Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant

During this time, I was sent to Makati City to attend some training for a week. The firm that conducted the training offered snacks and lunch to their students. And since there’s just a week that I get to be out of office, I think grabbing the chance to try some restaurants around the vicinity would definitely be fruitful. Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant is located at 1F of 141 Sedeno Street, Salcedo Village in Makati. Technically just downstairs from where we had our training. Finding it was a little tricky though because the entrance is inside the building and is hiding behind the receptionist’s area so you can’t really see it from the outside. I’ve missed it twice and had to ask the security guard from another building where it was. He directed me back to the building and I thought then he was just tripping, but there it was. Hiding from plain sight.

The restaurant’s entrance is a long stairwell up to the 2F and practically occupied the whole floor. It looked like it’s good for group/team meetings and they did have some when I dined there. I also saw a bunch of Japanese folks there, so it was a good sign. Who do you trust about sushi, eh? And apparently, according to research, it is run by a Japanese sushi chef! The server then placed a cup of hot tea on my table and asked if I was ready to order.

I asked for their Ume Sashimi Moriawase and it was magnificent. Arranged on a huge plate, on a bed of shredded daikon, was a variety of fresh fish slices. Unfortunately, they didn’t have uni, but they filled my plate with salmon, tuna, octopus, squid, shrimp, and a few others that I do not recognize. I had a hard time finishing this plate because of the serving size.

Verdict: 3.5/5
If you’re looking for the best sashimi, might as well come here. The quality is superb and could really be at par with restaurants abroad. Sadly, they didn’t have the complete selection and I didn’t get to try other dishes. It’s a little pricey, but you won’t regret having this sashimi plate.

Tori Ichi Yakitori Bar

Festival Mall has a whole new section by the riverside which they’ve been developing for quite some time now and it has recently been opened to the public. And as crazed southerners, my sister and I checked it out and found this restaurant: Tori Ichi Yakitori Bar.

We ordered a bunch of food from their menu: Salmon and Tuna Sashimi, Enoki Mushroom Bacon, Asparagus Bacon, and their Shio Ramen. The sashimi slices were decently cut, presented neatly, and the most important part, it’s fresh. The shio ramen was just ok, nothing jumping out of the bowl, just some pork slices, onion leeks, bean sprouts, and a quarter of a boiled egg. The mushroom and asparugus bacon could use more crispiness as they were a bit soggy and feels like they’ve been sitting on the counter for a while.

Verdict: 1/5
This is a new restaurant and we might have caught them during their soft opening. Given the location (near parking and amphitheater), there’s a possibility we'll give it another shot, just not anytime soon.