk" about being more adventurous. Let's start with trying something different for a change? I might have ended up a bit disappointed with some choices (yes I still hate the tofu steak) but at least I can proudly say, "this dish is my favorite". I figured, one can never have a favorite if its the only thing one has eaten from the menu anyway. :D
