I still can't get over last night's grand opening party as Roku Sushi Ramen Donburi opens in Level 1 TriNoma.  

Mika Romero Inviting You to Try Roku!

Roku is a family-oriented and student-friendly Japanese restaurant concept formulated by Mika Romero.  Mika has been yearning for a good quality Japanese casual restaurant near the University where she studied.  Since she can't find any, she decided to put up one herself with the guidance of her mother Sheila Romero.  

Roku means 6 because they are 6 in the family.  And, they want Roku to embody their family-oriented passion in everything they do.  


As a shy wallflower type of foodie, I was really overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the party.

The event was graced by the Ayala Top Management, celebrities and politicians.
 

There were also media, fellow bloggers (spotted on the photo above are: Arcee of TheBagInvestigator.Com, Jonel Uy and Marjorie Uy of SeatForTwo.Com, Aldous of AldousAteTheWorld.blogspot.com) and Instagramers (spotted on the photo above are: @sheroseontimare, @thehungrychef , @maxieissuper, @thebaldbakerph and @manilaeatup).  Though I was to shy to approach them as their follower, I was glad to see these people who I look up to.


Music performances of Curtismith and  St.Vincent & The Grenadines rocked the party.  
 
And, of course there were tons of food!
 

Pork Gyoza (169 php)

The Pork Gyoza is pretty good.  Thin and soft shelled with succulent juicy ground pork.

Dream Roll (259 php)

 Our favorite with tempura-battered salmon, kani and cream cheese.

Firecracker Roll (249 php)

 Too bad I was the only one on our table who can tolerate spiciness so I had to finish the Firecracker Roll all by myself ~ with pleasure. =p

Sailboat Roll (259 php)

 The Sailboat Roll has spicy tuna with crunchy wantons.  Loved the appearance and the experience it delivers too.

S.S. Roll (249 php)

The S.S. Roll  is tasty salmon teriyaki on top and filled ith salmon skin, cream cheese and cucumber.  Yum!

Gyudon (sample portions)

The Gyudon is so good because it has shitake mushrooms to enhance the flavor.

 

Chashu Shoyu Tonkotssu (sample portions)

Roku's Tonkotsu broth (boiled for 12 hours) was specially created by Japanese Ramen Master, Kenji Dobashi of famous ramen house Kagari in Ginza, Japan.  Their chashu slices are  slow-cooked and marinated for 8 hours.  So you could really taste so much of the rich goodness in every sip of the Chashu Shoyu Tonkotssu.

Kampai to Roku

I really enjoyed the night!  And, I will definitely try more of their dishes (and review them) with the family next time. 
 
P.S. In case you've wonder how I ended up in such a party...  I was invited by one of my longtime instagram followers to attend Roku.   When I first heard this, I was really surprised and quickly turned red.  Up until my recent acquisition of the Zenphone 2, I swear my instagram photos were horrible.  My family and relatives were literally begging me not to post anymore because my photos were not recognizable or if they were, they looked disgusting.  Even now, none of my siblings follow me on instagram because of that.  So, whoever has been my follower ever since deserves my utmost gratitude and I would certainly like to thank them in person haha.  My photos are now recognizable so hope you can follow me @tsinoyfoodies

My bestie Eric and I have this weird habit of inviting each other as spontaneous or impromptu as possible when we know we're in each other's convenient zone.  A few days ago, I was in Makati where he works so I invited him to have a lunch break at an instantaneously found place called "Manila Maki" at Elizabeth's Place Condominium.  If you're unfamiliar with the location, it's wiser to ask the name of the building instead so people can guide you towards it. 

In case you're wondering why Manila when it's in Makati, we asked that too.  Manila symbolizes Pinoy food and not the location.


Eric was smiling as soon as  he saw their happy hour poster by the entrance.  I, on the other hand, was allured by Manila Maki's unique decor and interior.  It was a certainly a mix bag of creativity that blended well with each other.

The lights were made from laminated Japanese newspaper sheets.  Some parts of the place also had Japanese newspaper as a wallpaper.  Tables were either made of solid wood or wooden planks formed into a picnic table.  The chairs had a lot of variety too from modern plastic ones to steel garden types to wooden stools made of planks and picnic benches. 

