Of all the Japanese restaurants I’ve been to, this next restaurant has offered me the most unique and enjoyable Japanese dining experience ever. It’s not your usual “overbreaded” Tempura with Maguro and Salmon Sashimi. This next place is actually like a time space warp of sorts because the moment you step through the gateway, you feel as if you’ve been transported to Japan. Little Tokyo is a “small restaurant village” in the heart of Makati. It’s a bit hard to find but it’s worth the trip. The strip is designed as if it were really Japan – complete with the lamp posts, pebbles, archways, and yes – the various Japanese restaurants located inside the compound. Mich and I decided to go to Urameshi-ya, as per the recommendation of our good friend from VCF, Bu.
Carlo and Mich celebrating Valentines in Little Tokyo!
QUICKIE FACT SHEET
Name: Urameshi-ya
Location: Little Tokyo, Makati
Type: Japanese Restaurants
Price Range (per dish): P150 – P700
Find out why I’m such a huge fan of this place after the jump!
As you enter Urameshi-ya, you’re literally stepping out of the Philippines and into Japan. The waitresses, despite being Filipina, are all wearing Japanese outfits. Yes, I’m talking about the very short skirts that Japanese men are very fond of, lol. The look and feel of the restaurant is really authentic, and the waitress who’s attending to us even goes on to explain that the furniture, food, and owners are all from Japan. Actually… even the menu is in Japanese and the TV is hooked up to Japanese cable.
When you eat at Japanese restaurants, you usually just flag down a waiter, get the menu, and order your Katsudon or something. Here, it’s totally different. With Urameshi-ya, you order certain cuts of pork, beef, or seafood and you cook it in a specialized grill which is located at the center of your table. You’ll be given various sauces which you can use to spice up your meal as well. Note that the meat you’re getting here is really good in terms of quality. It’s not your everyday porkchop that you can get from the grocery or the local market.
Urameshi-ya Pork
We ordered Pork, Beef, and Fish for the evening. The price range is around P300-P500 for the meat and you can get the fish at around P150-P200. My only problem with this place is that the rice here is so expensive! Their fried rice is priced at P280 while their normal rice is at P100+. By the way, the fish tastes so great that I actually ate up the entire thing except for the head, lol. It is by far the tastiest fish I’ve had in a long while.
Urameshi-ya Fish and Fried Rice
With restaurants like this, you’re paying for the dining experience. It’s good to go here once in a while, especially if you have extra cash. I don’t see myself dining here like every month but I’ll definitely think about celebrating special occasions here. Dining at Little Tokyo is an unforgettable experience and it has completely changed the way I view Japanese food.
SUMMARY
Rating Card
1 – Waste of money
2 – Satisfactory – just okay. Nothing special
3 – Wow, something to remember.
4 – OMGWTFBBQ I WANT MOREZZ PLZZ
FOOD QUALITY: 4
DISH PRICES VS QUALITY: 3
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 4
RESTAURANT CLEANLINESS: 4
RESTAURANT OVER-ALL RATING: 3.75
I would have given it a 4, but the P280 price tag on the rice kinda hurts too much. 
To end, let me just share a few more pictures that I took.
Hope you all enjoyed this review as much as I did when I was eating, hahaha!
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japanese yakiniku is yummy!! i’m sure to try urameshi-ya out. the rice is sooo expensive because like the furniture, it is from japan as well! the japanese are very very picky about the rice they consume. i bet the white rice is sooo good you can eat it on its own.
No pix of the waitresses? Oh man. X_x
@Athean: Edited the post with one pic of the waitress. Lol. Mich and I didn’t know what to do so she cooked for us at the start.
@Philip: I tried the white rice as well and yeah you’re spot on. It tastes nothing like what we usually eat here in the Philippines. It has a distinct taste and texture that’s soooo yummy. lol.
Ok pala sa Little Tokyo ^^ outside it looks like a dingy scary banketa kasi :p
Japanese rice is very expensive so i guess that half explains the price ^_^;
@San-san: I initially thought the same thing pero all the cars parked outside were class A. Andami mga BMW, benz, and SUV’s. Hehehe.
@Xiphias: Too expensive IMO. xD
dude, almost all the restos in Little Tokyo are authentic so expect the prices to be a little steep. But of course, in Japanese standards—they are pretty cheap. If you want a cheaper and more filling food, go to Kagura (two restos beside Urameshi-ya) they serve okonomiyaki there. ^^
wauks next time try kikufuji,heard it serves the best authentic japanese food in little tokyo
where’s this place little tokyo? it sounds like heaven to a gyudon-addict like me!!
glad that there’s Japanese food resto in Philippines. I went to Saisaki before but it doesn’t taste much like Japanese foods, and my Japanese friends agreed. So maybe this one is worth a visit.
Thanks for sharing.
ooohhh… can’t wait to try out Yakiniku!! grilling pork and beef by yourself… yummy!!!
Indeed everything here in Little Tokyo was authentic…the food and experience. We were treated by our Japanese friend and his family Mr. Okada. I’m afraid, this became our gold standard in quality of Japanese food. Japanese don’t mind if food was expensive… as long as the food is good.
How about the booze? have you eve tried it? whats it price? we would like to pay a visit their with my colleagues