BOTEJYU Opens One Bonifacio High Street Mall Branch

I was invited to a luncheon a couple weeks ago but didn't get there because of travel schedules. One of my favorite joints called Botejyu owned and operated by Viva International Food and Restaurants Inc. (same mother company with Viva Films) just opened up shop at the 3rd floor of One Bonifacio High Street Mall in Taguig. 

Honestly, I didn't know the mall existed til now, but it sits right across the Mango boutique in Shangrila Fort Bonifacio along 5th Avenue. 

Botejyu is an Okonomiyaki and Okosoba specialty restaurant from Japan. In a nutshell, the name comes from the Japanese impression of how the Okonomiyaki pancake sounds as they flip it on the teppan or steel plate and how it sizzles til it gets crispy outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Their menu is filled with different versions of it but what tickled my fancy during this visit were a couple of things. Of course there will be Okonomiyaki, but take a look at this.

Their Grape Shake wasn't overly sweet, it was just right and might be a good accompaniment for the savory dishes that were about to come to the table. I could taste the tannin of the red grapes they used for this drink, so it is legit. Very refreshing!

The Bacon and Cheese Okosoba was already halved when it reached me. This is an Okonomiyaki with a filling of soba noodles, bacon and cheese inside. As you may prolly imagine, this is a good representation of east meets west because you get the firm springy noodles with the smoky flavor of bacon and melted cheese. Who doesn't love cheese eh? This is good for sharing, around 3-4.

The Pork Cutlet with Egg Rice Bowl was filling. You get white rice, breaded pork with sauce and a serving of fresh salad on the same bowl. If you're a big guy like me this would be good for one but if you don't eat that much rice, go ahead and share as their servings are a bit large. This is one of 4 donburi varieties so order this if you want a rice meal today.

My personal favorite is the Takoyaki All Star! It's firm outer shell and soft interior are what Takoyaki dreams are made of. You can also treat this as a sampler because each piece has a different sauce on top of it. Although I was looking forward to the original Takoyaki, this was a welcome surprise and I loved it!

This one's called Kyoto Paitan Ramen. They serve the chicken pieces separately so that when you do decide to eat, you can just drop it off the bowl and enjoy. It's a bit on the salty side and the ramen likens egg noodles. It is also served with half boiled tamago and springs of onion leeks. If it's raining hard outside this could warm you up in a jiffy. It is rich in collagen too, so you get skin nourished while you eat, imagine that!

This is their Mochi and Gouda Cheese Okonomiyaki. The name alone would make you salivate as it is served hot with soft melted mochi pieces and cheese inside the fluffy scrambled egg. I suggest you finish this fast because it wouldn't feel the same if it's already cold for obvious reasons. I like this the most amongst their various Okonomiyakis.

Do not order one or the other, order both! These chocolate and milk pudding is just so good on so many levels, you need to treat yourself every once in a while anyway!

For matcha lovers, try the Matcha Ice Cream in this store. Ruth loved this so much she finished it in a few minutes LOL!

If you want something fancy to end your lunch or dinner, try the Honey Toast with Brown Sugar Syrup and Creamy Kinako. The crunchy toasted bread topped with vanilla ice cream, brown sugar and Kinako syrup makes you appreciate the existence of sugar in your life. Everything is better when you share so please do!

Now for people in BGC and nearby Makati and Taguig, if you're in the area and want a more filling but comforting Japanese meal, make sure you visit Botejyu at the 3rd floor of One Bonifacio High Street Mall and enjoy these dishes. Their dishes cost around 300-400 pesos so bring around 1,500 for two people (if you have a date please order dessert). This is the new Asian comfort food you are looking for, I have always dined at their Vertis North Branch on Sundays and I vouch for their service and good food. 

They're worth it.

MARUGAME UDON Opens in the Philippines

The Japanese culture and food invasion continues with this new restaurant that just opened in BGC's B7 Section. Say hi to MARUGAME UDON.

