Saigosan- Puerto Princesa — Restaurant in Puerto Princesa

[March 2024] Saigosan is a newly-opened Japanese fast food restaurant that opened on the 2nd floor of SM Palawan (where Macao Imperial Tea used to be located) at roughly the same time as Tokyo Tokyo (located on the 1st floor). The exterior looks inviting and the interior design is...interesting, with iconography from all things Japanese and motifs from anime and manga adorning every nook and cranny, from the walls and ceiling to the tables and counters. J-pop blasts from the speakers incessantly, contributing to the erratic atmosphere while one sits at a Shinkansen-themed booth mesmerized by a phalanx of beckoning cats. The menu was limited and, as of this writing, there were only 2 choices for ramen. I ordered the Buta Kakuni Ramen (braised pork belly) and thought that the broth was a bit bland and watery, and the noodles were plain and unexciting. At php345, one would expect more from their ramen. The Minced Beef Gyudon was a bit better, a little sweet and not at all salty. The house blend iced tea was a letdown, as it was exactly the same as Tokyo Tokyo's red iced tea -- all sugary syrup and no tea. The service was exceptional, though, and I hope they can maintain that level of enthusiasm as things settle down. Might give them another chance sometime...

They are on dry run and some items on their Menu are not yet available. The food tastes authentic and service are commendable considering they are not yet fully operational. We didn’t wait that long for the food to be served. They can be found near the SM Cinema on the 2nd floor. The concept is nice as well, they have seats named after different cities of Japan as well as the concept of Shinkansen. You can see printed on the table the glicoman and some bits and pieces of things that can be found in Japan. The staffs are courteous and...

As bad as it gets. This is by far the worst experience of a terribly so called Japanese cuisine. A shameful intake of one of the most delicate cuisine in the world. The menu seems promising though the atmosphere of lack of it should have already rundown a bell of advisory. The Ramen was hideous. The chicken nuggets tasteless and the crab Maki absolutely disgusting to the point that it made me sick. To avoid at any time. Really Really bad. As bad as it gets. Never...