MANILA, Philippines – It’s hard to miss Sekitori on San Miguel Avenue in Ortigas. There’s a towering statue of a sumo wrestler right in front, but the Japanese food in this joint is anything but intimidating – it’s homey. The restaurant keeps a warm vibe as it is even visited by Japanese patrons.

The restaurant and company’s president, Masakazu Seto, was a relative of a sumo wrestler in the yokozuna rank – the highest – and trained in a sumo stable himself for a while in his youth. The Sekitori space itself is an homage to the lifestyle and culture of sumo – from the portraits of wrestlers to several gunbai (referee’s fan) dangling from the ceiling.

But Sekitori is not a themed restaurant and goes far deeper than that. 

The restaurant, which is billed as an authentic Japanese restaurant in Ortigas, was born out of Seto-san’s “doubts about Japanese cuisine in Manila and a deepening desire to to build a restaurant that offers genuine Japanese food, calling on the services of two great chefs from Japan for the occasion,” he wrote in his profile.

The restaurant thus serves an extensive menu of Japanese favorites: sashimi, hot pot, donburi, ramen, sushi rolls, and more – name it, they probably have it.

We got to try a few from their extensive menu, and each didn’t disappoint:

Assorted fresh sashimi

This platter of assorted sashimi includes maguro (tuna) from General Santos (P340), fatty norwegian salmon (P420), and olive hamachi (yellowtail fed with olives, P620)

Bigger platters for sharing can cost you P720 (Syunsai sashumori komusubi) to P3,800 (Gokai sashimi no tairyou funamori/wooden boat bowl).

Gindara no nimono (P290)

The gindara (also known as cod fish) is the highlight of this dish, as the tender and melt-in-your-mouth fish meat is surrounded by a melange of vegetables, each kind simmered separately. Because of this, the soup is delicately flavored – thin but certainly not bland – almost reminiscent of the Filipino tinola.

Gyu-tan steak (P490)

Thin slices of beef tongue steak are slathered with white radish sauce, which gives the rich, gamey meat a tart-flavored contrast.

Tonkatsu gozen (P400)

From Sekitori’s lunch menu, this tonkatsu set meal includes, of course, the breaded pork cutlet plus salad, rice (free refill), chawanmushi, pickles, dessert, and your choice of miso soup or udon (noodles). This is sure to fill your tummy to get you through the rest of the afternoon.

Kisetsu no wagashi (P290)

These pillowy soft sweet confections, wagashi, are made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and other seasonal flavors. This particular set included matcha green tea, kinako (roasted soybean flour), kaede (Japanese maple) leaves, and ajisai (hydrangea) flavors. 

Pair these candy-like delights with hot tea to close your meal.

Craving for Japanese cuisine? Will you be making Sekitori your next Japanese food destination? Let us know in the comments! – Rappler.com

Sekitori Authentic Japanese Restaurant is located at Hanston Square Building, 17 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. A branch in Makati City, Japanese Restaurant Sekitori, is located at Litle Tokyo, Chino Roces Avenue.