Inari Sukiyaki - BGC — Restaurant in Taguig

I never thought I’d have to write something like this, but i've reached a point where staying silent feels like betrayal—to ourselves and to the people who unknowingly support this place. Yesterday was the 5th. It’s supposed to be payday. For many of us, that means food on the table, rent, transportation, medicine for our kids or our parents. But once again, we’re left with nothing. The excuse? That payday falls on a Saturday, so the salary will be delayed. As if planning ahead wasn’t an option. As if our needs don’t matter. Maybe we'll get our salary on Monday. That’s two more days, worrying how to get through the weekend. Two more days of surviving while the people at the top go about their lives untouched. We give everything we have every single day, We smile for guests, cook your meals, clean your tables—all while quietly battling the anxiety of not knowing when we’ll be paid. And this isn’t the first time. The same thing happened before, and nothing changed. No lessons learned. No systems put in place to prevent it. Just the same excuse and the same disregard for the people who keep this place running. To those who still dine here: please think about the people behind the scenes. The ones who serve you with heart, even when theirs are breaking. We love our jobs, but we’re human too. We deserve respect, dignity, and to be paid—on time—for the work we do. If you believe in fairness and decency, ask yourself: is this the kind of business you want to support?

So to those who continue to dine here, please know: your meals come at a cost greater than what’s on your receipt. They come at the expense of employees who are exhausted, ignored, and underappreciated. We’re not asking for much—just basic respect and the pay we’ve rightfully earned. Think twice before supporting a place that doesn't support its own people.

P.S I'll post this on all Facebook, Tiktok and Instagram accounts associated with Inari Sukiyaki

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”...

I’ve been wanting to try Inari Sukiyaki for a while and finally got the chance. It was worth it—and a few things are worth noting.

Quick tip 1: Go for the premium meats. They make a huge difference. I honestly think that’s how the sukiyaki is meant to be enjoyed; the cheaper options just exist to make it more accessible to the market.

Quick tip 2: The Tokyo-style comes with noodles and broth, while the Kyoto set comes with rice and no broth. In the Kyoto version, you dip the meat in raw egg before eating—it feels more traditional and distinctly Japanese. The Tokyo style, on the other hand, is closer to what my Filipino mom makes at home.

The setup is very Japanese. You order and pay up front before they seat you. Condiments, tissues, and water are self-service by the counter. It’s an open kitchen, so you can see the staff cook the premium meats or heat the Tokyo sets right in front of you. As someone who frequents Japan, I appreciate this kind of authenticity. I just wish more Filipinos were open to this system—it’s efficient but can feel unfamiliar. Even I’ll admit I was a bit pasaway at first.

I also like that they stay focused. One side of the menu is just for sukiyaki—which in Japan would probably be the entire menu. Of course, being in the Philippines, they still offer the usual Japanese side dishes.

For food, I had the Kyoto-style USDA Black Angus Misuji, while my wife got the Tokyo-style Australian High Choice Striploin. Both were excellent, but the premium meat really stood out. The sukiyaki was flavorful and sweet, but not overly so. As I mentioned, you can’t really have both rice and soup in the Kyoto set, so I stole a bit of broth from my wife’s. Mine ended up feeling a bit closer to a gyudon. Still, everything was delicious and fairly priced for the quality.

All in all, Inari Sukiyaki is a great spot for those who love authentic Japanese flavors and want to experience a bit of that Japan-style specialty dining...

The atmosphere definitely gives off Jap vibes, which is a great start. However, the Tokyo-style sukiyaki soup was overwhelmingly sweet—far beyond the usual sweetness you’d expect from authentic Japanese sukiyaki. While the beef quality was good, the soup itself was a letdown as it’s not meant to be that sweet.

Additionally, the presentation needs improvement. As seen in my photo, the floating beef scum was unappealing. A simple skimming before serving would have made a huge difference.

On a positive note, the shrimp tempura was enhanced by the sauce on top—definitely a good touch. The Kyoto-style sukiyaki rice bowl, however, had its own flaw: the rice was cold. While the beef was cooked in front of us before being added to the bowl, serving it with cold rice took away from the experience.

Service-wise, some of the staff seemed lost or exhausted, which was surprising for a Saturday at 11:00 AM, especially since the restaurant wasn’t even that busy.

Lastly, regarding the ordering system—while I understand the order-and-pay setup, having a user-friendly POS system and well-trained staff to operate it efficiently is crucial. It took far too long (Me standing next to the staff) for my order to be taken and processed because the staff was struggling with the system.

Filipinos do have a sweet tooth, but perhaps the sukiyaki soup could be slightly adjusted to achieve a more balanced flavor. A small tweak would make a...