Mizu: Not just another Japanese restaurant

It was a Friday evening and, like any ordinary mortal, our son Nico and I were in a merry, late night mood. Our feet were starting to itch. Our throats were thirsting for something more than soda. Our tummies were growling for real food. Killjoy Mary Ann was watching the news and wanted to order room service.

"How can you be oblivious of what’s going on? The anti-GMA protesters have grouped together and anything can happen," she said.

"And then what?" said teenager Nico impatiently. "Another people power? Don’t you folks ever get tired?"

While I, who detest the news as much as Mary Ann laps it up (DZMM 630 at that), insisted nothing will come out of it.

"And besides, we are in Cebu. Let’s enjoy the city, which seems so intelligently detached from imperial Manila (Cebuanos claim to be the intelligent voters, as attested by the last presidential election.)," I said.

"Okay, okay, you two win," she said, as she grabbed her miniature AM radio with discreet tiny earphones. "I can just listen to the news while eating. It better be excellent food," she threatened the two men in her life.

"Next time, just stay home when there is an ongoing televised Senate hearing or impeachment," I retorted.

We went to Mizu, Cebu City’s first lifestyle-concept Japanese Restaurant, at the ground floor of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

As we entered Mizu, Mary Ann’s sulking mood instantly dissipated when she saw the circular bar in the middle of the room, half sushi bar and half cocktail bar. Knowing how much my Darleng likes sushi, I glanced at her and winked.

"Hmmmph, they better have uni" (sea urchin), she mumbled.

Mizu, which means "water" in Japanese, was designed by A. Illustre and Associates, with its final details and touches by Waterfront’s general manager Marco Protacio. The minimalist décor and clean lines complement the clean taste of Japanese cuisine. The tables and benches are made of plyboo (laminated wood boards with a bamboo veneer). Hanging circular ring lamps illuminate the square tables on the left side, while haikus by the Japanese poet Basho are inscribed on golden rectangular slabs covering the wall. And on the right side are four elevated small private rooms, comfortable enough to seat six diners each. At the far end is the teppanyaki grill. With all these, one imagines a big space, but actually, Mizu is small and cozy with well-utilized space, though I personally find the place wanting for more accents to add character, like fresh flowers and hand-thrown stoneware to start with.

One highly noticeable and much appreciated by diners is its good exhaust system. Though there were smokers, a common sight in Japanese restaurants, there was no offensive smell of cigarette or smoke from the misono grill.

Of course, what’s a Japanese meal without the sushi boat? We ordered one, the assorted sushi and sashimi of salmon, tuna belly, and squid, which were all very fresh and good, with very generous servings of creamy uni while the ebi sushi had medium-size prawns. We also ordered the tri-color sushi pocket since it is something new to us three, and it looked so nice and appetizing on the menu. It was mostly rice with slivers of sweetened mushroom, fresh green chicharo (sweet peas), and pickled pink ginger, all stuffed in a bean curd pocket. With a dash of soy sauce, it tasted more like beef teriyaki rice… without the beef.

"They have very nice and big prawns. Let’s also try their tempura," Mary Ann suggested. The all-prawn tempura came in a light, thin and crisp batter enveloping the fresh firm prawns.

"One of the best I’ve have tasted" was her verdict.

As she was enjoying each bite, I asked, "Are you now glad you left the TV?" Only then did she realize her earphones had fallen off her ears. Really great food makes one forget worldly concerns.

Another new dish for us that we found worth trying was the changko nabe. This famous Japanese hot pot dish, apparently popular among sumo wrestlers. It has chicken, enoki mushroom, tofu, egg, harusame, and fried soft bean curd with a green paste called yozu. The yozu tasted like a lemon zest paste with green finger chilies. Try this soup. Don’t worry, you will not grow as big as the sumo wrestlers, unless you also eat 60 eggs and tons of rice a day.

Nico, the beef lover, ordered the US beef teppanyaki steak. Mary Ann and I, who earlier vowed earlier to stay off beef, almost finished it all, after just trying it for a bite or two. The beef cubes were pinkish and very tender and flavorful.

Our last order of unagi came in a square plate with two pieces of grilled eel, moist with teriyaki sauce. As customary when we’re having Japanese food, she had most of the meat, while I had all the skin, (just as she’d give me all the belly of a bangus, not because she knows I love it, but because she’d squirm at the thought of having it.) So who’s doing who a favor? Talk about love and sacrifice.

Suddenly, the lights turned dim, the music more upbeat and slightly louder.

"Are you closing and is that the sign that we ought to leave," I asked a kimono-clad waitress.

"Oh no, sir, on Friday and Saturday nights, we remain open until 2 a.m.," said the lovely lady.

"A Japanese restaurant open until 2 a.m.? Now that’s something unusual," I said.

The lady smiled and said "On weekend nights, we have what we call ‘extensive cocktail’ from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., while on weekdays we are open only till 12 midnight."

"I hope not into a loud karaoke bar?" I asked.

"Nothing of that sort, sir," she assured me.

True enough, the after-dinner crowd started coming in (noticeably much younger), ordering coffee and desserts. Desserts are the last thing you’d think of ordering in a Japanese restaurant, right? We would usually have it elsewhere. But Mizu has eight kinds, created exclusively for them by their secret supplier.

We had the coffee jelly with Kahlua cream, which was just so-so. The green tea and red bean parfait, which was Mary Ann’s favorite of all, with the frozen green tea mousse made with real macha (powdered green tea used for tea ceremony or chado), was topped with whole red beans. It was not the usual green tea ice cream, which is really just vanilla ice cream mixed with green tea. I, however, insisted the light crème bruleé with ginger and pumpkin was better, while Nico could not be bothered with our petty argument as he finished the warm chocolate fudge ring oozing with thick choco syrup and vanilla ice cream on the side. "Double yummy," he said.

And how to best enjoy dessert at Mizu?

"With UCC coffee," Mary Ann said.

"No, I’ll stick to my chilled sake" I said, now on my third bottle.

"Can I now switch from iced tea to Corona beer?" Nico asked. "It’s chill out time after all."

Mizu is worth trying and worth coming back for more. It is on the pricey side, though, but worth it nevertheless.