Little Tokyo is composed of a small block of Japanese restaurants along Chino Roces Ave., beside Makati Cinema Square. Entering the eponymous archway, you’d eventually find yourself in a square surrounded by restaurants, each with its own specialty, be it ramen, yakiniku or okonomiyaki.
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| Entrance to Little Tokyo |
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| Lantern-lit path |
At the corner of the square, with its unassuming dark wooden façade, sits Urameshi-ya Yakinuku. We decided to try it out, after hearing good reviews from our friends. The restaurant interior is dim and cozy, and the tables/grilling stations are divided by thin wooden panels. It has the well-worn look of a place that is frequently visited by regular patrons. Interestingly, there’s also a tall bookshelf containing numerous manga volumes.
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| Entrance to Urameshi-Ya |
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| Display case for the yakiniku meat |
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| Let the grilling begin |
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| Flaming meat |
Dianne's Review
It was my first time at Little Tokyo, and this visit surely did not disappoint. We had decided to come on a Tuesday, and to our surprise, there was an eat-all-you-can promo that day. For P500, you get to eat as much meat and scallops as you want, and this also includes refillable Japanese rice and iced tea. Here’s the catch, however: you have to finish everything (including cooking the meat) within 45 minutes. We were a bit skeptical at first, but after perusing the rest of the items on the menu, we decided to take the challenge. Our server was very courteous, and since it was our first time, she assisted us throughout the entire dinner. “Assisted” is an understatement, as she practically did everything – from selecting to grilling the meat. The promo included a selection of protein – beef, pork, scallops, ham, spam, sausages and spareribs – to be grilled over a pot of hot charcoal. I enjoyed the beef and the scallops the most. Eyeing the amount of marbling on the beef will give you an idea of its quality. Surely enough, those slices of beef were some of the most tender pieces of meat I’ve ever had in my life. The dipping sauce (made out of soy sauce, grated garlic and chili paste) complements the meat perfectly. The scallops were also wonderful – they were fresh and sweet, and spending a few minutes on the grill crisps up the edges nicely and gives it an interesting texture. The pork and the spareribs were alright for me. Both were tender, although a bit underseasoned. I’m not really into eating visible pork fat (the slices had an attached layer of fat measuring around 1 cm). Among the processed meats, I’d say that I enjoyed the Japanese Spam the most. I am definitely not a fan of American Spam, but Urameshi-ya’s version is anything but the salty, overprocessed mystery meat that we are more familiar with. This Spam actually has the texture of real meat, and it’s not quite as salty as its American counterpart. The ones that they serve at the restaurant come in two flavors – one is soy sauce glazed, while the other is coated in a spicy marinade, and both are sprinkled with sesame seeds. The sausages were also quite good – meaty, savory and mildly spicy. I probably liked the ham the least, as it had a texture resembling American Spam. The meal also came with a salad (a simple side dish consisting of fresh loose leaf lettuce tossed in a Japanese vinaigrette, which was basically there to cut the richness of all the meat) and miso soup. The iced tea was refreshing and not sweet at all (thankfully). Forty-five minutes may not seem like a lot of time for an eat-all-you-can dinner, but I was seriously stuffed after forty minutes. Interestingly, I didn’t feel the time pressure at all. We were all so busy enjoying the food that we barely talked to each other the entire meal. In the end, the forty-five minutes was just right to enjoy all that great grilled food. I will definitely come back for more.
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| Side Salad |
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| Dipping sauce |
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| Ridiculously tender beef |
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Alex's Review
I was really looking forward to our food trip at Little Tokyo. As recommended by a friend, we ate at Urameshi-ya, a small, crude restaurant.
AMBIENCE: UNFIXED, but in a good way. The mini library full of Japanese reading materials, the mini bar, the steel cabinet on the side, the wooden panels and chairs, plus the dim lights, all contribute to the rawness of the interiors. It is very oriental and you can shoot a Japanese film in it.
STAFF: One of the servers, her name is Aileen, recommended that we try the “eat all you can”. I was not too receptive at first but was eventually persuaded. She was insistent but still pleasant (and pretty, too). She is honest and answers our questions directly. She listens to our comments regarding the food and knew what to get next.
FOOD: I was not ecstatic about the menu because of the variety of processed meats included. But I was surprised because it was actually REALLY GOOD. The marbling on the beef, the freshness of the scallops, meat pretending to be ‘processed’ (spicy sausage, meatloaf, and ham), it was the greatest surprise of the night actually. Even though the ribs are on the bland side, the unlimited rice, the side salad, the bottomless tea, plus all the protein is perfect for somebody with a serious appetite. My friend described Urameshi-ya as “the ultimate Japanese experience” and I concur.
PRICE: at 500 pesos per head, it was definitely worth it.
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| Spareribs, sausages and SPAM |
Sig's Review
It was a good thing we decided to go to Little Tokyo on a Tuesday because Urameshiya is offering a grill-all-you-can-for-forty five-minutes deal. Obviously, it is a great thing for people who can’t really decide on what to order. But, what’s even better is that it is so much cheaper compared to ordering a la carte. The only downside is the time limit. However, we found that the time allotment was enough.
I liked the feel of the restaurant. The lighting was good. The interiors are similar to the yakiniku places I see in anime. Also, the presence of the Japanese nationals eating at the nearby table added to the Japanese experience.
The service we experienced was fantastic. Out attendant was really good. She was the one who convinced us to get the eat-all-you-can deal. She was very snappy in getting our orders and she grilled the meat perfectly.
Who knew SPAM could taste so good? I actually like American SPAM. It’s salty and fatty, in other words, great. However, I was pleasantly surprised to experience this Japanese SPAM. They came as unassuming slabs of processed meat. One variety was blushing with a red-orange hue, a sign that it was going to be a bit spicy. The other kind had a slight dusting of black pepper. Biting into the slice of SPAM was a delight. It was processed meat but not overly processed. I could still taste the fibers of the meat as the meat was coarsely ground. There was enough fat to keep it moist and succulent, even as it cooled. Also, the spiciness was just about right.
The beef slices were also very good. Perfectly grilled, they need very little chewing as they just melt in your mouth. Just let them cool a little bit and they are perfect. At first, the cooked meat never really piled on our plates. However, as we were getting full and eating more slowly, the grilled meat started to pile up. Sadly, some of the beef slices became overcooked and they became tougher to chew.
There were slices of pork also and I noticed that the pork slices were almost 50% fat. At that point, I didn’t care; I just gobbled them up like the rest. Having a high fat content, the pork slices were really juicy and tender. The taste reminded me of the pork isaw I used to eat in UPLB. I had a bit of nostalgia after the initial bite.
The scallops were very good too. They were sweet and juicy.
The slices of ham were just ok. They were a bit dry for my taste.
The complimentary miso soup was just ok, although I am not really a fan of soups in general. The complimentary salad just consisted of sliced lettuce leaves served with a bit of dressing. It was nothing special but it was a welcome break from all the animal parts we were consuming. I would have wanted something like pickled vegetables or something. I don’t know if the Japanese pickled vegetables would go well with grilled meat like our atchara.
For the price, I think the order-all-you-can is worth it. I think the orders per plate are a bit pricey, though.
I would definitely come back to this restaurant. Actually, as we were eating, I was already thinking about when I will be coming back.
