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QUEZON CITY’S LARGEST

SHOPPING mall, SM City

North Edsa, has welcomed all

kinds of new foreign kids on

the block. One of the relatively

recent movers is a charming

twenty-something from Japan,

with a taste for food and an

energy that takes nothing but

the frown on your face. After

a year of settling in, he’s still

got lines of people waiting in

excitement.

Meet Dohtonbori, Japan’s

okonomiyaki go-to since 1990.

AUTHENTIC FLAVORS

Okonomiyaki is a sweet and

salty mix between a frittata

and pancake. No matter how

big of a picky eater you are,

chances are, there will be an

okonomiyaki for your taste.

Roughly translating to “what

 you like, grilled,” Okonomiyaki

lets you incorporate whichever

ingredient is to your liking—the

only limit is your imagination.

ables are built with a griddle

where food will be cooked

right before your eyes. You may

ask your buddy (as servers are

fondly called) to do this for you,

or you can do it yourself.

Ingredients are crucial to

the authenticity. From thebest kinds of cheeses in the

Philippines, for example, the

Dohtonbori board in Japan

will produce a whole new

kind of cheese, one that’s

closer to their taste. Te raw

okonomiyaki ingredients also

include nagaimo (mountain

 yam) and beni shouga (pickled

ginger), both exciting flavors

for the Filipino palate. Te yam

is subtle in its introduction,

while the pickled ginger leaves

an accent that is something

new. Te mayonnaise brand

 Kewpie (kyu-pee) also made

a concoction specially for

Dohtonbori, so it doesn’t stick

to the pan. Te brand uses rice

wine vinegar, making it sweeter

than its Western counterparts.

Okonomiyaki might be the

claim to fame, but other

offerings, each with a distinctive

Dohtonbori taste, are equallydeserving of the hype. And who

could forget about ramen, the

college student’s introduction to

Japanese cuisine?

A good ramen is not just salty:

it is savoury. Teir Tonkotsu

 Ramen helps you distinguish

the fine line between sodium-

packed and umami. Noodles

are thin, the kind that works

best with the hearty pork bone

broth. Te alkaline solution

Clockwise from top: Your gateway to Japan’s dining scene, set within the mall. Chef engaged in the art of making ramen. Raw

ingredients are served neatly arranged in a bowl. Okonomiyaki art: the next big thing to latte art. Bottom left: The official mascot,

Tanuki-san.

Serving Up! 

 Japan’s favorite okonomiyaki

chain has come to the Philippines,

bringing in authentic Japanese

taste in both food and service. By 

 JOANNE VILLANUEVA

 Photos by MARIAH NERONA

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS

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Clockwise from top: Nostalgic memorabilia for the 90-liners who grew up watching

dubbed Japanese shows. An abundance of ingredients for Hiroshima style

okonomiyaki. Dohtonbori, serving smiles since 1990. Vegetables cooked in seiro

(steam basket). Bottom: The battery-operated breathing cat by the tatami area.

where noodles are treated

gives that authentic

ramen bounce. If that

isn’t enough, the rubbery

kikurage mushrooms add

an extra fun texture. Te

broth leaves a gelatinous

residue on the lips, which

may be too much of an

umami for a few to handle,

but the mayu (black garlic

sauce) evens out flavor and

leaves your palate with atoasty caramelized end.

Unlike many recipes, a

great mayu is made by

ignoring a few notes from

 your culinary mentor.

Maillard Reaction is

responsible for the

browning of cooked food.

Past this stage, most foods

will lose palatable flavor.

But not for mayu, which is

let off the fire at the exact

moment the garlic turns

black.

SHOP IN MANILA, DINE

IN JAPAN

Complete with the

decorative details of noren 

(fabric dividers), lines

of chouchin (lantern),

and tatami (straw mat),

the Dohtonbori branch

inside SM City North

Edsa recreates thequintessential Japanese

okonomiyaki place where

old friends catch up on

new stories and where

office ladies eat together

before retiring for the

day. Tere’s space to leave

shoes before entering

the tatami area, where

 you can find a battery-

operated, curled-up cat,

as if he just happened to

follow the appetizing trail

of smoke while patrolling

the neighborhood.