A small private event happened a few weeks ago as Suyen Corporation adds another one to their throng of number 1 brands from Japan. Marugame Udon is the same namesake as with Marugame Seimen, and the ambiance alone could take you there without paying a single Yen or a 4 hour flight. You'll love the smell even from the outside of the establishment as they're probably preparing the fresh Udon and Tempura in their open kitchen.

What's mind boggling is the price of the food in this joint because it's not as pricey as I thought it would be. Japanese Udon and Ramen in the Philippines usually costs Php 400+, but they haven't even broken the 300 mark on their best sellers. 

To order, one has to line up and choose their Udon bowl. The open kitchen concept would let you get to know the person preparing your meal, either hot or cold, those udon noodles stay absolutely firm and springy.

The place can accomodate about 80 people in one go and the decor stayed absolutely genuine, much like a noodle shop on Tokyo or nearby prefectures. This would be instagrammable in every corner if it weren't for low light. I bet they did that because it's conducive for eating, rather than talk, you'll love your Udon bowls more.

If it weren't too busy that day I'd have this table right beside the kitchen, so I could do my favorite past time in the world, people watching.

There were about a hundred guests that evening including beauty queens, artists from ABSCBN and GMA, Instagrammers, influencers and bloggers. Of course the main man himself Ben Chan was there together with the executives, CEO of Marugame Seimen from Japan. They flew all the way here just for this!

Curry Rice - My heart skipped a beat after they served this on my table. I am so much of a fan of Japanese curry and this was hot, super thick just the way I liked it. The beef strips were soft, it was subtle, not overly spicy, laid over a heaping bowl of hot white rice. I loved this but they had other hits on the menu.

Tempura - They had tons of choices for the tempura. I had one, okay two of the Ebi (even if I was allergic I had to give in!), a few sticks of Chicken Karaage, the Vegetable Tempura plus Sweet Potatoes. They serve this freshly cooked, so don't forget to have this with your Udon Bowl. 

Gyudon Rice - You don't have to go far to get a bowl of full Umami goodness. I could taste a hint of sweet sake, dark soy  and smell it too. If you are finding comfort food with strips of beef, a little fat, this bowl of rice would be a good place to start. Make sure you have this as soon as they put it on your tray because it's best when it's piping hot. You don't even have to add anything but I tried this with Japanese chili oil that day and it was even better. I think I just like everything that's hot LOL.

Teriyaki Chickendon - This would be a great treat for kids who love anything sweet and savory on their food. Make sure you order this for them because it's tender and would make you full in a jiffy. This would also be best for take out since it won't get overcooked on your lunchboxes, and it's a pretty good deal for the price.  

Beef Ontama Bukkake Udon - You won't find anything fresher as these hand made noodles on their joint. They have researched and looked for the perfect flour available in the Philippines so they can recreate what they legitimately serve in Japan. Think of thick udon noodles served in a hot broth with soft strips of beef gyudon, caramelized onions with all the umami goodness in it plus soft cooked tamago which you can just poke as it envelopes each strand of udon on your bowl. It's super good, you'll instantly be a fan and know why it's number 1 in Japan. 

Now I don't want to just make you drool with these photos, I suggest you go to BGC's B7 section and look for Marugame Udon for the best Udon and Tempura in Manila. You get it for less than the price of other Japanese restaurants in Manila but get the legit taste of what's served in Japan, wouldn't that be a nice idea to have it during this long weekend? To know more about the restaurant, follow them on their social media accounts https://www.facebook.com/marugameph/ and http://instagram.com/marugameph on IG. I loved it, you will too!

ORI Japanese House at Circuit Makati

Traveled all the way down south to check out a new Japanese restaurant called ORI Japanese House at Circuit Makati. I haven't been here for years because it's too far for me coming from Quezon City. The road less traveled most likely would take me about an hour but my friend promised that it'll be worth it as the new joint serves great Japanese food which I'd take for a cheat day. ORI means "Opportunity" in Japanese and I guess the owners and their partners see this as that. I could see how they passionately want this to happen when we sat down with them for lunch. It's located at the Ayala Malls Circuit which is part of the old Sta. Ana Hippodrome which they converted into a premier mixed used land. Let's take a look shall we?

