Robata Davao — Restaurant in Davao City

I was very excited to try this spot, after seeing mouthwatering photos and posts while researching for this trip. Unfortunately, it did not meet the “hype” for me.

We ordered; Angus Beef Gyudon - 6/10, way too sweet. It was generous with the rice, not so much the meat. There was too much gristle, one too many for a gyudon, especially for that price. Overall it was tasty, but quite heavily seasoned.

Signature Robata Roll - 2/10, I was very excited for this one. But upon just seeing it, immediately noticed that the rice was a tightly packed mush. The first time I’ve ever encountered sushi with rice as mushy as that. The combination of the mayo-based sauces and cream cheese made it very rich, and with the soggy rice, it felt like a ball of mush.

A5 Wagyu Nigiri - 8/10, this was actually really good. Quite worth it as well imo. The rice was totally fine in this one, so I don’t know what went wrong with the roll?

Matcha Creme Brûlée - 2/10, this was less a creme brûlée, and more like a stiff matcha pudding with burnt sugar on top. Didn’t at the very least get that satisfying crunchy crack one gets from their creme brûlée. Took one bite.

Basque Cheesecake - 5/10, cheese-based dishes can be tricky here, and I think it depends a lot on the quality of the cheese/cream cheese. This was too firm and dry.

Amalfi Kiwi (Drink) - 8/10, pleasant...

I cannot not help but compare this branch to the original store in General Santos City, where Robata was first conceived. With eye for authentic Japanese cuisine, Robata came to the Japanese food market with a very competitive advantage where the chef is well-trained in Japanese cooking method.

We tried to dine here for several times but it was always full and often crowded. When we finally got a table for ourselves, it wasn't as crowded as it usually does and we were able to get a table closest to the private room, so our table was a bit bigger than usual.

We ordered Tantanmen, California Maki and Buttered Chicken Ponzu. The Tantanmen was a disappointment. We ordered three and each bowl was kind of different from each other. One has a lot of enoki mushroom, another was swimming in so much soup, and the third looked dry. It was definitely weird, and the taste, let's just say that one of us had to visit the nearest toilet.

Despite that, I still want to return and try other dishes on their menu. If I will compare this Japanese Restaurant to other restaurants serving the same menu or to their other branches, I might not return here.

Parking and Public Restrooms are available within the commercial complex of Azuela Cove where this store is located. They are open daily from 11am to 9pm, and until 10pm...

Had lunch at Robata on their third day. We arrived at around ~1pm and the place was full, but most of the diners were already on their way out.

We were seated and served quickly — which was a (good) surprise. Most restaurants on soft opening usually have long waiting time, mix up orders, or don’t have good food quality but we didn’t experience that at Robata.

When the lunch time rush died down, Chef Alexander welcomed us and chatted with us for a bit. Found out he worked as an executive chef at some of Dubai’s top hotels for 16 years (no wonder he runs a tight ship!)

He also shared that they offer cocktails in this branch, which they don’t in their other branches. He brought in his roommate from Dubai who worked as a sommelier there.

What we ordered (some not pictured): 🍜 pork ramen 🍣 surf and turf roll 🍤 ebi tempura 🍲 chicken karaage bowl 🍲 spicy pork bowl (forgot the exact name but definite must try)

Total bill was like ~ 1300 php for 3pax (including soft drinks) + take out so I thought it was affordable for a very filling meal.

💵: cash and gcash. No credit...