Top 6 Best Japanese Restaurants in Metro Manila

To start our list of Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila is the Dohtonbori which opened its first branch in the country in 2015. Known to bring the ‘Okonomiyaki Experience’, Dohtonbori is a Japanese restaurant allowing diners to create their Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) at their table. Guests are treated with high-tech griddles bought straight from Japan. These griddles can handle two Okonomiyaki at a time, and the temperatures are maintained at 190 degrees, so all guests can expect that their dish is cooked the right way.

Some of Dohtonbori’s bestselling Okonomiyaki include Hiroshima Yaki and Butamama Pork. They also serve other dishes other than their famous ‘pancakes’ such as 4-Quattro Formaggi, their version of 4-cheese pizza, Mix Yakisoba, and Tempura.

The number five Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila is Ooma. Opened last 2015 in Mega Fashion Hall, it has expanded since then. It can now also be found in Rockwell and Bonifacio Global City. Ooma Japanese restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Bruce Ricketts and The Moment Group, the people behind Mecha Uma. Ooma became known for its modern take on the usual Japanese cuisines and its interiors inspired by the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. They also have every Filipino’s sweet spot: unlimited rice.

These favorite menu items include taco maki or open-faced temaki wraps; people rave over their Soft-Shell Crab taco maki and California taco maki. Their aburi makis or torched makis are also a favorite. Try their Steak aburi maki and Scallop and Tuna aburi maki to experience smokier and spicier maki. Other bestsellers in Ooma also include Uni Udon and Hanger Steak.

The three best Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila are tied at number four are Maisen, Minami Saki, and Tokyo Tokyo.

Maisen may look like your typical high-end Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila, but it originated from the household of Chiyoko Koide in the ‘60s. Today, Maisen has vastly expanded in Japan, thanks to Suntory Holdings, and now the Philippines enjoy it with Ben Chan’s help (yes, the owner of Bench)! Maisen is known to specialize in Tonkatsu or deep-fried breaded pork. What makes this the best Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila is their extraordinarily light and flaky panko breading that beautifully coats their meat without the greasy feeling.

With every katsu from their kitchen, this Japanese restaurant aims to give customers that kendachi experience wherein the panko bread crumbs blossom like a flower instead of falling flat. For starters, one can try their Loin Katsu Set for that authentic tonkatsu moment. If you’re not a fan of meat, they also serve Seafood Katsu sets where you can try cream dory katsu, salmon katsu, and prawn katsu. Watch out for their savory sauces, the Amakuchi (sweet sauce) and Karakuchi (spicy sauce), to complete your tonkatsu experience.

Another contender on our fourth spot of Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila is Minami Saki, which can be found in the heart of Ortigas Business District. Minami Saki came from the minds of Chef Kimito Katagiri, an institution in the Japanese restaurant scene in the country and the man behind Ginza of Manila Hotel, Yanagi of Midas Hotel and Casino, and Inagiku of Shangri-La Makati.

Minami Saki is also one of the best Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila and is known for its down-to-earth interiors that also translate to their traditional Japanese dishes. Albeit traditional, their offerings will still wow you thanks to Chef Katagiri’s years of perfecting these dishes. One of the must-try at this Japanese restaurant is Aburi 5 Kinds, in which diners will be treated to five kinds of aburi sushi: Hamachi, salmon, tuna, eel, and lapu-lapu. The lightly seared sushis are topped with Chef Katagiri’s secret aburi sauce that will take you to sushi heaven. For those with a sweet tooth, watch out for their coffee jelly too!

Lastly, our number four Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila is Tokyo Tokyo. The Japanese fast food restaurant brought the famed cuisine to the masses and has now been enjoyed by everyday Filipinos for over 30 years. From serving their usual bestsellers like beef misono, pork tonkatsu, and affordable bento meals, Tokyo Tokyo continues to surprise its diners by adding a Ramen Bar to their offerings. Even their line of donburi or rice bowl dishes is giving these big-time Japanese restaurants a run for their money.

