Kubiertos

When my husband told me he was taking me out on our date night for some great Japanese dining experience, my toes went all tingly. I asked him where and he said something about.. a place where all the Japanese go. That further piqued my interest.

We traveled on a friday evening towards Pasong Tamo past Don Bosco where the street was crowded and traffic was hell. He pointed out a place named Kikufuji, unfortunately there were no longer any spaces in front of it for us to park and were directed somewhere else we could take our car to.

On our stroll towards Kikufuji from where we parked, we passed a small entryway that indicated that it led to Little Tokyo. We went that a-way instead. Lo! We were transported into another dimension, another country altogether. It felt like we were entering a private world, where faces where unfamiliar and the language unknown. Hubby’s mouth was literally hanging open and he acted like a kid allowed a hand inside the cookie jar.

We circled around. As we couldn’t read what the signs said, we had to go by what our guts (I thought stomach would be too literal) told us. We finally sat down in front of Oishinbou. We read through these big cardboard menus covered in scratched plastic. There were tons of items to choose from. Of course I got the salmon sashimi, which is what I always get whenever I get a chance. My husband chose the Futomaki, tempura soba, and ebi fry.

The server told us that we should order more since we only ordered a few dishes but I am glad we declined. By the time we’ve had our fill of the soba, maki and sashimi, my stomach felt like it was going to burst. How can something so little fill you up so much? Everything was soo delicious that I wanted to scrape every bit left of each of the dishes we ordered.

The sashimi was sliced generously at about a half inch thick. At about Php300++ for 6 piece of fresh fish, that’s quite a steal considering how establishments charge almost Php600-800 for about 4 thin slices. This is why I take advantage of hotel lunch or dinner buffets that offer Japanese cuisine. Then I can have all the sashimi I want and more.

The soba was hot and comforting. I am not adept at using chopsticks so you can imagine the potential mess with trying to spear those damn noodles from the bowl to my mouth. While sipping (or maybe slurping would be the right term) the hot soup, I was already mentally whipping up some soba at home.

Now the futomaki was another surprise for me and my hubby – who just usually orders maguro. This particular sushi was a tad bigger than most that we are used to but our mouths were up to the challenge (well mine anyway). Not wanting the sushi to disintegrate as I bite into it, I preferred to put it all in. If I did not do it that way, I would not be able to experience the combination of tastes that futomaki offered. It was sweet and tangy all at the same time and that made it perfect for me.

Of all the dishes we ordered, I liked the ebi fry the least. Not because it was not delicious but because I couldn’t put the deep fried and breaded prawn into my mouth anymore as I have eaten so much already. I must admit though that compared to other places, their ebi fry was lightly breaded and the prawn held inside is one huge baby!

By the end of our meal, we were full and very satisfied and agreed that this is one place where we got value for our money and our stomachs. We enjoyed it immensely that I am sure we will be back to dine there soon.

Oishinbou
Little Tokyo 2277 Chino Roces
(Pasong Tamo) Ave., Makati City