When in Manila and would like to take a break from our usual greasy Pinoy dishes, why don’t you try to go on a traditional Japanese style feast like what Frank and I did this weekend? For our featured restaurant, we’ve chosen a very trusted establishment that has been operating for 30 years! OMG!! They must be cooking up really good stuff to last that long! Made me even more excited, I just couldn’t hide it! LOL
Let us take you once again on a gastronomical tour and this time, courtesy of Sugi Restaurant located at Greenbelt 2!
The Destination: JAPAN
Are you ready?
A little background: Since my mom stayed in Tokyo during her college years (she majored in Japanese language at Tokyo University), I grew up being very familiar with all things Japanese. Making sushi is quite common in the house as well as frying tempura from time to time however, to tell you honestly, I haven’t experienced dining the traditional way that’s why I’m so excited to do this feature! Also, Japanese dishes are all neatly and artfully plated so I can’t wait to see the result of our 1st Japanese cuisine shoot!
Joining us this week is our blogger friend Ms. Ana Gonzales of Anagon Collection. She’s currently one of the prominent names in local fashion blogging. A really cool down-to-earth kid! Frank and I find her to be very inspiring and an ideal role model for this generation. We’re so glad she said yes to our humble invitation!
with Ana Gonzales of Anagon Collection
ready for another adventure with Frank!
Anyway, moving on with our Japanese feast at the highly acclaimed Sugi Restaurant, allow me to guide you through this photo story to show you the highlights of this week’s date….
As we entered the place, we were mesmerized by the chic interiors
The place adorned with fine porcelain and oriental icons…. a feast for the eyes!
busy chefs on the move
I sure wished we had the chance to try this out. Aside for having better lighting, it would have made the experience more authentic!
And then it was time to meet Chef Nakamura! He was kinda shy but was really warm and nice! He arranged the table in a very traditional Japanese way for us! Thank you Chef!
how neat!
And so we all started clicking..
Frank doing his thing!
Ana enjoyed the photo shoot a lot! She even blogged about it!! Thanks girl! How sweet!
THE STARS OF THE SHOW….
WARNING: The following jaw dropping photos will not only make you drool but will make you wanna lick your monitor as well!!
Kaiware Kani Salad (250php) – Radish sprouts and crab meat with your choice of dressing
as for the dressing, they recommend Japanese mayo and vinegar with sesame seeds
ultra fresh and crunchy!
Assorted Sashimi (750php) – An array of skillfully sliced fresh picks made up of salmon, tuna, blue marlin, mackerel, eel and kani placed on a bed of fresh shredded radish garnished with lemon and wasabi!
an ocean on a platter
skillfully prepared, artfully plated
Ebi Tempura (390php) – Deep fried crispy fresh all prawn tempura! Best enjoyed while hot! It wasn’t so warm by the time we started eating ‘coz it took us time to take photos. It tasted very good nonetheless! =) We loved it!
Since Ana is a Vegan, she enjoyed the crispy vegies a lot!
Salmon Aburi Maki (530php) – Sushi roll with ebi fry topped with slightly seared salmon. This I may say, was the one I liked the most!! Highly recommended!
OMG!
drooooooooling!
waaaaaaaahhh!!
Wagyu Ishiyaki Steak (620php) – Wagyu beef and vegetables grilled on hot stone on your table. Served with 2 kinds of sauce. The meat was really fresh and tender!! Frank loved this a lot!
look at that beauty…
Chief Ason has been working here for 10 years. She gladly assisted us with the preparation! Thank you Ma’am! =)
cooked on a hot stone
we enjoyed talking with her about her career at Sugi as well as Japanese food
we like it medium rare
It’s feasting time!! wwwwwwwoooooooooooot!
I appreciated this a lot!
a look at my plate
Frank’s plate
Ana having a great meal!
we should all practice healthy eating everyday!
Frank enjoying his Tempura
Anagon: “Ate Mae namatay ako sa sarap! AAhhhhhh”
Don’t worry Ana, I did too! LOL
I’d have to say, this sushi blew me away!
from the looks of it, I guess Frank loved it too!
the Sashimi was super fresh, melts in your mouth! It was very soft and tender! We were just a little “bitin” with the ideal beverage to make it more balanced. I believe it would have been better if we were served with some tea or the traditional Japanese sake to wash down the aftertaste and for the ultimate experience.
you can always request for utensils, no worries! =)
the scene of the crime… LOL
After that fresh filling Japanese feast, we greeted the rest of the staff and took more photos…
I wish I wore a Kimono as well! hihhii
with Chef Nakamura
I’m really proud of our photos for this shoot! Another addition to our fantastic portfolio! Frank and I are fast improving week per week! I’m so blessed to have a photo buddy like him! We do make a great team because we know how to communicate well, we honestly critic each other’s work and most of all, we see to it that we always enjoy each experience! What an adventure!! Also, having Ana as our guest was really pleasant! We can’t wait to invite her over once again! Thank you Anagon for gracing this evening and for the kind words you wrote on your blog about this experience! =)
To view the rest of the photos for this feature, kindly visit our humble blog Eats A Date! Happy viewing!
From the ambiance, the staff and food… it was indeed a fine dining experience for us! =) We loved everything especially the Salmon Aburi Maki! We hope we can experience the tatami room next time! I heard customers may use it for a minimum consumable order of 3,000php. Honestly, we were just a little “bitin” with the drinks. All in all, as to what their General Manager Ms. Ines Cabarrus promised, we really had a great experience! Thank you so much Ms. Ines Cabarrus to Chef Nakamura, chief Ason and to the rest of the staff of Sugi Restaurant!
Be sure to experience fine dining the Japanese way at Sugi Restaurant when in Manila!
Greenbelt 2, Esperanza Street
Ayala Center, Makati City
Contact nos: (632) 757-36-78 to 79 and 757-39-86
open daily from 11am-2pm then at 6pm-10pm
Experience Fine Dining The Traditional Japanese Way At Sugi Restaurant!