MŌDAN.MNL — Restaurant in Quezon City

freehand (may)

super satisfied with my first experience. they were courteous from pencil booking up to the very end of the course on the day itself! they really took their time to remind you promptly of your reservation and while i was slightly late by 5-10 minutes, which is my full responsibility, i arrived just right on time that they were already serving appetizers. service was top notch and chef even greeted everyone, and i mean everyone one by one at some point within or post dinner.

before anything else, the best bites for me were: hotate, ebi, amberjack.

the soup and tamago that came before was a perfect combination to whet your appetite, as you anticipate for more delicious things to devour.

HOTATE was memorable to me in that i appreciate it when apple is placed in a savory dish. while the thin ube base tasted subtle, biting through this creation felt like a burst of flavors in my mouth. you taste a hint of slight sourness in there, dill, and crunchy apples which just all makes sense with scallops.

EBI was revelation! i love beets and it was even more of a plus for me, with a yuzu veil right on top and the rich rich uni that cuts through along with the juicy and chewy shrimp.

AMBERJACK was smoky, flavorful, and tart with a few bites. eat it like a taco and enjoy the rest of the fish with its perfectly crisp and smoked skin on!! i believe it’s one of the best ways to eat fish with skin, seared and crispy.

TEBASAKI i believe is a rendition of their famous og chicken wing. the chicken wing is split 1:3, a third of the wing is topped with negitoro, and a part of it with chutoro. i really should have eaten the entire wing in all its crispness, bones cartilage and all, m and left no crumbs. this is my only regret.

KING CRAB starts the cleansing of the palate somewhat. it’s a palatable soup, think chawanmushi but with king crab chunks topped with milk foam. as you scoop, it’s concentrated corn soup in there which they boiled for hours from a few liters down to half so the flavor really shines through every bite.

they also served midway the courses, focaccia done the japanese way. it also reminds me of takoyaki from the bonito flakes, less the squishy warm insides—enter the warm and chewy bread insides, perfect with a spread of their butter.

then a couple bitefuls of a ramen experience, reminiscent of their travels and food journey in japan where they briefly take a break for a snack if i remember correctly. i really should’ve taken notes.

now NABE is packed alright. it’s a harmonious blend of thin wagyu strips, crisp lotus root, slices of king oyster mushrooms, and ikura that you mix well together. each bite is advised to have each of the element to really dive into this hottest claypot bowl. it was really enjoyable and filling, but i couldn’t get over the stellar starters. we found ourselves almost full. the portion was really generous here, but we finished it to the last grain. perhaps, 2 mains could be an approach of equal portion that would equal to this 1.

TEMAKI is normally a hand roll, but this was a modan take to meshing 3 elements in 3 flavors of ice cream that you have to get in your every spoonful. it’s refreshing and has that zing from the sour raspberry, with nori and cucumber.

SHOKUPAN is another unique take in that the bread here is a thin layer you have to break to mix into the ice cream with butter and olive oil. this taste is very familiar to me when i’d do the same, albeit in a greeker way.

lastly, ZENZAI was a delight. it’s a red bean matcha mochi bathed in a puddle of macadamia milk. the idea is you snack on the mochi and then wash it down with the milk. when you get over the initial cough-inducing powdered matcha covering of the mochi, it’s a good last course to tie the experience on.

their drinks were just as remarkable. we got the matcha tonic and the plum spritz. nothing’s a waste in modan and every peso spent...

This review is written with genuine concern for the restaurant, offering constructive feedback with the aim of encouraging them to elevate their offerings and fully leverage the skills of their talented team.

Menu: Origami

Food: Expensive ingredients put into waste. Service: The crew hurriedly served all the dishes, maintaining a fast pace that left little time for guests to pause and enjoy a relaxed break between servings.

Review of Each Dish: Beak: The primary component of the dish, the fish lip, was challenging to taste while eating this dish. It also did not complement the totality of the dish. It felt as if it were added for the sake of being part of the origami.

Sustenance: The soup is cooked well and served with froth, but the sweet crumbles around the rim ruin this dish. Sweet on top of sweet does not work well as an appetizer.

Liver: The nori overpowers the flavor of the foie. One can barely catch a hint of the foie. Tongue: Good bite, but too sweet. Served cold as if eating a cold yakitori from the supermarket. Egg: Chutoro tasted like standard tuna as it's minced into a puree. Waste of a good chutoro.

Flesh: This is the usual ceviche in a tasting menu gone wrong. The sauce is too sour without balance. There is a hint of bonito in the sauce, but the vinegar that was used is too strong to give way for flavors to balance.

Wing: Best dish on the menu. The only dish that did not waste the produce. The skin is cooked to perfection, and the yolk serves as a rich sauce to dip the wing into.

Tail: The Ox Tail is nowhere to be found in this dish. It's a good focaccia but does not serve its purpose well for its supposed main ingredient, the tail.

Head: Somen is disastrously soaked in water, giving diluted flavors. The Ebi carpaccio was done well with the shrimp butter completing this dish in every bite.

Limbs: King Crab + Uni + Scallop + Ikura = Ordinary Kama(Nabe)Meshi. The epitome of quality ingredients not living up to their potential. Regrettably, the dish falls short of doing justice to the potential each ingredient could have brought to the table.

Paper: The ice cream is as firm as a scoop of plain vanilla, making it a challenge to enjoy all the layers of the dish together. This dish did not consider the...

I recently tried the 8-course "Crane" degustation menu at Monad, a Japanese restaurant in Cubao, Quezon City, led by Chef Jorge Mendez. The restaurant focuses on blending local ingredients with premium Japanese imports.

The restaurant has an intimate setting that can accommodate only 14 people, so it's important to make reservations in advance. There are two serving times available: 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Please note that parking is limited in the area.

The standout dishes for me were: The Foie Gras with seaweed and strawberry (1 of 3 starters) was surprisingly delicious. The Hamachi with citrus and lime showcased the chef's skill in combining vibrant flavors. The chicken wing filled with caviar rice and dipped in a rich egg yolk sauce was heavenly. (I used the egg yolk sauce with the focaccia bread which was served after). A refreshing combination was the cold somen noodles dipped in a creamy custard sauce, accompanied by ebi carpaccio. I particularly enjoyed the king crab, uni, scallop, ikura fried rice served with a surprise dish, a sous vide Wagyu steak! I also enjoyed the dessert, phyllo pastry with Hokkaido milk ice cream and berries.

Note though that I was already full when the 7th dish was served, so I had the remaining portion packed to go. I enjoyed it for brunch the next day, and it was absolutely divine!

Overall, Chef Jorge Mendez's progressive Japanese restaurant delivers an exceptional dining experience. I should mention that I heard he plans to change the menu in January 2024, so be sure to experience the current offerings...