Dohtonbori wants you

to experience authentic

Japanese dining, but

unfamiliar foreign

practices wouldn’t beimposed either. Below

each low table (kotatsu) is

a hollow space, for those

who are not comfortable

with sitting in the Seiza 

position (the Japanese

manner of sitting on their

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ALSO ON THE MENU

SAKURA (CHERRYBLOSSOM) ICE CREAM

Don’t be fooled by the name;Sakura ice cream is juststrawberry ice cream’s show-stopping, knee-high-boot-wearing, pink-haired cousin—

and tastes nothing close tosoap or any repulsive tastes

you would imagine.

TIRAMISU

They use a mixture ofmascarpone cheese andcream so a scoop doesn’tmelt that quickly, even amidPhilippine heat.

CHU-HIGHChuuhai is the drink ofchoice for those who can’tdecide between the kick ofcarbonated water and the

punch of distilled spirits. It ismade by mixing soda with

shochu, a liquor made fromgrains and vegetables.

knees). Te menu has Japan’s best-sellers,

set alongside dishes more familiar among

Filipinos, such as rice bowls (donburi) and

food in steamed baskets ( seiro).

Guarding the entrance is the official

mascot, an original depiction of Tanuki,

the raccoon dog you hear of in folklores.anuki might be similar to the beckoning

cat Maneki Neko in the manner that they

are both believed to bring good luck, but

anuki is a unique quirky character on his

own. His bulging belly signifies composure

even in the face of hard decision-making.

Every now and then you’ll hear buddies

exclaim Pon Poko Pon, the sound anuki

makes when he pats his belly (in Japanese

onomatopoeia). Te white flask on anuki’s

side is for his daily dose of sake (rice wine),

which is symbolic of gratitude.

Te inviting aura extends to the restaurant’s

façade, and as you overhear buddies

enthusiastically greeting in Japanese, you’ll

forget for a second that you’re still inside

a Philippine mall. Dohtonbori buddies

undergo three months of training, including

language lessons, to ensure that customers

feel like they are in Japan not just through

the restaurant’s food and interiors, but also

through its brand of service.

A TASTE FOR SERVICE

Te closest word to “service” or“hospitality” in the Japanese language

may be Omotenashi, but the word holds

something more for its speakers. At the

core of this Japanese brand of hospitality

are selflessness and anticipation of needs.

You’ll know once you experience it at

Dohtonbori, where you’ll have a line of

servers bow at your presence, and be

presented with an option before you even

think about wanting it.

Wa is an ethical concept valuing

continuation of a harmonious community

over personal interests. Omotenashi and

Wa work together to create an engaging

environment around the griddle. Teppan

Communication, as the philosophy is called,

makes the Dohtonbori experience a vibrant

addition to Manila’s dining scene. With the

exciting dishes to cook with your peers,

 you’ll never run out of things to talk about.

It will be one of the rare days when you

won’t find yourself constantly reaching for

 your phone.

It doesn’t matter whether you retie old

connections or create new ones, as long as

it is done over a shared meal—a form of

bonding enjoyed whether in okyo, Manila,

or anywhere else. n

Two current branches in Manila : 1) 2F, 8

 Missouri Street, Greenhills; and 2) UF, Main

 Bldg., SM North Edsa. UPTown is set to

have the next branch, and by 2020, they are

looking to have 30 stores.

Clockwise from top: Creating a Japanese

ambiance, right to the decorative details.

The classic Tonkotsu Ramen. Chill dining

at the tatami area, while griddles outside

sizzle in action. Grill okonomiyaki by

yourself or ask your buddy to do it for you.

Handpainted menu of Chu-

high flavors. Tiramusu for

those who want to end with

a dessert but don’t want the

unbearable sweetness.