Tempurista

After dutifully tagging along while Ate Faye ran some errands one morning, I was rewarded with a scrumptious lunch at Tempura Japanese Grill. In retrospect, it's a bit ironic that we didn't order any tempura but it's fine since we snagged some great choices instead.

Uncle Sam's Maki (₱210) started our dining experience with a bang. Shrimp, mango, cucumber, and cream cheese bordered with rice and topped in bacon bits and mayo. It's like all good things rolled in one maki. So good! Arigatou gozaimasu, Uncle Sam (whoever you are) for creating this masterpiece.

Their Tori Teriyaki (₱215) was nice. Not the best we've ever tasted but it was nice. The chicken was moist and tender with just the right sweetness and smokey flavor from the grill.

Need to take a pic with my
new-found love,
Uncle Sam's Maki.

I was really craving for seafood, squid in particular, so I chose their Kaisen Sizzler (₱365) and was not disappointed. The platter consisted of generous chunks of tuna and salmon, clams, shrimp, and of course, squid with vegetables sauteed in a rich, savory sauce. Our orders didn't have rice yet so Ate had the Gomoku Chahan (₱75) which was fried rice and I had the Gohan (₱45) which was plain rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds on top.

Truth was, we couldn't make up our minds where to eat that day. Ate wanted rice and I wanted my squid so we went to the nearest restaurant that met both descriptions. The ambiance was unassuming and there was just one table occupied aside from us. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much. We walked in Tempura without any plans on doing another Japanese food review but walked out with every intention of doing one. We were pretty impressed.

Rating: 4.25/5

-Martha

Location:

Tempura Japanese Grill - GF Robinsons Place Manila, Adriatico St., Ermita, Manila