For the longest time, I hadn't woken up early for a morning meeting.
It was a Monday, my alarm sounded...8:30AM. My meeting was at 11AM. I was thinking if I could get a few minutes more of sleep but decided against it to anticipate Monday traffic jams. Don't sneer! 11AM is really early for me considering my lifestyle!
We got to leave my place by 9:30AM and arrived at the venue with enough time to spare for a quick breakfast at Pancake House. The usual Country Breakfast for me, and Beef Tapa for my constant foodie companion.
It was a satisfying breakfast except for the hot tea. It wasn't worth finishing.
Off to the meeting! It had a very casual and friendly feel in a formal environment, it was good to catch up with Myke, who is now handling Marketing and Advertising for another commercial property. An hour and thirty minutes passed and we wrapped up, listed down our assignments and said our goodbyes.
Now I come to the main point of my story...sorry to keep you waiting...KIMONO KEN!
I was a SUSHI-YA patron since my college days and I thought that SUSHI-YA was the best value for money Japanese food chain in the Metro. They have Sashimi under P200, Maki under P200, and they have Bento Boxes under P250. Until...my first taste of KIMONO KEN.
I can't clearly remember when I first got introduced to KIMONO KEN, but the dining experience fully converted me.
Maguro Sashimi P175
Believe me, we've tried to scour the Metro for Value for Money Japanese restaurants, and we've gritted our teeth through horrible, horrible dining experiences. The Japanese restaurant at Power Plant Mall, ground or is it basement level? Trust me...don't try it.
Mount Fuji Roll P200 Spicy Tuna and Spicy Salmon Maki
I started with trying to find the best value Sashimi, and then moved on to the best value Cold Soba noodles, and then the best value Beef Teppan...but in the end, I reward and comfort myself with a great value for your money Japanese meal at KIMONO KEN.
Shake Sashimi P195
This was just a quick lunch, so we had only three items, Tuna and Salmon Sashimi and a Mount Fuji Roll. The Sashimi is always fresh, silky, and meaty. The roll is delicious. I got my Wasabi fix as well!
I'll post up more pictures when I get to go back for more. Total bill, P600.54 inclusive of VAT and SC.
If I want to stay under P500, we usually get the Tuna and Salmon Sashimi with Omu Curry Rice...I'm getting hungry again...
Sure you can splurge at a few high end Japanese restaurants or hotel buffets once in awhile, but at KIMONO KEN, you can go back almost four times a month without breaking the bank.
It's not that KIMONO KEN's prices differ so much from SUSHI-YA or OMAKASE, it's more of the consistency of each branch, the quality of the food, and the serving sizes as well. I've tried dining at their Tomas Morato,SM North Edsa, Podium, and Macapagal branches (I know I'm forgetting a couple more) and it's the same across the board. Add all these variables up with very decent pricing, you'll get the Best Value for your Money Japanese Resto in the Metro!
Still, SUSHI-YA comes at a close second for me. I'm sentimental like that.
Here's to good food, fine wine, and great company!
Kevin Cabanban
kevincabanban@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/KevinSteady
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I love Japanese food. I haven't tried Sushi-Ya, though. My favorite is Isshin. Have you been there? The place is not-so-sozy (it actually looks like a small Japanese convenience store on the outside), but the dishes are great and affordable. =)
ReplyDelete@edsregine:
ReplyDeleteIsshin is one of our favorite post night-out places! Hahahaha
Sushi-Ya is good as well but you have to try Kimono Ken soon :)
I haven't explored Little Tokyo also in Makati, I tried one place there but I haven't been back since.
What other Japanese restaurants would you recommend? :)