Authentic Japanese Cuisine at Nihonbashi Tei

IZAKAYA NIHONBASHI TEI 1030 Arnaiz Ave. cor. Ponce St., San Lorenzo, Makati City Telephone No. 8889 97 33 Business Hours: Mon-Sun, 11am-2am

Next up we have a famous izakaya (or what we call a sake sit-down shop) in Makati City. It's usually where people go to after work to let off some steam with good food and alcohol. And it goes by the name of Izakaya Nihonbashi Tei!

By the way, last I checked they also have a branch in Ermita and Timog.

The family initially intended to go here to celebrate Mother’s Day, but alas, mom didn’t feel so well so we celebrated at home, and then had our post-dinner here with my siblings.

The restaurant’s interior certainly brings out that authentic Japanese dining ambiance- almost everything has a wooden finish and each doorway would greet you with a ‘noren‘- those pieces of cloth they hang on doors.

They have quite a number of tables for four in the main area, along with ten comfy chairs that spans the front of the cooks. There you can watch them first-hand as they prepare your food. They also have private rooms for groups and individuals alike who wish for a more intimate gathering, as well as a separate smoking area where you have to take off your shoes and sit on the floor. TVs are scattered around the area showcasing Japanese channels.

Considering this place as a restaurant offering authentic Japanese cuisine, prices of their dishes are sure to be a bit out of the cheap side. At minimum, one person would be spending around 300-500 PHP for a single meal. We decided to order around 2 for person to try out most of their food, so our bill spiked to around 800 per person including the service charge. We tried thinking that it’s almost just as much as dining at eat-all-you-can buffets Yakimix, Sambokojin and Vikings, but I guess the ‘authentic’ factor weighs more at Nihonbashi Tei.

Here's what we had:

House Tea – Free at request / Tekka Maki (6 pcs.) – 120 PHP

Toro Spicy Maki (6 pcs.) – 200 PHP / Miso Ramen – 280 PHP

Ebi Fry (3 pcs.) – 250 PHP / Gyoza (10 pcs.) – 150 PHP

Ebi Tempura (5 pcs.) – 280 PHP / Japanese Rice – 50 PHP

I believe that with their a little bit more expensive food, you still get what you pay for- their sushi have really big fillings in it (more fish, less rice), a piece of the big Toro Spicy Maki can last up to two bites, the Ebi Tempura and Ebi Fry are really huge! The Japanese rice is tight and sticky, Gyoza are both crisp on the outside yet tender inside, and the Miso Ramen can be shared to at least two to three people. They’re all winners!

The only bad experience we had here, I guess, is that it took a really long while for the waitresses to take care of our order, as well with our other requests like water, hot tea and the bill. But not so much with the Japanese people dining beside our table- they were pretty swift with everything. Coincidence? Let’s just give them the benefit of the doubt and say we just weren’t so lucky that time since a lot of families dined there prior to our arrival. We’ll see on our next visit. 🙂