Saturday, December 22, 2012

Zaifu and Isshin

Isshin is a quaint little Japanese Restaurant along Pasay Road (Arnaiz Avenue) Makati City.  I remember going there waaayy back in 1997.  It was one of the places to have a hearty meal right before heading home after a long night of drinking. It only closed briefly at around dawn and opened again at ten am.  The interiors are simple, like a box with Japanese decor, although they have the low tables on the right side, the left side is a concession for space and the tables are cramped and the right side a concession to their Japanese heritage.  


 Tofu steak

The Dragon Roll all Japanese Restaurants have nowadays


Tamago variant with carrots


 Inside Zaifu


They say the testament to how good a restaurant is is if nationals from that country actually eat there.  Well, Isshin is full of Japanese people.  Matter of fact, even Japanese tourists with their ehem, girlfriends.  Hmmmm, just like Pasay Road in general as we all know that Pasay Road approaching EDSA is filled with Japanese establishments and the opposite direction will bring you close to Little Tokyo.  Anyhow the food is relatively inexpensive.  Don't expect gourmet dining, think of regular Japanese dishes such as tempura, ramen and don buri done very well.  Dessert is complementary, usually ice cream which tops of the experience nicely.  Its not a place I would go to on a first date but rather after a late night or for Sunday lunch.  For a date place with Japanese food, I highly recommend Seiji a little down Pasay Road, I will write about that next.

Zaifu, is located in the basement of Rockwell Power Plant Mall, it is by Isshin so think of it as a big Isshin with none of the charm.  The food is good and the same, the ambience just feels oddly tacky to me since what works as a hole in the wall does not work in a mall setting where I expect businesses to bring their A game.  Maybe they shouldn't have let people know it was by Isshin.  Also, where is the ice cream?  But again, go for the food.

Operating hours:
10 am to 4 am -  I have to double check this because munchpunch.com says that it closes at midnight, but I have seen it open early morning.

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