Modern Japanese Cuisine at Omakase

First of all, I'd like to greet everyone a happy new year! I know it's been ages since we last posted, but don't worry because we're back for good! :)

Today I'd like to talk about a place that practically everyone is familiar with and is easily my favorite among the Japanese food offerings in Manila. I'm talking about Omakase, a trendy Japanese restaurant with good food that gives a modern twist to old classics.

Omakase

According to my trusty source, Wikipedia, Omakase is actually a Japanese term meaning "It's up to you", and is a style of serving food in sushi restaurants, where it's "up to" the chef to serve you a complementary (by which I mean they complement each other, not free) series of dishes meant to be eaten one at a time. While this Omakase does not exactly offer this type of service, it's interesting to note because their name suggests that they put utmost importance in the quality, presentation and service that they offer to their customers.

The interior

As you can see from the photos, the place is decorated in a contemporary style that reflects their fusion cuisine, blending old Japanese with modern Western tastes.

Experiencing Japanese Zen at Kozui Green Tea

(Sorry for the late update! School was a little hectic, but I'm here now! :D)

I've always loved tea ever since I was a child. I grew up drinking tea everyday, with all my meals, which probably explains why I never grew taller after 6th grade... Of course, that's just an urban legend, because I'm pretty sure lots of Asians who drink tea regularly are tall, so it's probably just my genes. Anyway.

I've always wondered why tea wasn't more popular in the Philippines as it is in China, Japan, Korea, etc., but I guess that's just part of our culture, seeing as we were a Spanish colony for a long time so we never received a lot of British or Portuguese influences. Recently though, tea has become more of a novelty product, with lots of bubble tea and milk tea stores sprouting up all over the place.

When I first heard about Kozui Green Tea, I thought it was another one of those faux-Japanese restaurants, where they serve you Westernized versions of Japanese food that is not even the least bit authentic. However, I was quite surprised because despite the initial impression I had of the store, Kozui Green Tea is the real thing.

Outside Kozui Green Tea