Date #1: Little Tokyo Adventure
We decided to visit Little Tokyo, Makati, for our first featured date. If you don’t know the place much, make sure you get the address first because it’s hard to ask for directions. We needed to ask about four people first before we finally got there.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by this gate which is like a portal to a whole new side of Makati.
This is the path to the small chain of restaurants called Little Tokyo. We arrived at nighttime, that’s why the lamps were already brightly lit. If you go during the day, you can appreciate the scenery better, but some of the restaurants won’t be open yet.
I recommend for couples to dine in the al fresco area. Although the square tables don’t allow couples to sit side-by-side, (which I’m sure some of you may prefer) its ambiance is definitely more romantic than the cramped space inside the restaurants. It’s fun because you get to see a lot of real Japanese people dining in the area.
Ask the waiters for placemats/coasters because the moisture from beverages seep through the designed holes in the tables.
The first thing we tried was the Takoyaki (Octopus balls) from a restaurant called Hana. They cost 120php for 6pcs. Of course it’s more expensive than your regular tusok-tusok fishballs but you can see that the ingredients were of high quality and the Japanese chef prepares it before your eyes.
The Takoyaki has a flavorful exterior, because of the Takoyaki sauce and the Japanese mayo. However, that’s only complementary to the insides, which is soft but has pieces of real octopus which give you the satisfying “bite”.
The waitresses in this restaurant are friendly and approachable, they’ll even laugh with you if you tell them a joke.
Next up, we ate the Shoyu Ramen (180php) from the opposite restaurant called Nodasho. You can have the ramen split into two servings for you and your lover, if you don’t want to be too full and you want to try other dishes. The prices in the menu are exclusive of VAT, so expect your bill to increase a little when you’re paying it.
Overall, I liked the ramen. The soup had a salty sweet taste (probably from the soy sauce base) which matched well with the noodles. The noodles were cooked to al dente (firm and chewy), which I liked, because they weren’t shriveled or undercooked. The vegetables were a little bitter for my taste, though. The pork is nice and sweet, but they only give you one piece if you have the ramen split into two servings.
The service in this restaurant was not as good as Hana’s. We had been waiting for a few minutes before a waiter arrived to give us the menu.
We tried the Squid and Egg Okonomiyaki (210php) from the restaurant beside Hana called Kagura. I’ve been hooked on Okonomiyaki because of the anime Ranma 1/2. I was excited to finally taste authentic, Japanese Okonomiyaki.
The Okonomiyakis are prepared opposite a counter where you can sit. Bigger tables are reserved for larger groups of people. As a couple, you will probably be forced to sit on the chairs opposite the counters. It’s not as romantic, but it’s still a dining experience, considering you can watch the Okonomiyaki being prepared before your eyes.
The Okonomiyaki was light, with a soft texture which is then hardened by the meat you choose to be the filling. We chose the squid because I think it would go well with the pancakes. The Okonomiyaki sauce tasted somewhat like sweetened barbecue sauce, which I’m sure many of you will be a fan of.
For dessert, we went back to Hana to try their Shaved Ice (70php). Douglas tried out the Peach flavor, and I tried out the Strawberry flavor. We had ours blended with milk, and it was superb. The milk neutralized the sour taste of the Strawberry, which gave it a nice blend of tang and sweetness.
The ice shavings were fine and the flavor was consistent throughout the entire dessert. This is a feat because some ice shaving desserts lose their taste halfway (when there are ice shavings which are untouched by the flavorings).
The Verdict: Overall, try going to this place if you and your lover have been dating for quite awhile. I believe it requires an ample amount of planning for both of you since you have a variety of restaurants to choose from, and I advise you not to order the usual Japanese food since you can find the rarer ones in this Japanese Restaurant Village. You can try what we did: go restaurant hopping, eating one specialty and then another. However, you can also opt to simply stay in one restaurant for all your dining needs.
Little Tokyo carries a hefty price so try to save up first, and go here on a special occasion like your anniversary or something. :)
P.S. Sorry for the dark pictures, our camera broke down when we started taking pics. :(
Little Tokyo,
2277 Bet. Pasong Tamo and Amorsolo St.
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
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With and For Love,
Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong
I'm Rina, an eccentric geek who's out in search of ideal locations to dine and date in the Metro Manila Area, Philippines. Here I will chronicle our reviews of the places I visit. Come along for the ride, it'll be fun. :D