The Interiors

This place is huge. They've got several seats outside for after office hours when your friends from work promise two bottles as they serve cocktails, mocktails, local and imported beers. The place could have around 80 people, with an air conditioned area inside.

The decor is a mix of modern Japanese, a bit industrial from the exposed piping and HVAC equipment painted black. Chairs are upholstered and tables are light wood grain laden. There are a couple of fancy artwork in the glass windows, some faux Sakura trees inside as their staff greet you happily when you come in. It was a little bit nippy as it was early when I arrived so bring a jacket if may, I was okay with it as I liked it pretty cold.

The Food

They currently are on soft opening and the menu consists of your Japanese favorites. I was with friends during this time and I suggested they order the other items on the menu because I wanted to take photos of it. They gladly did and take some for their Instagram photos too. It was a mix of appetizers and mains, and they wanted to make their best sellers stand out which I'm glad to say already stood on their own. Just look at our spread!

Tuna Sashimi served with finely chopped daikon and carrots, slivers of cucumber, pickled ginger, wasabi and Kikkoman Soy Sauce. It's not fishy, you can see and taste it's fresh. It was gone after a few seconds LOL.

Salmon Sashimi was served with the same sides as with the Tuna. It's also cold, fresh, lovely and sweet.

Ebi Tempura comes in 5 or 7 pieces. Served hot, with a crispy exterior and less salt so ask for condiments if you need more. They have Tempura dipping sauce served with this as well so order heaping white rice if you're hungry.

This is their best seller called ORI Maki. It's chopped pieces of soft shell crabs served in a Nori wrapper base with Aligue Mayo Sauce and cheese on top. They torch this in front of you after they serve it, it was good that I was planning to take photos of it but it didn't last long on the table. I would highly suggest you order this if it's available, you know soft shell crab is seasonal.

An essential part of my Japanese meal are these piping hot pan fried Gyoza. Dip this in super sour vinegar with slices of pickled ginger and you'll love it. I didn't want rice that afternoon so I just enjoyed this on it's own.

This is their majestic Dragon Maki. It's a long dragon with different sections of it dedicated to Soft Shell Crab, Ebi Tempura, Crabstick, Salmon, Tuna, Tamago, Ripe Mangoes and melted cheese on top. This is literally a mouthful and perfect for sharing, especially if you can't decide what to have for dinner, it's all there!

I had this Tofu Butayaki which is like a Japanese upscale version of our Tokwa't Baboy. They use really soft pork belly meat and remove the skin then add in sliced deep fried Tofu mixed in with their special Ori Sauce which is like a sweet light soy. Pretty good and perfect for beer matches.

This is their Tonkotsu Ramen. They use pork bone broth, fresh noodles, slices of pork chasu, wood ear mushrooms, soft boiled egg and chopped scallions. As preference, I put tons of Shichimi Togarashi which is a mix of spices that includes red chili pepper, orange peel, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger and seaweed. You can find it in most Japanese ramen shops so just ask if you need more. It's hearty and perfect for the rainy season. I would ask for more chili on mine, just ask the kind servers for condiments if you need it. They don't have condiments on the table perhaps as it would make the spread cluttered. Add a little salt if you need to. Albeit a little pricey (this one is Php 420), it's all worth it with the quality of ingredients they use. 

 Now there's a great reason to visit the little known mall in this area. If you're looking for a Japanese fix, just go to Ori Japanese House at the Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati. The place looks nice, the service is good and is very family friendly. They also have a section inside from VIP guests, so just reserve if you need to. You deserve more, you deserve to visit Ori Japanese House at Ayala Malls Circuit Makati.

For more information about their food:

ORI Japanese House

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