Being one of the first writers for When In Manila (circa 2011), it’s curious that I’ve never made a vlog. Ever. So when a student of mine began her personal food vlog, I didn’t hesitate to tag along for a restaurant feature of a cuisine I consider to be my forte: Japanese food!

Our stop was Kamameshi Town Honten, occupying one half of what used to be the fabulous Wafu Japanese Restaurant in Greenhills. As its name suggests, the restaurant specializes in kamameshi rice.

Now, kamameshi is an item I typically shy away from when dining in local Japanese restaurants, particularly because a lot of them serve some form of salty chopsuey rice instead of authentic kamameshi.

Enter Kamameshi Town Honten. It’s a given that the restaurant takes their kamameshi seriously. Iron pots or kama line the counter of their food preparation area.

The chicken and seafood kamameshi are served steaming hot. The rice is cooked with dashi, and the flavor of the topping is infused into it. Since the ingredients are mixed together before they are served, you will find the bottom of the rice dish slightly burnt. The okoge is a desirable characteristic of authentic kamameshi, giving the dish a rich, toasted flavor.

The chicken kamameshi tastes like teriyaki served with moist, flavorful rice. What won me over, however, was Kamameshi Town Honten’s seafood kamameshi.

I love how clean the whole dish tastes despite the variety of ingredients. The textural play of the squid, kani sticks, fish, and shrimps mixed together is an experience in and of itself.

Naturally, Kamameshi Town Honten is not just a kamameshi place. Its other offerings are comparable to the best authentic Japanese restaurants in the Metro. They have both traditional and signature makimono rolls.

The Hokkaido Roll is one of my favorites consisting of shrimp tempura, avocado, sweet and spicy shrimps, negi, tenkasu, and ponzu. It offers an explosion of flavors with just the right amount of heat.

Their tuna tartare salad is reminiscent of Nihonbashitei’s spicy tuna sashimi with a preset mild heat level. According to KTH chef Vaughn, customers can specify how spicy they want their tartare to be.

The yakitori are also lovely with the sweet teriyaki sauce drizzled on top. Their beef cubes and enoki bacon are must-tries!

Their yellow-crusted ebi tempura has a buttery shell that is a welcome change from the clean-tasting batter most Japanese restaurants use. The batter is not overpowering, though, so you will still appreciate the freshness of the prawns while finding something new for your tastebuds to enjoy.

And, oh, they have the most addicting milk cheese cake that just melts in your mouth, offered for a limited time:

All in all, Kamameshi Town Honten offers good, honest Japanese food without breaking the bank. For those who want to get the most bang for their buck, they are currently offering a weekday lunch buffet promo for Php499 (an absolute bargain, if you ask me).

Kamameshi Town Honten

G/F Greenhills Mall (beside Gloria Maris)

https://www.facebook.com/kamameshitownph