Washoku de Azabu

Alin.f015

3.0

In an unassuming location at the heart of the city, this restaurant offers a relaxing Sunday family lunch with a touch of elegance, albeit missing that memorable umami taste.Meaty - As always, I would browse the menu for something new and end up relying on my favorites. This time, it is my ultimate comfort food - maguro and uni on a bed of rice. At P580, the Maguro Uni Don ended up bland and...well....boring. It did not even taste "fresh from the ocean", if you get what I mean. At that price point, a minimum level of quality is expected but failed to even scratch the surface. Good thing the Ninniku Maru Age (P90) was something unique enough to tickle the senses. Fried garlic with miso dip was tender, cooked well and complemented some of the dishes our party ordered. Speaking of other people with us, some ordered the usual Chirashi (good reviews although not stellar) and Seafood Ramen (bland). At the end of the day, this restaurant offers a great place for meaningful conversation and an array of food good enough to fill but not enough to satisfy.Veggie - I was delighted to see natto in the menu, as well as various fresh veggie choices. I have always been frustrated that usual picks for vegetables in Japanese restaurants would be Yasai Itame or Kakiage, and it is a breath of fresh air that for once, I could browse through several pages of the menu. I ended up with Puri Puri Nama Harumaki (P280), which is a dish of fresh spring rolls with a bit of shrimp (yup, the rare times I would eat a bit of seafood...long story). I also took a bite of my friend's Yasai Kakiage (P210) while waiting for my food to arrive. A bit on the oily side as one gets from fried food, but I love the fact that it was still crunchy and far from salty. It also had a big portion of vegetables with hardly any batter, so in my book, that is good enough value for money. As regards my harumaki, I have to admit, that little bit of shrimp hardly made any difference. The kitchen could have omitted it without me noticing. It was that bland...as if it came from the freezer months ago, then thawed and boiled as minimum compliance to complete the dish. In any event, the greens were fresh and firm, the rice paper wrap was far from soggy, and the sesame dip...well...tasted like Kewpie. So all in all, a dish I can get anywhere (or even replicate at home) but not altogether disappointing. I would go to this place again just for the ambiance but the food...well...I'd brave Makati traffic just to get to Little Tokyo. Or even options at Greenhills Shopping Center would suffice.

Kinca Abaño-Ranada

3.0

I would never get tired of Japanese food. I’m too in love with sashimi, sushi and teppnyaki. Just a few weeks back, R and I had two Japanese meals in a row and we didn’t mind at all. One of the places we visited that weekend was Washoku de Azabu where the adorable M celebrated her 5th birthday. Hello, Washoku de Azabu. Auntie C mentioned that this place serves good food so I had high expectations. I’ve actually never heard of this restaurant before though I’ve been to BTTC. Anyway… R and I arrived a bit later than 11am so some of M’s guests were already there. We sat beside J’s siblings and adorable kids and ordered Uni Sashimi (PHP240), Salmon Roll (PHP380), Soft Shell Roll (PHP545) and Aburi Salmon Roll (PHP450). First to arrive was the Uni Sashimi and it was quite good. It had a slight sweet taste which was delightful. The soft shell roll was okay too. But it was forgettable. I still prefer the one from Omakase or the tako-maki of Ooma. The Salmon Roll was filling. One roll is a mouthful. I loved the roe on top of it that added extra texture. Now for the Aburi Salmon Roll… I was expecting this dish to be amazing as R and I just had a great aburi salmon last night. And this one fell short. It had a weird after taste which was like liquor of some sort. I only managed to eat two of this. Though feeling cold, R and I opted to get an ice cream sampler to end our meal and we got black sesame, chocolate and coffee flavors. The chocolate and coffee flavors were typical while the black sesame tasted like soap. :( Overall, it was more misses than hits. It will take me a while before I visit this place again. Then again, that grilled beef J’s brothers had looked so good. Okay, I changed my mind. I’ll visit again to give that one a try.

SoVi Lau

3.0

An hidden tucked away place on the second floor of an office building, Washoku seeks to stamp its class in an already crowded Japanese food scene in the Greenhills / San Juan area. Japanese food is usually the Pinoy's default for a good eat when one craves for something other than, well, Pinoy food.Its location is certainly not strategic, tucked away in an office building, just above the BMW showrooms. Once inside though, one is transported to a different ambiance and feel with its modern, minimalist interiors.Highs:1. Azabu roll: Their signature maki. Three kinds of sashimi (salmon, tuna, and one other raw fish) enveloped along with cream cheese. The cheese works wonders, breaking the briny flavor of the raw fish. The exterior has crisp crusts of tempura batter, and the drizzle of spicy mayo completes the marriage of flavors. Hefty and pleasant to the tongue.2. Salmon sashimi: We ordered the mix sashimi platter but the freshness of the salmon stood out. Silky smooth texture, tart and sweet in flavor. Outstanding quality.3. Mixed hotpot: I abhor shabu shabu hotpots and the like but surprisingly I liked their version. The flavor of the dashi stock base was light on the palate, blending well with the natural briny taste of the seafood in the mix. Good portions of shrimp, salmon, and other fishy stuff. Perfect for a gloomy rainy day to perk up one's spirit.4. Mango olè: A mini version of Conti's signature mango bravo, although this one was a tad better. The icing was light and not overwhelmingly sweet. The insides were actually more cake and mango than the Conti's version, which is usually just ice cream and wafers. Highly recommended to end your meal.Lows:1. Ebi tempura: Adequately sized but the batter was a tad thick and highly absorbed the oil. Such a shame since the shrimp was actually fresh and plump.2. Yakitori sampler: each stick lacked flavor and grossly underseasoned. The chicken skin was crisp but flavorless. Nanbantei serves better yakitori.3. California maki: An attempt at upgrading the ubiquitous and mundane maki still failed. A bit more colorful, with an added dimension of flavor with a drizzle of Japanese mayo, but otherwise still lackadaisical.4. Kani salad: Another common dish that still remained mundane. Seemed that it lacked dressing, rendering it a bit dry.5. Parking: Utterly expensive. For a 3hour dinner and chat, you get charged for about 65 bucks. No validation available too.Washoku seems to suffer from a bad location (and expensive parking) hence on a usual weekday dinner, a lot of empty tables were noticeable. It's such a shame since the sashimi here is high quality, and the hotpot is comfortingly good. Yakitori dishes are best to be avoided though. The mango cake alone will make me come back. Prices are reasonable and the place is good for a quiet conversation. But with its hidden location, it will be tough to compete with the other Jap joints in the area.