Lately, my dive crew and I have been getting chummier than ever, meeting more than once a dive to rehash dives and plan trips and whatnot. Of course what do I do best but to introduce my beloved divers to the wonders of the sea... seafood that is.
Or more specifically... Sashimi!
Now here's the thing... everyone needs to be discerning when it comes to the raw fish craving. I've had one too many experiences where an ingested piece of sushi means a weekend glued to the toilet. Or when biting on a piece of shake sashimi feels like licking a popsicle, you know it's been sitting on the freezer longer than it should be kept fresh.
The downfall with a sushi addiction is the inevitable pains the wallet feels. Good sushi does not come cheap... Or so we thought.
Enter Nihonbashi Tei
Nihonbashi Tei is a Japanese joint in Makati by Pasay Rd. Its entrance is lit up like a karaoke studio which makes it impossible to miss. The interiors are nondescript, as if to insinuate that they don't care about the ambiance as much as the food, but props for the staff because they always seem uppity scurrying around greeting diners and getting the orders.
The main indicators of good Japanese cuisine boil down to the following:
- Menu: If they don't have descriptions or English translations in the menu, they know you know what to order. If you don't understand, they don't really give a damn and you just have to ask the servers (who are all well versed in Nippongo)
- Alcohol: Sake bottles line the top of the sushi bar, and their beer selection is quite extensive and cheap. Score.
- Crowd: If you're the only non-Japanese in the joint, it must be good.
So all three were achieved in Nihonbashi Tei. Since L was new to the place, and J only goes there to drink their cold beer (they're open til 2a), I donned the menuist hat and ordered the goods:
Read the entire post on the NEW ToT: http://www.triportreats.com/2009/08/18/nihonbashitei-hits/
Wait...did you say horse??
ReplyDeleteAnd I can so picture you taking uni home and cracking them open. How do you transport those spiky things?? How do you crack them open?
Yes, they have horse.. I they might also have whale but I'm not sure if I'm down for that.
ReplyDeleteFor the uni? well first of all i catch them underwater with a stick and a little net bag.
I soak them in salty water and put in a cooler... bring em home, steady it with a stick and then cut with a sharp knife.
But it smelled like hell and stank up my kitchen! never doing that ever again
been addicted to spicy toro maki ever since i learned about it in TOT... arigato!
ReplyDeleteI am one of the regular guest of nihon bashitei...the best thing that also can satisfy your appetite is not only the food that you eat but also the service that is given to you....i just remember a waitress whose been nice and good dealing with the guest..it's chay service that i miss in nihon bashitei...
ReplyDeletethanks to all the guest who appreciate our foods,
ReplyDeletethe food was the best japanese i had so far. one thing i remember about this restaurant is you have to make reservations very early. one time we were the first ones who park there and after a minute a mobfull of cars just made the place jampacked that was the funniest experience we had that day.
ReplyDeleteI have been in this Restaurant into their newly open branch somewhere along Manila, but i was quietly disappointed into their way of treating guest especially like those Filipino guest.They treat well to japanese customers but hope they treat well other customers same. The place is good, the food is good too it taste really palatable but wasn't same as their old branch which was Nihonbashi Tei Makati, actually,I don't want to post hoax or nonsense of words but I want to let you know that the management in Nihonbashi Tei was really not good, I don't feel a good sense of unity. shamming and getting mad infront of guest isn't good right, yet it doesn't mean that i wasn't patronizing this restaurant i will do the same as before, I will going to visit again. I hope they do well.. Gambatte...
ReplyDelete