Tsumura — Restaurant in Makati

Food - 5 stars - One of the great places to get excellent sushi/sashimi in the area. I noticed some Japanese people dining here, and that's an indication of the quality of food you might expect.

Value for Money - 4 stars - While I was truly satisfied with the quality and serving size of the food, I could have given 5 stars if prices were a little lower. Prices of menu items range from Php110 to Php2,500. The large variance reflects the variety of food you can find in their menu. From the humble onigiri to the imported fishes served as sashimi.

Facilities - 4 stars - The place could use a renovation. The place is dimly lit, maybe to have a cozier mood? There is an enclosed smoking area where the sushi bar is located and private rooms are available. Contact the establishment for more details when using a private room.

Staff - 4 stars - The waitresses were responsive and were able to accommodate our requests quickly. Could have earned 5 stars if someone checked on us a couple of times instead of having to request for things.

Notes: Tsumura is located at the second floor of the 88 Corporate Plaza building. As you enter the building, a security personnel might inquire why you are entering the building, to which you can reply that you are going to the restaurant. Once you get inside the building, you'll see the elevator lobby and a Tsumura Restaurant sign at the end of it. Go to the sign and take the staircase at the right that leads to the restaurant. The staircase and actual entrance is dimly lit and it doesn't feel like you're entering a restaurant.

There is an entrance from the building parking area; however, it is not clear if the parking area can be used by the restaurant goers. The parking area might be exclusive for people working in the building. Other parking options are available within the vicinity of the building.

People who dine in the restaurant during weekday lunch are typically composed of corporate employees and bosses. Some people will be wearing coats or dresses while some will be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. While it doesn't look like a dress code is enforced, it might be best to look presentable since the restaurant is found in the middle of a...

The restaurant is located on the second floor of 88 Corporate Center (Google Maps pin and address are inaccurate). You go through the lobby of the building and go up a flight of stairs past the elevators.

The ambiance of the restaurant is good, seats are plentiful, the window seats offer a good view of the car traffic below, and there is a Japanese chef.

I had dinner here on a Friday night andthe place had surprisingly very few customers. It seemed like less than five tables were occupied (including ours).

Food came out pretty quickly and the first impression was that the seafood was quite fresh and the servings (esp. the cuts of fish for the sushi) was large regardless of the price.

I had ebi tempura and the nigiri moriawase "aoi" and the quality of the seafood was pretty good as mentioned above.

I would comment though that the tempura is not something I would intentionally go here to order. I prefer my tempura batter to be better seasoned or the tempura sauce to be a little more flavorful. Here, the shrimp taste was definitely the focus (you may prefer this).

For the sushi, I think in some pieces the rice was not pressed well (one crumbled before I could put it in my mouth). The wasabi is also present but very mild. As someone with duller taste buds (from a life of enjoying spicy foods), I would prefer more wasabi or to have wasabi on the side. However, those who don't eat too much spicy food or are just more sensitive to it will definitely find the amount used sufficient.

Kindly note that the menu is extensive so there's definitely something for anyone interested in Japanese food.

There was also a free appetizer of some scrambled eggs, ground meat, and ampalaya (bitter gourd). I'm not a fan of bitter gourd but it was done well since it was not super bitter.

There was also a free dessert of pineapple and watermelon (not pictured). Fruit was quite sweet and...

My wife and I opted to have Sunday Lunch at Tsumura as I have been a regular at the old branch. They were able to offer a table for 2 at the bar counter, which I gladly accepted.

Atmosphere/Ambiance was exceptionally nice. Service was not what I expected, here are the points:

When I inquired about the sashimi platter for 2, I asked what kind of fish was included and if there was UNI, server (forget her name) said there was none included, that as why you will see I ordered an additional order of UNI (see attached receipt).

Sashimi normally would come out first - in this case, it came out LAST. Cooked mains like Tempura and Hamachi jaw all came out first.

Since it was Sunday, I opted to just keep silent and enjoy the meal.

As you can see I ordered quite a bit so did not finish the Hamachi, which I requested to take out. Though it was a small amount - was a bit annoyed seeing charges for take out which server did NOT mention. I complained since there were 2 charges, when only 1 was used. Server adjusted.

Decided to share my not so nice experience with Manager on Duty (Mina). She was friendly but did not show any empathy or at the very least apologize - instead she justified that her staff were new. I suggested that they should ring up appetizers first and wait 10 minutes or so to order mains - which she said she has reminded staff about this many times.

Being to many fine dining Japanese restaurants - this is not what I expected from Tsumura. She simply thanked me for sharing my experience and walked away.

Hopefully Tsumura upper management looks into improving their service and training as it would be a WASTE to see a restaurant...