Every time I visit a restaurant, I have this mission to find that dish that everyone will ooh and aah over. I found a surefire way to achieve this—at least where one restaurant is concerned: Isshin, a cozy and rustic Japanese restaurant in Makati.
The trick is to order their bestselling okonomiyaki—a Japanese style pizza made of cabbage and flour, topped with Japanese Mayo, tonkatsu sauce, and—the culprit in question—dancing fish flakes. Also known as hanakatsuo, they’re the thinnest form of shaved dried katsuobushi (tuna) and when the steam rises from the cooking okonomiyaki (we were seated at one of Isshin’s teppanyaki areas), the paper-thin fish flakes twirled and danced as if they were alive!
That dish, showstopper that it is, may be quite hard to beat. But Isshin’s menu offers plenty of culinary pleasures just as delectable. When it comes to gyoza, for one, Isshin’s succulent Japanese dumplings are the best I’ve tasted—and believe me, I’ve tasted plenty.
Then there was the mixed sunomono, which featured pickled cucumbers with seaweed, squid, crabmeat, and octopus—so fresh, I had to sample each one.
Their Dynamite Roll (maki with sweetened egg, mango, and shrimp tempura) was pleasing to the palate as well and it served as the perfect prelude to the hearty meal that was to come. Yes, sa lagay na to, prelude pa lang mga yan…
…because “Hearty” does not even begin to describe the amount of eating that took place. That night, I thought I’d died and gone to Teppanyaki Heaven—we sampled practically everything their teppanyaki menu had to offer: from hotate (scallops), fish, ika (squid) and prawns to Australian rib eye paired with moyashi (bean sprouts) to that blissful lobster teppanyaki with miso soup. I particularly loved how they boiled the lobster’s head with the miso, which helped in enhancing its flavor.
I couldn’t get enough of it, but I had to stop as I only had little room for dessert, which is, of course, a non-negotiable. Much to my delight, Isshin offers complimentary dessert for every meal you order. You get to choose between a scoop of Japanese ice cream, nata de coco, or coffee.
Its lip-smackin’ and show-stopping fares aside, what I loved the most about Isshin was how accommodating the owners were, which translates down to the staff. Every customer’s need is seen to with utmost attention to even the tiniest of details. The restaurant has this cozy, homey feel—the décor has a Zen-like, nature vibe that’s utterly relaxing—and it’s no wonder this is the destination of choice among Japanese expats in the city—it’s as close to home as they can get.
Isshin is located at 1024 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City. Open 24 hours daily. Substantial meal costs P4000 for four to five people. For inquiries and reservations, call (2) 844 1512 or 817 2548.
