SUSHI Shokunin by Chef Migs — Restaurant in Quezon City

the sushi shokunin omakase experience was worth it for the price point, servings, and quality of ingredients used. the taste of course is important and they get it. we had a 22-course and the menu does change after some time.

my top 3 were: •kingsu aburi — rich with umami that the one piece serving is enough as i think having too much will tend to get cloying, but this was really good and packed a taste punch in that one big piece!!! •hokkaido oyster tempura — this was really creamy and the oysters were big to the point that the it seems like they’re about to burst. it does explode in your mouth with a sea water creaminess. you don’t even really need the soy that you’ll pour a bit in it because it was tasty on its own. bonus: **foie gras with unagi sauce — like chef, i reco to have this with wasabi. i think of all the foie gras i’ve had and really haven’t had a lot, this was the best with its thin glaze of unagi sauce. **unagi tempura — this is how i like my unagi, so these 3 components served together in a plate was really good!!! have this with the wasabi for a kick too! •silk tofu with sweet miso sauce — really liked this as well as i’m generally a bit fan of tofu. the coating was thin and allowed the sweet miso sauce to glaze around it when you swathe the tofu piece in it. i didn’t soak it through the sauce too much as it can get too sweet! bonus: saba — this was served alongside salmon sashimi, tamago yaki, and uni and honestly that bowl as a whole was just so right and balanced each other out!

i’ve been trying to book their omakase since last year, but the slots fill up really fast and i only have a small margin of time sometimes to finalize schedules. finally, this one pushed through!

from the booking process, you have to secure your reservation with a 50% downpayment which makes sense to ensure your attendance. after which a day or two before your scheduled booking along with their initial guidelines, they advise that you come in at least 15 minutes prior. i was just very slightly pressured and annoyed of the repeat reminder, but they were just doing their job and it made sense.

when you arrive, they serve you warm matcha as you wait. they also ask preference for cold or warm water, and even sake for the omakase.

fast forward to the actual omakase experience, chef mark was assigned for the 5pm sched. he provided ample information on each of the courses as they’re served and you can really see the meticulousness and attention to detail of each meal. the portions were small, but you end up full as there’s ample intermission time for each course and you get to appreciate the quality and taste of each one.

the other courses rated here: •miso soup — this was okay, i always appreciate a more earthy take on miso that makes you think you’re by the sea. it was a bit too salty, which miso does tend to really be though •chawan mushi — this was relatively alright, nothing too over the top with soybean, mushrooms slices, crab stick, topped with truffle (???) caviar roe and a naruto. •sorbet — was alright. this was strawberry. it’s a preference, but i really prefer strawberry as a fruit purist hahahah. not to say this wasn’t good. it does embody the taste of the fruit! •madai — was okay •hamachi crudo — i think this would equal to a japanese kinilaw, but the way chef did it is a subtler sour taste which was mild and pleasant that paired well with the raw fish. • nigiri — salmon, tuna, and hokkaido hotate (scallop), ama ebi (sliced thin raw shrimp), which were generally okay and hokkigai (i think there’s a certain audience to hokkigai. i’ve tried it quite a few times, but still not that engrossed. you have to really chew through it, but it is interesting.) •tuna uni — good and quite a big bite of a japanese seaweed taco! •yuzu cheesecake — was ok, but i tasted the mango topping more than the yuzu itself. the cheesecake on its own is good, though! •mochi ice cream — was ok

overall a really good experience, but they’re really particular with punctuality so make sure you’re committed to...

We tried the 22 course Omakase dining experience, and they did not disappoint.

If you like sushi and sashimi but do not want to go too far south (lol) of Metro Manila, then this place is a gem for those of us living north of Quezon City.

We had another event to celebrate so this time we reserved 2 seats for their Omakase dinner. Restaurant rule is that you pay half in advance to reserve your seat. The reservation process was easy. We messaged them in instagram and they responded promptly. The price of the Omakase Experience is 3,200 a pop but again, this is for food and experience. Their normal menu is very much affordable.

We came in a bit early from our scheduled time (our fault) so we had to wait for the earlier group to finish, but the whole meal experience was on time. I love that they are on time! So I suggest you make sure not to be late for your reservation.

It felt like a degustation of sorts. We were served what I think are the best nigiris that the house offers. Most notable items we loved were:

Silken Tofu with miso sauce - the tofu was tenderly fried to have a bit of crust that created a great play in texture as you bite and reach its soft creamy inside. The miso sauce (with dill, according to the chef) was sweet and tangy. I would’ve wanted it to be a little less sweet, though but this is just me being too nitpicky at this point.

Hokkigai Nigiri - love this! Its chewy and so filling. You can see the skills of the chef as he prepares each and every piece.

Kingsu Aburi - this isn’t your obachan’s normal nigiri, but darn it’s pretty good. It’s torched salmon sushi topped with this some magic, i don’t remember what they put on top, but it was amazing!

Since the Omakase dining experience allows you to taste their bestsellers, they will catch you hook, line and sinker. 😂 if you love sushi, you will definitely come back to their place and order your favorite hits.

Another nice touch was how the staff made sure that you really get your money’s worth. They go out of their way to deliver excellent customer service. There was a family with kids during our dinner and the chef even gave the kids a hands on experience to make california roll. It was cute and for sure memorable for...

Its a cozy Japanese resto located along a row of restaurants near ABSCBN. Seating capacity is rather limited but the interiors have a certain Yokocho charm to it. Price points is indeed on the high side. Parking is challenging with street parking available during night time only as this is a very busy road connecting to Q.Ave. Forget the building guard. Look for the friendly old guy with a uniform assisting people with the parking. He will help find you a parking space along the street. Tip that guy well. Lets talk about the food. Quality of the seafood is surprisingly good. The taste is clean. Moritsuke is beautiful and well executed. Attentive staff and good service. I did noticed that the staff would check your cup from time to time and refill your tea even without you asking them. I did note during my meal that after several bites of the sushi, sashimi, maki and so on... the flavor profile tends to sort of blend in. Every taste is pleasant but to a certain extent similar. Nothing distinct unless you add a few dab of soy sauce or wasabi. Curry meal has generous serving of curry sauce but the curry itself is meek and lacks heat. Don't get me wrong the food is good but I did find the flavor to be slightly more on the mild and safer side. The shokunin philosophy is evident here and I do look forward to trying other dishes in the near future. Omakase seems interesting if I can book a slot. Till then......