Some of the newest offerings of Tokyo Tokyo are their Sriracha Donburi, their new line of Wagyu Burgers, and Chicken-Nomiyaki, a combination of their Chicken katsu and Okonomiyaki. And don’t forget to take advantage of their unlimited rice and famous Red Iced Tea!

On our top three, Asakusa: Home of Tempura, Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, and Nadai Fujisoba made the list of Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila.

Asakusa: Home of Tempura is another homegrown Japanese restaurant from the husband and wife tandem of Jacob and Celline Bautista and their friend Rolf Madrid. The trio found a humble tempura shop in Asakusa, Japan, which led them to fall in love with the dish. Jacob even studied alongside the owners of the tempura shop, who also happened to be a husband and wife team.

The trio opened their first restaurant in The Grove Retail Row in Pasig in 2015 and has been creating a massive following since then. Diners can select any of their sets so one can experience a variety of tempura in one order. They have Black Tiger Prawn tempura for serious tempura lovers, but they also have vegetable tempura like shitake mushrooms, eggplant, squash, and French beans for vegans. Don’t worry; they also serve items other than tempura, like gyoza, salmon maki, and chicken karaage teriyaki.

Also on the number three spot of a Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila is Fukuya Japanese Restaurant. Fukuya opened way back in 1995 and is now considered an institution in affordable Japanese dining. Aside from the low prices, diners also enjoy the fast and efficient style of service. One can have their order and pay at the counters; once ready, the food will be served directly to their seats.

Some of the favorites in Fukuya include Shoyu Ramen, Tempura Soba, and Gyoza. If you’re craving simple and traditional Japanese food minus the drama and the price tag, pay Fukuya a worthy visit.

The last contender in our third spot is Nadai Fujisoba. Since 1966, Nadai Fujisoba has started in Shibuya, Japan, with only two international branches: Taiwan and the Philippines. If you’re looking for a hot bowl of ramen, this is not the place to be, as they specialize in Soba (thin noodles made of buckwheat) and Udon (thick noodles made of wheat flour). But despite the non-ramen menu of this Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila, people are still drooling over their special noodles that can be served either hot or cold at a reasonable price.

Some of the must-tries of this Japanese restaurant include Hiyashi Kitsune Udon and Ko-Ebi Kakiage Ten Soba. Aside from their soba and udon bowls, they also have Donburi rice bowls and a wide range of Tempura to fill you up.

The Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila that claimed our top two spots is Yabu: The House of Katsu. As their name implies, Yabu claims to serve the best katsu in town by using Kurobuta, or black Berkshire pig. The black Berkshire pig is known to be the world’s finest pork and is often compared to Kobe beef, one of the best kinds of meat in the world. Yabu also makes sure to only use the freshest panko breading to cover this precious meat and cook it using canola oil to maintain its crispiness and flavor.

To experience a real katsu moment at this Japanese restaurant, one must try their Kurobuta premium set with unlimited rice and cabbage, miso soup, Japanese pickles, and a fruit bowl. They also serve chicken and seafood katsu, and some in menchi (minced meat) or covered with curry. You can also pick a Rosu (pork loin) or Hire (tenderloin) set according to your preference.

The best Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila on our list is Ippudo. Ippudo started in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1985. It has expanded to various parts of the country and around the globe. When Ippudo opened its first store in the Philippines in 2014, its choices of savory ramen took foodies by storm. It has remained one of the top places when one craves a hot bowl of this magical noodle soup.

Ippudo’s ramen stands out from the rest because of its tonkotsu, or pork bones-based broth that is simmered for many hours. Their menu consists of three ramen choices: the Shiromaru Motoaji (basic ramen), Akamaru Shinaji (ramen with miso paste and garlic oil), and the Karaka-men (ramen with spicy miso with ground pork and garlic oil). But aside from these heavenly broths, they also serve rice dishes, gyozas, and buns to satisfy your Japanese cravings.

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