beyond toxicity

I don’t know about you but I love SUKIYAKI. I never missed to try having that warm broth everytime we eat Japanese.  That sweet soyed stock that fused well with tender beef strips and some veggies, glass noodles and the softest tofu, served with a fresh egg  is always a comfort food for me especially on a rainy cold weather.  And Omakase’s sukiyaki, may not be the best in the Metro, but was still good to satisfy my craving for that soothing soup :D

I’ve read quite a number of posts about this Japanese restaurant in Intrepid Plaza, Libis, Quezon City called Omakase but it took months and for them to have another branch in Il Terrazo, Tomas Morato before we sampled some of its must-try goodies.

Omakase (お任せ^?) is a Japanese phrase that means “It’s up to you” (from 任す, entrust).

The expression is used at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef. It differs from ordering à la carte. The chef will generally present a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and proceeding to heaviest, richest dishes. The phrase is not exclusive to service of raw fish with rice, and can incorporate grilling and simmering as well.Customers ordering omakase style expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef. Ordering omakase can be a gamble; however, the customer typically receives the highest quality fish the restaurant currently has in stock at a price cheaper than if it was ordered à la carte. From the restaurant’s perspective, a large number of customers ordering omakase can help in planning for food costs. —>SOURCE.

Last Saturday’s lunch was another new foodtrip experience for us.  My wife Tina, our son Gabby and I went to Il Terrazo again, to try the much-talked about sushi from OMAKASE.

Isn’t that maki made of kani or crab meat,  topped with fish roe or ebiko with sesame seeds and that so flavorful salmon skin just perfect ?  It might not be an authentic Japanese maki or it’s only a delicious fusion of East-meets-West cuisine, but heck, it now officially reigns supreme on my list! sarap!

This is what they call JURASSIC MAKI, PhP 280+.

I was geared to order JCS : Jurassic, Crazy and Seabreeze Maki, a platter of combination of 3 specialties from Omakase but my queen begged off.  Tina thought that we might not finish everything on that monstrous servings and having sushi as to-go would not be a good idea as sushi and sashimi are ideally eaten fresh immediately once served.  So I obediently reserved the other makis to our furture visits.

How can you resist those salmon skins on that Jurassic maki?

To make it even more tasty, a plate of Omakase’s Jurassic maki is served with a thick sauce similar to soy sauce & mayonnaise consistency, but I am guessing it’s more than those two ingredients.  Sans this sauce, Jurassic maki is still superb.  

And there’s my favorite SUKIYAKI, PhP 250+.  The best Sukiyaki I’ve tasted was from UMU at DUSIT THANI’s FAMILY SUNDAY BRUNCH but as I’ve stated, Omakase’s version does not disappoint.

Our 4-year-old son Gabby was excited to add in the fresh egg to the medium-sized bowl of that warm Sukiyaki.  He really dreams of becoming a chef one day, lol.

Gabby enjoyed 7 out of 10 pieces of these KANI TEMPURA, PhP 145+

I asked my wife is she wanted to try the rice bowl toppings of Omakase or the other entrees from the menu, but she decided to eat light (believe me, this was one of our lightest meals, lol) that day and settled for SEAFOOD DUMPLINGS, PhP 250+.

The  SEAFOOD DUMPLINGS are also a must-try from Omakase.  It’s a combination of fish and other calcium and iodine-rich ingredients wrapped in nori  deep-fried to its crispiest.  Its  sauce is different from that of takoyaki we sampled from Hana at Little Tokyo and from food stalls everywhere.

It was indeed another satiating and heart warming food trip!

OMAKASE JAPANESE CUISINE, UG Il Terrazzo, Sct Madrinan, corner Tomas Morato.