MISA Dining & Listening Room — Restaurant in Davao City

Place is very cozy, the ambiance gives off a calming yet chic aesthetic especially with the vinyl records and old jukebox.

Food: Food is well-valued at its price point, they did not skimp on ingredients. Masarap kung masarap. We ordered the Misa Aburi, Pork Belly, Gyoza. We were also offered to get the off-menu Queen Aburi (shrimp roll with torched salmon on top, and topped off with meat floss).

The Gyoza was amazingly big and good on its own; but when you eat it with the tantanmen sauce it just makes so much more sense.

Pork Belly was perfectly cooked; lying down on a bed of squash puree. It was then glazed with a sweet pear sauce on top. Masarap. The 3 main elements of the dish complement each other.

Maki Aburi was plated with a small pond of mango sauce in the middle. It was a crabmeat roll topped with torched cheese and fish roe. It tasted good but personal preference would make this the least favored menu item among the ones we ordered. It had the umay factor and would probably consider this a sweet sushi roll/dessert-ish roll. Again, just my personal preference, baka mas magustuhan mo.

Off-menu Item: The Queen Aburi. Ang sarap nito. Shrimp roll with Torched salmon on top; tapos may floss pa on top. It was a pleasant surprise. They should really add this to the menu.

Cocktails: I had the Mystery Cocktail (Seiko no Aji) which was a fun and interesting cocktail. If you’re adventurous you should try it out.

She had the Flowers Bloom; she liked her drink, fruity and balanced.

Overall: It’s a nice “treat yourself” or date night Japanese restaurant. I would come back again. Also, the place gets packed exactly at 7pm so it’s best to come around...

The place is stunning inside. I really love the interior and the overall vibe of the place. One thing I didn't like though was the volume of their music. We came here on valentines and i was expecting a very chill and romantic vibe, but the music was too loud for my liking. It ruined the romantic atmosphere of the place. You can't relax because you'd have to speak louder just so that you can converse with the people you're with.

In terms of service, I was a bit disappointed because since it was Valentines Day, we were asked to order ahead so the cooks can prepare our orders beforehand and we did just that, but when we got there, we had to wait for probably more than 15mins for our dish to get served. Not to mention the order of our friends which was served almost an hour after we got there.

Now for the food...if you're not used to fine dining, you'd definitely find the place expensive and not worth it because the serving size is quite small even though it's stated on the menu that the food is considered one of their "big plates", but if you're a foodie like me, I can definitely say that the taste of everything we ordered did not disappoint. Everything was full of flavor and well seasoned and I cannot begin to explain each and every flavor of the dishes that were served. Just take my word for it. The food is delicious. Just make sure to eat a lot someplace else before coming here to chill with friends. It's a great place to catch up with friends over drinks because their cocktails pack quite a punch, but I wouldn't say it's a good place to go get dinner and expect to be full.

Overall, would...

As soon as you enter, you are greeted by warm interiors. It has an industrial look but feels homey at the same time. We especially loved the music corner. You can even request for them to play a song, if the vinyl is available. The records on the rack is quite extensive. From the classics to Taylor Swift’s latest album Midnights. There’s even a jukebox on the side that requires no coin to play a song you want.

The food was exquisite. The menu is well-curated that you are spoilt for choice but not overwhelming. The Three-mushroom Ravioli was a revelation! It was the best ravioli we’ve ever had. We never expected the Potato Terrine to be on the menu, but it was sooo good. We also had the Chicken Karaage, Gyoza, Misa Aburi, Ebi Popcorn Maki, Agedashi Tofu, Spicy Tuna and Chahan… Impressed would be an understatement!

The 16-cocktail journey is a must do. We had so much fun trying out all of the drinks on the list. Everything was so good! Watching the mixologist create our drink was an experience of its own. It was a show we enjoyed watching—and we got vinyl coasters as a prize.

The servers are attentive, very friendly and accommodating. They gave us an impression that they know the menu well. When asked about a certain food or drink, they are able to describe it and even make recommendations.

Overall, my friends and I had fun! It was a multi-sensory experience we never expected! Misa is a gem in Davao and people need to visit...