I cannot reiterate enough how much I love Japanese cuisine and that it is my top fave cuisine in the whole wide world (besides Filipino foo of course). I mean I can live off of it my entire life and you won’t hear any complaint from me. From their appetizers, to their main dishes to their desserts, Japanese food is always a treat to my palate and my tummy.
A few weeks back, I’ve tried another Japanese restaurant, Ippon Yari which is located in Sta Rosa Laguna. Ippon Yari is a Japanese phrase which means guiding principle or one great effort. You can find Ippon Yari’s roots from a humble ramen house into a full blown restaurant serving more than a hundred dishes.
At Ippon Yari you can only taste authentic Japanese cuisines that are priced reasonably. It occupies the whole second floor of the Piazza Building along Sta Rosa-Tagaytay Road and just across Paseo De Sta Rosa. Seating areas are divided into three, one that probably served as function room, then the large open space with long tables and one with where you sit on the floor on tatami mats for more intimate dining.
I was surprised to find that even on weekdays the place is packed with people especially when dinner time came. There were also Japanese expats who arrived when we were about to leave. As far as I know Ippon Yari is the only authentic Japanese restaurant in this area. Below are what we tried during our visit.
Nagasaki Champon Ramen - tonkotsu-based ramen with vegetables, squid and kani. The soup broth is based upon pork bones and other ingredients making it very tasty and with those added veggies and seafood makes it even more flavorful. Really warms your heart and tummy.
Ebi Tempura - six pieces of shrimp battered and then deep fried. Always will be one of my favorite Japanese dishes. The coating was light and airy and the shrimp is fresh with a creamy and subtly sweet taste.
Katsu Curry - breaded pork with mushroom curry sauce. I love katsu and I’m such a fan of katsus more than ramen so I’m a little bit partial to this. The curry is light yet very savoury and gives more flavor to the katsu and somehow softens this usually dry meal.
Tori Karaage - Japanese boneless battered fried chicken. I love authentic kaarage and these tasted really good and very juicy and tender. Give me this and a cup of hot steamy rice and I’m all good.
Mochi Ice Creams - matcha flavored Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice and with matcha filling. I'm not really a fan of matcha so I didn't really enjoyed this one as the filling had really strong matcha flavor. The mochi was good though and had a subtle matcha flavor. I you're into that real matcha flavor, then this one is for you.
Mochi Ice Creams - matcha flavored Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice and with matcha filling. I'm not really a fan of matcha so I didn't really enjoyed this one as the filling had really strong matcha flavor. The mochi was good though and had a subtle matcha flavor. I you're into that real matcha flavor, then this one is for you.
Surely I went home to Manila with smile on my face and a happy tummy despite the rush hour traffic on SLEX as I was able to enjoy one of my favorite cuisines in the world through the authentic Japanese flavors served by highly skilled and seasoned local chefs from Ippon Yari. I will always take a mental note to try eating here if whenever I am around this area and try the other many dishes that they have to offer.
IPPON YARI
2F, Piazza Bldg., Sta Rosa-Tagaytay Rd.,
Santa Rosa Estate, Brgy. Don Jose,
Santa Rosa, Laguna
Email: ipponyari@yahoo.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ipponyarijapresto
Instagram: instagram.com/ipponyari
For more information, complete menu and restaurant reviews, check out their Zomato profile:
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