Seeing their wooden framed food shots and glancing on their menu filled with their Pinoy-Japanese dishes made me feel a bit skeptic.  I mean who does Pinoy-Japanese fusion?  I've always considered myself to be an adventurous foodie but never have I encountered such a bold twist.  I'm fearing that I might end up forced to finish all our orders.  Eric is a good friend but he is such a picky eater.  If he doesn't like the food, no one can ever make him eat even if it means saving his life.


Each table had Japanese newspaper wrapped chopstick, napkin and soy sauce holders.

And, plates were set up with soy sauce holders so you're ready for a whole new maki experience!

Food 

Sashimi

Seared Tuna Kinilaw (245 php)

As you can see, the Seared Tuna Kinilaw is cooked with precision.  Other than that, the preparation doesn't seem too technical as it is topped with peppers and sesame seeds and served with spicy vinegar dip.  Yet, the delivery of the dish  was surprisingly splendid!  We both thought it was ingenious!


Premium Rolls

Manila Maki (255 php)

Our server recommended their best-selling Manila Maki.  It appears like an ordinary topped tuna-topped maki but it's actually very complicated.  It's drizzled with a light mango dressing, the sushi rice is rolled in garlic bits and filled with fresh Philippine mango, kani salad and nilasing na hipon.  I found this to be a more interesting version of the usual California Maki. 

♥ Adarna Roll (225 php)

To be honest, we loved the Adarna Roll more than the Manila Maki.  Can you guess what's on top?  It really looks like Unagi but it's actually their crisp bangus belly fillets braised in teriyaki and topped with sesame seeds.  They were wonderfully tasty.  The rest are common sushi complements such as: kani salad, mango, cucumber, lettuce and topiko duo.

Salad

♥ Spicy Tuna Salad (265 php)

Manila Maki's Spicy Tuna Salad makes all the spicy tuna I've tried in the past pale in comparison.  Despite being so saucy and flavorful due to the interesting pinoy twist of using taba ng talanga, the tiny tempura flakes successfully delivered a sensational crisp in every bite.  It is spiced with chili flakes which you can request to be milder or spicier depending on our preference.

Ala Carte

♥ Longgiyoza (125 php)

I love the classic gyoza but boy, the Longgiyoza has swooned me to a whole new level.  Aside from the perfect skin thickness, smoothness and meat juiciness, cabanatuan longganisa amazingly adds an explosive savoriness to it.

♥ Bon Bon Chicken (185 php)

The appearance of the Bon Bon Chicken is similar to the Korean fried chicken.  But, this is way better!  Upon trying a piece of these boneless crunchy chicken coated in sweet garlic-ginger sauce and drizzled with Japanese mayo, Eric and I just couldn't stop ourselves from munching on some more.  We finished this bowlful even to the last crunchy sauce-coated batter. 

Donburi

♥ Sisigdon (215 php)

The highlight of our meal was the Sisigdon.  It's a bowlful of pork sisig with beaten egg, sweet shoyo sauce, chili powder, green onions and chicharon bits. Gosh! My words can never be enough to expound on this.  You just have to try this out for yourself to appreciate the magical sensation of taste and texture of this dish.

Dessert

Molten Lava (165 php)

I wanted to try the Coco Mango which was not available at the time but I always have to have my dessert so I settled for the Molten Lava instead.  Unlike other lava cakes which had hot fudge splurging from the center, this one just has a center that's more moist than the other parts but lots of chocolate fudge is found on the outside.

Drinks

Shakes

♥ Buco Lychee (140 php)

The Buco Lychee is a tall glass of very refreshing thirst-quencher and palate cleanser.  

Manila Maki Specialty Drinks

Calamansi Saketini (195 php)

The Calamansi Saketini is Manila Maki's take on the Martini by substituting sake.  Sake has a very bold flavor but this drink masks its perfectly by delivering a nice tangy and mildly sweetened calamansi blend.

