Cynthia wanted to check out the restaurants at the UP Town Center so after church last Sunday we drove to that newly opened place along Katipunan Avenue.
There were so many different choices of restaurants offering a wide range of culinary delights - from IHOP to Salusalo. We finally settled for Tokyo Tonteki, a restaurant that offers a different kind of Japanese cuisine. Forget the Katsus and the Sushis and say hello to the Tonteki - which is pork loin (ton) steak (teki) cooked over low temperature.
Although we were seated right away, it took a while before our order was taken. My wife even threatened to walk out if we continued to be ignored by the servers in the next 5 minutes, inasmuch as we have already waited for more than ten minutes. Please take note that this is not a huge restaurant, maximum capacity would be 50 diners. Thankfully, I was able to flag down one of the waitresses before Cynthia's deadline came up. We ordered the large portion of the house specialty -the tonteki, of course, and Ebi Fry, which is basically shrimp tempura.
While waiting for our food, we discovered the reason for the lack of attention to the customers - two more waitresses reported for work at noon (we came at around quarter to twelve). With the personnel now in full force, service got a lot better.
First to be served was the Miso Soup - which is bottomless, by the way. I liked the taste of this one which is a bit different from the ones I have had from the other Japanese restaurants that we patronized before. Instead of tofu bits, they added tiny pieces of pork meat to the soup giving more oomph to the flavor. Five stars out of five!
Then came the main entree. The pork loin steak was so tender and had very minimum fat. The sauce that covered the meat was made from a combination of fruits, vegetables and spices that complemented the pork. The meat was served on a skillet from which it was cooked, along with shredded cabbage. I added some Japanese mayonnaise to the shredded cabbage and this was the first time that I truly enjoyed eating this side dish. Cynthia and I shared this dish and we couldn't even finish it! That's how large it was. Whopping 5 stars!
The Ebi Fry had the usual tempura taste. However, the accompanying sauce made all the difference which made the fried breaded shrimp a lot more enjoyable. I'd give this 4 stars only because of the sauce.
Except for the early unease from the lack of attention from the servers, our experience with Tokyo Tonteki was very pleasant, food-wise and service-wise.
Overall rating would be: 4.5 for food, 4 for service.
We would definitely return to try out the other dishes which looked really appetizing.
Check out their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tokyotontekiphilippines
One of Cynthia's favorite Japanese dish is the Sukiyaki. One of the restaurants that serve this is Teriyaki Boy.
We were seated promptly but it took another 15 or so minutes before our orders were taken. Of course my wife ordered the Sukiyaki Beef. I was hoping to have a Chicken Katsu but that was not in their menu so I ordered the Chicken Ju instead.
Cynthia said that the Sukiyaki tasted just so-so: not bad but not really that good. The best she could give was 3 stars.
It turned out that Chicken Ju was just another name for Chicken Teriyaki. And it tasted just like any other Chicken Teriyaki. So I'll give this 3 stars as well.
Sadly, the waiters were not that attentive. Customer's (including us) were waving, trying to get their attention and not getting it right away. Again, 3 stars for service.
October 24, 2013
Allow me to beg for your indulgence for not being very specific in my review of this restaurant and for the lack of photos. Two reasons: First of all there's just so many dishes offered that even those that we partook of were simply too much for a detailed discussion. Secondly, today is my birthday.
Originally, Cynthia wanted to celebrate my birthday at Vikings Buffet restaurant at SM Marikina for the simple reason that birthday celebrants eat for free! However, we were at the Ortigas Center for some errands. While my wife was visiting her friends at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) I was checking out the restaurants at SM Megamall. After she finished her chores, I met up with my wife and told her that Dad Kamayan Saisaki (which serves a triple cuisine type buffet) also had the same offer.
