Yummy Date Night

Dream Date: Sushi Kappo Kobikicho

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It was actually my fault for making Douglas interested in Sushi Kappo Kobikicho. It’s rumored to be the best authentic Japanese sushi place in town because of the absolute freshness of the ingredients and the talents of the Japanese sushi chefs. One of the chefs personally travel to Japan every week just to check if the ingredients are at par with the ones in Japan.

Sushi Kappo Kobikicho is tucked away in an unpopular area in Legaspi Village, Makati. Make sure to reserve beforehand because the restaurant has a ‘strictly by reservation only’ policy.

You can reserve a private room which can accommodate around eight people. They give you this bell so that you can call the staff’s attention and they will respond every single time. For couples, you can reserve the smaller sushi bars where you watch the chef prepare the food before your eyes.

The Dinner Set (P3500 per head) comes with this bowl of fish eggs. Douglas said it was “poppy”, meaning, you can feel it popping in your mouth.

It also comes with two pieces of Tsubugai (sea snails). It had quite a clear and distinct taste, like soy sauce mixed with some wine. It was chewy and tender.

Perhaps one of the most interesting dishes on the table was the tamago. Rich yolk oozes out from the thin white film when pierced. It’s topped with a pinch of freshly grated wasabi (which is quite rare, since most commercial establishments use the wasabi packed in tubes). This is the best an egg can get.

No dinner set is ever complete without a hot bowl of Miso Soup. It was filled with Japanese mushrooms, and had a clear authentic taste, unlike the ones you get from the instant ones.

A rectangular platter of fresh sashimi. The three kinds of sashimi were good in their own individual right. The shrimp was good and sweet. The other ones were satisfying, too.

You can’t leave this place without trying out their Sushi Platter. It comes with the dinner set, and it has met everyone’s expectations. Douglas first tried out the eel. Quality wise, he didn’t notice its difference from the unagi in normal places, but the combination of flavors and textures from the rice, wasabi and the unagi made it the best he has ever tasted. That’s big, coming from someone who has been to Japan and has tasted authentic Japanese food from its homeland.

He doesn’t like squid but the Squid Sushi had a wavy design and well, tasted like squid. He liked it because the flavor of squid was more pronounced and wasnt tarnished unlike those squid that are cooked.

The scallop had a reaaaaaaally awesome texture, it wasnt slimy and it had the structure that you could chew on it quite well and its sweetness was off the charts.

As for the fatty toro, it was, well, fatty. But it was the best one in the set. It literally melts in your mouth. It had an exquisite tuna taste. “This one was god like,” Douglas says. This piece might even rival the kamma toro he had in Japan which is said to be the best. It gauges this restaurant’s quality and worth.

A cup of hot tea to soothe your palate.

Pork Belly served with various vegetables. It was tender, felt like a Japanese style adobo. Unlike most pork bellies, this one was actually quite lean and each bite stimulated one’s taste buds. Yummy.

The Grilled Gindara was also tender and was grilled perfectly. The serving size is good, not too much but not too little either.

An order of Tempura (P1500) as a break from all the raw fish is good.

You can get a separate order of Sashimi Platter (P3000) if the one in the dinner set does not answer your raw fish cravings. Very smooth, pure and fresh—tastes like it came straight out from the water. The white thing in the center was really good. There were two kinds of toro in the set.

To cap off your dinner set is a small cup of Sesame ice cream. Quite nice as well.

The Verdict: Sushi Kappo Kobikicho is for those people who really value the quality of their sushi, because if you want Japanese quality, you will have to pay Japan prices. With 3500 per head for a dinner set, make sure you’re a true sushi and sashimi lover if you plan on visiting. It’s good to try on very special occasions, like an anniversary or something. True enough, though, it has lived up to his name for being the best authentic Japanese sushi restaurant in town.

Sushi Kappo KOBIKICHO

G-03 Corporate Plaza (former JAKA II Bldg.)

150 Legaspi Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City

Telephone: +632 752-1280

Email: admin@kobikicho.com

Website: www.kobikicho.com

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com

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