a bite of brownie

 Deciding that I should be able to sample this restaurant's food, my sister drove me and my brother to Crossroads to experience one of the elegant Japanese restaurants here in Cebu.


Banri at a glance is a small store with a modern Japanese feel to it, with several bookcases at the entrance filled with Manga and Doujins stacked carefully on display. There was enough room for people to worm their way to get to their seats, just as we did.




Interestingly, the background music was traditionally Japanese and the displays and the whole ambiance complements the whole place.
Despite the small space, we were courteously seated by one of the staff and were each given a menu booklet so that we may choose from their many dishes. 


Naturally, we ordered a platter of mixed sashimi and a plate of mixed sushi to share, while my brother got himself a huge bowl of Yudofu, which looked like a Japanese version of soup stock. I, on the other hand, took the liberty of sampling their cold noodles, hiyashi somen and lastly, my sister had a generous bowl of Chirashi sushi (which wasn't on the menu).


We were given a small plate of vegetables with japanese mayo on top with refillable house tea.


My somen was refreshing yet filling, and not too cold even if it was served in a bowl with ice cubes inside. My brother's Yudofu, a tofu based soup was shared between the three of us and was very satisfying.


The sushi and sashimi that were served were fresh and prepared right. We even had a small sushi roll made of Uni, or sea urchin. It was rich, although it had a strange texture unlike raw Uni. I was thinking that maybe it was cooked or prepared somehow so that it didn't taste too raw for their guests?


And true to their word, their wasabi tastes great. ;)




Banri Noodle House
Crossroads, Banilad




Verdict:
A: 4.5/5

A little pricey, but what can you expect from a Japanese restaurant? The ambiance is relaxing and the food tastes great. The washroom needs a little maintenance of sorts. Otherwise, I really enjoyed my visit here. I would come back here if I had money to spare to try their other dishes.