Takumi in Makati: The Newest Japanese Restaurant Serving Warayaki and Robatayaki Specialties
Makati’s Japanese dining scene welcomes a new name from Kyoto, Japan, with the opening of Takumi Japanese Restaurant, one of the newest Japanese restaurants in the city!
IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Built around the concept of recreating “today’s Japan” in the Philippines, Takumi brings together time-honored cooking techniques, premium Japanese ingredients, and a contemporary dining atmosphere designed for modern guests.
At Takumi, Japanese cuisine is presented with both respect for tradition and a fresh sensibility. The restaurant highlights classic techniques such as warayaki, or straw-grilling, a traditional method from Tosa, Japan, where dried straw is burned in intense flames to sear ingredients quickly. This locks in natural flavor while giving the dish a deep, smoky aroma that is difficult to achieve with ordinary grilling.
Warayaki / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
To start, you may try the Assorted 5 Kinds of Straw-Grilled Dishes, a chef curated selection of five signature warayaki specialties including bonito, duck, salmon, sea bream, and Omi wagyu, expertly seared over burning rice straw to impart a distinctive smoky aroma and refined flavor. This can be shared among a group of three to five people.
Assorted 5 Kinds of Straw-Grilled Dishes (Php 2,480) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
For groups craving sashimi, the Sashimi Boat (9 Kinds of Assorted) is a satisfying choice. This chef-curated platter features nine premium sashimi varieties, beautifully arranged on a traditional boat to highlight the freshness, quality, and seasonal flavors of the seafood.
Sashimi Boat (9 Kinds of Assorted) (Php 4,890) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Another exceptional option is the Takumi Staircase Assorted (6 Kinds of Assorted) featuring chef’s selection of six premium nigiri varieties elegantly presented on Takumi’s signature staircase.
Takumi Staircase Assorted (6 Kinds of Assorted) (Php 3,580) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Another highlight is robata-yaki, a traditional Japanese hearth-grilling technique that uses binchotan charcoal. Seasonal ingredients are slowly grilled over the flame, allowing their natural sweetness, texture, and aroma to shine. More than just a cooking method, robata-yaki also brings a sense of live kitchen performance, adding movement, sound, and craftsmanship to the dining experience.
A dish that best represents Takumi’s robata-yaki technique is the Hokkaido Scallop with Butter Soy Sauce (1 pc.), featuring premium Hokkaido scallops charcoal-grilled over the robata to bring out their natural sweetness. Finished with butter soy sauce, the dish offers a rich, savory aroma that complements the scallops’ delicate flavor. For that rich, umami flavor, you can also go with the Hokkaido Oysters (1 pc.).
Hokkaido Scallop with Butter Soy Sauce (1 pc.) (Php 580) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Hokkaido Oysters (1 pc.) (Php 480) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Takumi also places strong importance on ingredients. While the restaurant uses local produce when appropriate, essential items are imported directly from Japan to recreate the taste of Japanese cuisine as faithfully as possible. These include Japanese tuna, oysters, scallops, Japanese Koshihikari rice, and Omi Wagyu beef, one of Japan’s oldest and most esteemed wagyu brands from Shiga Prefecture. Known for its fine marbling, tender texture, and clean, elegant fat, Omi Beef is featured in dishes such as steak, seared nigiri, sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu.
At Takumi, guests can enjoy Omi Wagyu through the A5 Omi Wagyu Sushi, a delicate bite that highlights the beef’s fine marbling, tenderness, and rich, clean flavor.
A5 Omi Wagyu Sushi (Php 580) / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
VIP Private Rooms
For those dining in groups, Takumi offers six private rooms. VIP Rooms 1, 2, and 3 are spacious rooms good for 8 to 10 people, with a consumable rate of Php 6,000.
Big Private Room / IMAGE from Takumi Japanese Restaurant, Makati’s Facebook page
VIP Rooms 4, 5, and 6 are smaller private rooms that can accommodate up to 6 people, with a consumable rate of Php 3,000.
Small Private Room / IMAGE from Takumi Japanese Restaurant, Makati’s Facebook page
The whole restaurant can seat up to 168 guests, while the al fresco area can accommodate 16 people. Guests may also enjoy the convenience of limited free parking at Takumi on Basement 1.
IMAGE from Philippine Primer
With its dramatic flames, carefully sourced ingredients, modern plating, and Kyoto-rooted approach to hospitality, Takumi Japanese Restaurant offers Makati diners a contemporary way to experience Japan—one that honors tradition while moving with the present.
