French and Japanese Fusion at Ninyo Fushion Cuisine and Wine Lounge

When in Manila, you have to drive on over to Ninyo Fushion Cuisine in Katipunan and try out their food with a French and Japanese twist!

Anyone who knows me also knows I’m a big fan of Japanese food! Somehow I just feel like their food is so fresh! Sushi anyone? It was my first time though to try Japanese food with a twist! Ninyo did it perfectly!

Before I talk about the food, let’s talk ambiance first!

From the outside, Ninyo might just look like any typical restaurant. In fact, you might even miss it because of its simplicity. There’s a small gate and the restaurant’s name beside. But upon entering the gate, you’d immediately feel as if you were somewhere else. A beautiful garden with a romantic setting will immediately greet you! I was so moved by how the place looked that I quickly took pictures even before entering completely! I kept telling my companions, “Wow! This is the perfect place for a romantic date!”

Photo taken from the Ninyo Facebook Fanpage

Millionaires vines hanging from the trees, the sound of water flowing from the fountain, the yellow light coming from the main door and the beautiful koi fish swimming in the pond! Too much to imagine? This is just the garden I’m describing! Upon entering the restaurant, you’d be welcomed by the very friendly members and staff, and also with the beautiful old and new furniture! By old, I mean antiques of course. The design… the interior.. the FUSION of old and new… everything is just breath taking!

Little Something About Ninyo

For a brief history, Ninyo was actually a house a few years ago. It was only because of the persistence of two siblings Carla and Niño that their parents agreed to turn their house into a restaurant. I guess this is also why entering the place somehow gave me a sense of home. Niño or Chef Niño is also the owner of this famous restaurant! Having turned 30 only this month, Chef Niño is considered to be among the youngest most making waves in the culinary industry in the Philippines today.

“At Ninyo Fusion Cuisine, food is an art. It is prepared with such meticulousness and creativity. Chef Niño will present dishes that are seemingly mundane as if they’re a masterpiece. Through his experience working in the kitchen of the finest French and Japanese restaurants in Manila, he developed a combined passion for both European and Asian and now aims to give guests a taste of two different worlds in one fusion. Chef Niño likes to experiment on a unique combination of different flavors, textures, cuisine and techniques to come up with original concoctions. His dishes are often described as inventive, adventurous and unpredictable. He never ceases to surprise and amaze his guests with something new or unusual all the time.”

First up, Patoyaki Balls!

Just by the word itself, I’m thinking you can already guess what the dish is about!

Patoyaki is basically duck and foie gras stuffed balls! It is similar to the famous takoyaki balls, only this time, duck was used instead of the usual baby octopuses/ squid. I can’t quite explain the taste, but it’s something worth tasting! The Patoyaki Balls are around Php 480 in price.

Order this and a glass of Cava….. Spanish Musa de Vallformosa Semi-seco Cava to be exact and your good. The sweet taste of the Cava blends perfectly well with the Patoyaki!

Trio of Oyster

3 different toppings for the oyster! One is the famous Oyster Rockefeller topped with red lumpfish caviar (ebiko), the 2nd is the asian hollandaise and wasabi fried oyster with citrus mayo dressing , and the third is the Baked Oyster with foie gras(2 pcs.of each kind)

This has got to be one of my favorites! I love oysters and the way this was presented was really unique and appetizing! The Wasabi Fried Oyster has got to be one of my favorites! I’m not a fan of wasabi but the way the wasabi oyster tasted was really something I’m glad I didn’t miss out on. It wasn’t what I expected, but instead it was way better!

Fish & Chips Cream Dory Fillet

Chef Niño’s special version of the traditional Fish & Chips. Nori crusted dory fish fillet with potato, sweet potato and taro strings, spiced with togarashi.

One look and you’d have NO IDEA that this was fish and chips. The presentation was really good, especially that it was placed in a champagne glass rather than just on the plate. There were also fresh seaweeds all around the stringed potatoes! I’m not a fan of fresh sea weed so I didn’t want to eat it at first… but on a second thought, I realized I should just try everything for the sake of it. Surprisingly, the sea weed was not at all what I expected. In fact, eating the sea weed with the fish and chips was really good! It was the perfect blend!

Smoked Fish and Shiitake Harumaki

Crispy fried spring rolls of smoked fish, spring vegetables, fresh gobo and shitake. Served with Yuzu thai dipping sauce. Priced at around Php 395.

{Wine suggestion: Try it with Sauvignon Blanc, full bodied Chardonnay, off dry rose}

Again, spring rolls are not really my thing. I often feel that the wrapping used it too thick and dry that it overpowers the meat inside. However, Ninyo’s version was one I wanted to take home and eat over and over again! I’m sure you get my point. The wrapping wasn’t too thick, and the filling was…well…. FILLED! It wasn’t just the typical ground beef/pork but rather a mix of fish, vegetables and more! Every bite is fulfilling!

Mango Pavlova

Sweet and creamy is how I’d best describe this dessert! The meal wouldn’t be perfect without it! It had just the right amount of cream to make it sweet but not too much that it overpowers the taste of the mango! Perfect ending for a wonderful meal!

And of course, besides the sweet ending to a wonderful meal, the meal just wouldn’t be complete without some wine right? So to end the wonderful meal with wonderful people, we drank a few shots of Genuine Ukrainian Chocolate Vodka Tryzubnaya! Can I just say…. YUM!!! I’m a strong drinker but I usually don’t like letting the taste of alcohol settle in my mouth.. but for the Chocolate Vodka, I just didn’t mind! I’m not sure where you can buy this in the Philippines though, but it’s one drink you should have around at parties! Classy and strong!