A Guide to Must-Try Sushi Restaurants in Manila
Next to ramen, the most popular dish in Japanese cuisine would be sushi. Who doesn’t love these bite-sized goodness that’s made with fresh and high quality ingredients?
Sushi is definitely a staple in Japanese cuisine and if you’re looking to start your journey with Nippon gastronomy, then you’ve got to be familiar with this Japanese dish.
In Manila, a lot of Japanese restaurants’ claim to fame would be their sushi. If you’re unsure which restaurant to go to for your sushi cravings, don’t hesitate to use our guide to must-try sushi restaurants in Metro Manila.
Tsukiji Japanese Restaurant
Makati
Tsukiji in Makati was established by a Japanese chef that has worked in the world-renowned Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, Japan. This restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Toshiro Okajima.
Assorted Sushi
With the goal of living by the promise they believe in, Tsukiji continues to serve the freshest and best seafood from Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market. The products they offer are all authentic and flown directly from Japan. Some of their best sellers that you must try include their Unagi Sushi and their Sushi Platter.
Also read: Tsukiji Japanese Restaurant in Makati City
Address: 3/F Milky Way Building, 900 Arnaiz Avenue Corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Telephone Number: 02-843-4285 / 02-812-2913
Business Hours: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm & 6 pm to 10 pm
Website: tsukiji-restaurant.com tsukijirestaurant
Facebook: Tsukiji Japanese Restaurant – Makati
Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant
Makati
Businessmen around the area highly recommend this Japanese restaurant. Tsumura offers a lunch set menu and a private room at night, perfect for people who want to hold a dinner meeting.
Sashimi Mariawase, Assorted (Php 980)
Besides having a rich assortment of liquors, this restaurant is also proud of its sushi, said to be one of the best in Manila. They take pride in their quality ingredients and flavors. Avid Japanese food lovers can always be found hanging out at the restaurant to order their main dishes and best selling sushi and sashimi.
Also read: Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant in Makati
Address: 2/F 88 Corporate Center, Sedeno cor. Valero St.,Salcedo Village, Makati City
Telephone Number: 02-887-4848
Business Hours: 11:30 am to 2:15 pm and 5:30 pm to 10 pm (Mon to Sat)
Closed On: None (Except Thursday and Friday of the Holy Week)
Facebook Page: Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant
Araya Ramen and Sushi Bar
Makati
Located at a corner of Dela Rosa Car Park 1 in Makati, Araya Ramen and Sushi Bar is a considerably small restaurant that’s bursting with delicious offerings. It is led by Chef Araya Ozeki, a Yokohama native who has been in the Philippines for 30 years. You can find him at the restaurant every day efficiently making every sushi by hand. He also oversees the making of every bowl of ramen, which is also the restaurant’s specialty.
You can taste the freshness of various seafood in Take Sushi, a platter of tuna, white fish, salmon, shrimp, ikura, tamago, and tekka maki. Other best-selling items are Seafood Rice (Php 380) and Maguro Sashimi (Php 350). The dipping sauce is also special as it is homemade by Chef Ozeki.
Also read: Araya Ramen & Sushi Bar in Makati: Experience dining in the sushi bars of Tokyo
Araya Ramen & Sushi Bar will make you feel like you’re dining in the streets of Tokyo, where sushi bars like Araya are very common. Although small, these sushi bars attract many customers who are willing to wait in queue including businessmen, because of their discreet and laidback atmosphere.
Address: Dela Rosa Car Park 1, Dela Rosa Access Rd., Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati
Contact: 02-888-4422 or 0925-720-6342
Business Hours: 8 am to 11 pm (Mon to Sat)
Facebook: Araya Ramen & Sushi Bar
Kitsho
Kitsho Restaurant and Sake Bar made its way available to the public in October 2016, with Chef Mizumoto Masahiro as its owner and head chef. The food items they offer are healthy and fresh. They also allow customization of menu upon the customer’s request.
Futomaki (Php 436.80) Shanghai Crab Softshell Maki (Php 360)
The most recommended is their fresh seafood items that the chefs themselves purchase from several markets every morning. It is pleasurable to enjoy a variety of fresh fish dishes here in Manila, including sushi and sashimi.
Also read: A Taste of Japan in the Metro: A Closer Look at Kitsho Japanese Restaurant
Address: Hotel Jen, 3001 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
Business Hours: 11 am to 2:30 pm & 6 pm to 10:30 pm (Mon to Sun)
Contact No: 02-708 4888
Website: www.kitsho.online
Facebook page: @kishojapaneserestaurant
Nikkei
Nikkei in Rockwell offers a taste of an extraordinary marriage of Western and Oriental cuisines with its Japanese Peruvian delicacies. When you taste every specialty at Nikkei, you will understand what Japanese Peruvian cuisine is.
Their best-selling Peruanito sashimi is a great dish to start with. Another must-try is their mouth-watering Grilled Ebi Rolls which are made with prawns, cream cheese, onion leeks, and togarashi topped with mango slices and yellow pepper sauce. Every bite is a mouthful of flavors.
Also read: Nikkei in Rockwell: Marriage of Japanese and Peruvian Cuisines
Address: G/F One Rockwell, Rockwell Center, Makati CIty
Mobile Number: 02-880-0231
Business Hours: 11:30 am to 10 pm (Sun to Thu), 11:30 am to 10:30 pm (Fri to Sat)
Facebook: Nikkei
Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant
With a carefully thought-out menu and an intricate architecture and interior, Ogawa promises customers to have the experience of being in Japan.
Three to four servings of Chef Sashimi (Php 4,000 ++)
From the Kaiseki menu and offerings of teppan, robatayaki, and sushi, to its design, ambience, and service, everything at Ogawa will ring authentic and traditional. Promising a menu that is built upon Japanese tradition, Ogawa traditional Japanese restaurant is an authentic culinary artistry worth experiencing.
Also read: Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant in BGC
Address: 2/F The Fort Entertainment Complex (Top of Tony Roma’s), 5th Avenue Corner 28th Street, BGC, Taguig City
Telephone Number: 02-886-4994 / 02-886-4996
Mobile Number: 0917-85-64292
Business Hours: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm (Mon to Sun)
Facebook: OGAWA Traditional Japanese Restaurant
Also read: Sushi 101: The Ultimate Sushi Cheat Sheet for Beginners
This feature first appeared on May 2018 issue of Philippine Primer English magazine.