♥ The Maki Cooler (225 php)

The Maki Cooler is a sweet and delicious four seasons and dalandan juice mixed with coconut rum, vodka and sake concoction that so smooth you'll forget you're having alcohol.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Manila Maki is Makati's hidden Pinoy-Japanese Fusion gem.  I have to hand it to them.  They really know what they're doing.  Every dish is a masterpiece.  We couldn't help but swipe everything clean... everything sticky grain and to the last drop of our beverage.  Price is affordable.  Serving size is great for sharing especially their Sashimi,  Pinoy Maki and Premium Rolls.  The drinks are just as good so go ahead and pair them with your food.  They also offer a reliably fast WiFi.

P.S. Saw on their menu a pamphlet that they also do catering with more dish options.

I'm quite moody in choosing where to eat.  On some occasions, I am one of the many who will follow the latest food hype that everyone is posting on the social media.  Sometimes, I want to be the first few diners who will get to discover and share a new restaurant.  I also visit those establishments that have previously escaped my food radar or those recommended by others.  But, there are days when I just want to go back to those food places that have been there for a long time and is still consistently committed to serving good food that diners will come back for.  Sakura Japanese Restaurant & Grocery is one of the latter.

The humble Sakura Japanese Restaurant & Grocery in Glorietta 4 has always been a busy place where diners would drop by and go.  You can watch servers to and fro from the kitchen and the dining area.


The place is small but it extends to the mall space area.  The interiors are simplistic with shelves that display appetizing dish photos.

They don't offer much variety in the grocery store and they can be a bit pricey.  

Food
Appetizers

Chicken Tofu Steak (178 php)

The Chicken Tofu Steak is sliced chicken thigh with tofu cubes, onions and bell peppers in Japanese steak sauce topped with sesame and green onions.  This is a great starter to consider.


Soups

Miso Soup (72 php)

Sushi Combos

Sashimi Maki Combo (378 php)

We chose the Sashimi Maki Combo because it has all our favorites.  It has 2 pcs. of California Maki, 2 pcs. of Tamago (egg) Maki, 2 pcs. of Tekka (tuna) Maki and 2 pcs. of Kani (crabstick) Maki.  It also has six slices of fresh Sake Sashimi (look at the color!)  and delicious ♥ Spicy Tuna.  They serve one of the best Spicy Tuna in the Metro so don't miss it!


Donburi (Rice Toppings)

♥ Chicken Curry (235 php)

The Chicken Curry is chicken upper thigh, carrots and potatoes all cut into cubes with onions in Japanese curry sauce.  As you can see this is one satisfying and fulfilling meal. 

Yakimono

♥ Yakitori (175 php)

The Yakitori is grilled chicken and leeks skewers served with lightly sweet and salty teriyaki sauce sprinkled with sesame sauce.  The chicken bits are very tender and juicy.  Too bad the leeks are over-grilled cause I wanted to eat them too. 


Teppanyaki

♥ Assorted Seafoods (245 php)

Look at how generous they are with their Assorted Seafoods teppanyaki!  This is delicious!  Plus, the seafood are fresh and soft and the vegetables are crunchy. 


Kushiage (Japanese Style Deep-Fried Kebabs)

♥ Red Snapper (24 php/stick), ♥ Shrimp (24 php/stick) and Eggplant (18 php/stick)

Kushiage also known as Kushikatsu (kushi means "skewers" while katsu means "deep-fried").  So, its concept is quite similar to katsu (for meat, pork chicken) and furai (for other ingredients) but this is served in skewers as it is attached to a stick and eaten as a hand-picked food.

Miso Sauce and Spices

We enjoyed our Kushiage by dipping it in both Miso Sauce and Spices.

Rice

Mixed Fried Rice (115 php)

For staple, you can opt for their delicious Mixed Fried Rice or chahan.  It's got egg, vegetable and ground pork bits.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Time and time again we can expect delicious authentic Japanese dishes that's affordable from Sakura Japanese Restaurant & Grocery.  I like the concept that it's conveniently located in the mall but still keeping in touch with authenticity and simplicity of a traditional Japanese restaurant.