Arts & Leisure
Posted on September 09, 2015 04:44:00 PM
Japan on your plate
THERE SEEMS to be a tsunami (pun intended) of Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila. They range from ramen and soba joints to sushi and sashimi houses. Name it, it is here. But what makes the dishes appealing and appetizing to Filipinos?
There are some things, though, that are not yet that familiar.
Have you tried a serving of a crispy tempura paired with a bottle of Yakult or a teddy bear-shaped Japanese cake with ice cream? Perhaps not yet.
Minus the airline ticket, these flavors of Japan are brought to your bowls at Tenya, a newly openedtempura and tendon restaurant at Market! Market! at Bonifacio Global City.
Originally from Asakusa, Tokyo, its founder Yoshio Iwashita started Tenya in 1989 in a Yaesu underground mall at Tokyo station. Tenya comes from the root words “ten” (tendonand tempura) and “ya,” which means house or restaurant in Japanese.
As its name implies, the restaurant champions its tempura (deep-fried seafood and vegetables) and tendon (a tempura served on donburi or rice bowl) that range from salmon and squid to shimeji (mushroom) tofu and beans.
FROM ASAKUSA TO MANILAAsakusa, though not the birthplace of tempura, is one of the homes of the best tempuramasters in Japan. It is unsurprising then that Tenya’s roots are from Asakusa. From a small eatery in an underground mall, the restaurant has grown to at least 15 branches across Tokyo alone. In the Philippines, it has three branches and still growing. According to general manager Iggy Ramos, two tempura masters traveled to Manila to teach the staff on how to make oishi (delicious) servings of tendon and tempura.
In a sea of Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila that offer almost the same menu, founder Mr. Iwashita said on its Web site that Tenya isn’t just another cookie cuttertempura house. “Quality is never an accident,” he said. Since 1989, Tenya’s manner of making tempura has not changed. It has maintained its quality and only upgrades its menu. It currently uses 350 ingredients to make 31 tempura and tendon items
Tenya’s tempuras are light, crunchy, and juicy -- the way they should be. Mr. Ramos spilled the secret. Tenya’s kitchen has an auto fryer especially developed for the restaurant alone.
PRETTY AS A PICTUREEvery plate is a work of art in Japan. Tenya is no exception. The meals are pretty and look so appetizing they’d surely be wiped out faster than anyone could say “itadakimasu!” (Let’s eat!).
The dishes served at the media launch on Sept. 3 were examples of the exquisite art of plating. Everything was Instagram worthy. The kiddie meal, for instance, features miniature versions of golden shrimp and salmon tempura and potato fries paired with a cup of rice bound by nori (seaweed) served on a cutesy toy car turned plate. It comes with a bottle of Yakult and a pair of teddy bear utensils.
More than looking pretty, they pack a punch in terms of flavors.
For a grownup dish, the all-star tendon, one of the best-sellers, features a big and beautiful serving of crispy, crackling salmon, black tiger prawn, squid, kani stick, green beans, and mushroom tempura, on a bed of two cups of rice.
The cameras love the desserts, too. They are as picture perfect as their taste. Tenya popularized the ningyo-yaki (molded Japanese cake) ice cream served with popcorn, vanilla ice cream, and a choice of Nutella or dulce de leche syrup.
But if a sweet serving of ice cream is not your thing, there are juice popsicles which come in coconut lychee, lime, orange vanilla, and strawberry flavors.
End (or start) your culinary trip to Japan with a kampai (cheers). Have a bottle or two ofsake, soda, beer, or Yakult and let your dining experience transport you to Asakusa.
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