We were escorted to our seat by the friendly hostess clad in Japanese kimono. After explaining the "house rules" she told us we can start getting our food. The vast array of delicious entrees, from sushi to Kare-kare made choosing what to get a daunting task. Please realize that for the past three weeks we changed our diet regimen to a minimalist style. However, since it was my birthday, we both agreed that we can temporarily set that aside for today.
Our first selection was a mixture of Japanese/Chinese cuisine - yang chow fried rice, shrimp tempura (for me), fish tempura (for Cynthia), hot chicken salad (for me), fresh mandarin salad (for Cynthia), fried egg rolls, fried calamari and a beef dish (I forgot the name - too much food does that to my brain). For round two, my wife and I concentrated on Filipino dishes - morcon, embutido, lechon macao, and seashells: kuhol (snails) for Cynthia, tahong (mussels) for me.
Then for desert, let me just say one thing: creme brulee. There were dozens of other choices, and we got some of those, too, but for both my wife and I, creme brulee it was! And oh, there was even a cream puff made in the shape of a swan!
Now let me tell you about the service. It was excellent! The waiters were very attentive! They would even carry your plates to your table for you. The bottomless tea glass always got filled almost religously. Used plates were removed promptly.
The highlight was when a quartet of musicians (two guitarists, one bassist, one vocalist) came to our table and sang "Happy birthday" to me. When asked if we have any requests, Cynthia suggested a song sung by the Trio Los Panchos. As they sang Besame Mucho, tears fell from eyes. I can't explain why. I'm sure these were happy tears. Perhaps I was reminded of the times when we visit my children in California. We always go to Mijares, a Mexican restaurant, where a trio (2 guitarists, 1 bassist) sang Spanish ditties. Maybe those memories of times with my family made me a bit nostalgic and sentimental.
I was still sniffling after we left as I told my wife that I was glad that it was here that I had my birthday lunch. And that was not just because my meal was free.
Please check out their website:
Dads Kamayan Saisaki
Kampai is a Korean-Japanese restaurant located at the ground floor of the Shopwise building along C-5 in Libis, Quezon City. Inasmuch as we are a frequent shopper at this supermarket, every once in a while we eat here.
October 14, 2013
We ordered the following: For me Chicken Katsu and for my wife, Chicken Bulgogi. Please note that we are now watching our diet and meat dishes are now ordered rarely (and I meant frequency and not quality). Along with our order came four types of side dishes.
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| Side Dishes |
Let's start with that since it was served before the main fare.
First was fried breaded tofu. Some spice was added to it although it was not really spicy hot. It just added a nice "zing" to normally tasteless tofu. I would give this 4 stars out of 5.
Sweet peanuts was next. The slight sweetness somehow took away the crunchiness. 3 stars.
Not being a pumpkin eater, it was Cynthia who partook the slices. She said it was seasoned with salt and pepper and was quite good. 3 stars out of 5
Finally, Kimchi, of course. It was just mildly spicy and sometimes my wife would eat it along with the pumpkin slices. 4 stars.
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| Chicken Katsu |
For the main entree, my Chicken Katsu was served with rice and mashed squash. The Katsu was done perfectly - the breading was crispy and seasoned perfectly. The chicken itself almost melts in the mouth for its tenderness. As I said earlier, I am not a pumpkin eater, but the mashed squash was mixed with potato, beaten egg and had a certain flavoring that removed the pumpkin taste that I don't like. It was so good that I finished the whole thing! Definitely 5 stars!
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| Chicken Bulgogi |
The Chicken Bulgogi was served on a sizzling hot pan. Mixed with the chicken were some mushrooms, red and green pepper and covered with green onions. The meat was tender with a mild hint of sweetness and a touch of saltiness. 4 stars.
The service was very good. Waiting time was about 10 minutes for the main entrees while the side dishes were served promptly. The waiters/waitresses were very attentive and responsive to our requests. Prices were reasonable.
Overall rating 4 stars.
Check out their page in Facebook
Kampai Korean-Japanese Restaurant
