Turning Japanese

Dinner at Kai with friends from California SU and MH

I love Japanese food, and could eat it almost everyday. Just to prove my point, I ate at three different Japanese restaurants in one week.

1. Teriyaki Boy with my sister-in-law's family at The Promenade, Greenhills. I had my favorite Tempura Tuna Sashimi, and we ordered the usual Ebi Tempura, California Maki and Beef Sukiyaki.

2. Kai at Greenbelt 5 with my good friend from grade school MH who is visiting from California with her best friend SU. I have a new favorite Japanese place if I want to splurge. We loved the place. It's located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 5 facing the Greenbelt Park. There is an option for al fresco dining, which certainly looked beautiful, but it was just too hot. When MH brought E and me to a Japanese restaurant in Victoria Gardens, Rancho Cucamonga, I promised her that I will let her try Manila's version of the California Roll. I learned from a friend based in Hong Kong but who grew up in California that the authentic California Roll does not contain yellow mangoes but instead have avocadoes. We ordered three kinds of rolls (each order containing 8 pieces): Manila's version of the California Rolls, Soft Shell Crab Rolls and Fried Tofu Rolls. We also ordered Ebi Tempura, Lobster Tempura and Unagi as main courses. Everything was perfect, loved the service as well. For the quality of the food, good ambiance and service, not bad at about P750 per person including drinks.

3. Hanakazu in BF Paranaque for my sister's birthday. One of the best Japanese restaurants in Manila. Had the best Salmon and Hamachi sashimi that I've tasted so far. We also had Japanese staples of Ebi Tempura and Beef Sukiyaki. Excellent service by the way.