📍 Yayoi, SM Jmall, A.S Fortuna, Mandaue
Food - ⭐⭐⭐½
First off, the set I ordered which was the Chicken Namban Teishoku, one of the restaurant’s bestsellers. It was actually almost perfect at 4.5 out of 5 😋. I’d have given it a perfect score if only the breading was slightly thinner, but other than that it was surprisingly delicious.
The set meal came complete with the Main Chicken, a salad with sesame dressing, potato salad, Miso soup and rice. The chicken was juicy and cooked perfectly. In my opinion the sauce leveled up the entire dish. Great flavor without being too heavy or thick. I’d definitely come back to order this again!
But the reason I scored the food 3.5 overall was because of how disappointed I was with my partner’s orders. I forgot the exact name of the dish but it was a Beef set meal (Teishoku). It looked appealing but once I bit into it, both the flavor and texture of the beef dish felt underwhelming. In terms of seasoning it felt like it leaned to a more Chinese inspired flavor rather than a Japanese dish. Furthermore, the beef felt a bit tough. Not too tough that you’re unable to chew and not enjoy it but the kind of tough that you can notice but don’t really mind.
Service - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You order via an iPad placed in each table and as soon as you confirm it automatically gets sent to the kitchen. The staff are also happy to assist you if you have any questions or concerns related to ordering. I felt at ease with their service.
Ambiance - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s clean and new, but nothing out of the ordinary for a modern Japanese restaurant.
Location - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Accessible and easy to find within 📍Jmall
Price - ⭐⭐⭐½
The pictures in the menu don’t do the food justice! Initially I was hesitant to eat here because it seemed so pricy at around P400-P600 per Teishoku. The branding of the store didn’t justify the price either but as soon as the food arrived I was shocked to see that the portions were quite big! As someone who has a big appetite, I felt really full.
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐½
To summarize, the restaurant shows promise. I’d come back and want to order the same Chicken Nanban Teishoku.
But before I can give it a higher rating, I’d want to try and see if the other dishes or even just the best sellers can be on the same level as the Chicken Nanban.