Japanese pub fare at Wafu Izakaya

MANILA, Philippines - Experience a whole new way of enjoying Japanese food with the opening of Wafu Izakaya.

Wafu Japanese Restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan is opening an “izakaya,” a Japanese-style pub, just right outside its doorsteps, to offer foodies the chance to try popular Japanese bar chow in the fun and informal setting that many have come to experience.

“The izakaya is very much a part of Japanese culture,” says Mavie Ungco. “A lot of Japanese, young and old, like to kick back and relax after work and unwind with their friends and colleagues over good food and drinks.”

“A Japanese izakaya is typically noisy, informal and fun. This is the same experience we want to bring to Wafu Japanese Restaurant through the Wafu Izakaya Festival,” adds Ungco.

During its dinner service, Wafu transforms the area outside it into an open-air izakaya. A casual setup of tables and chairs of palo china wood that provides pub goers with seating complements food carts where Japanese chefs prepare your order in front of you.

All orders are prepared as you order, thus all snacks are served fresh and piping hot when you feast on them at your table. Traditional Japanese menu boards and paper lanterns add to the pub ambience to Wafu Izakaya.

As in any izakaya, the pub fare at Wafu Izakaya is reasonably priced. Diners can choose from a selection of sushi and sashimi, maki, tempura, grilled (yakitori) and deep-fried (furai) items and other Japanese specialties. Items are conveniently priced at P120, P150 or P180, so paying up after a few rounds of drinks with friends will be easy.

As in most izakayas in Japan, pub fare is best paired with either a glass of cold Asahi beer or sake. Whether all you want is the savory taste of tuna or salmon sashimi, California or ebi tempura maki, or oyster or scallop tempura, you can have your fill of Asahi beer or sake at Wafu Izakaya.

Diners seeking a unique pub experience should sample the selection of kushiyaki, or skewered grilled items, and kushiage, or deep-fried battered items.

Kushiyaki is not your typical barbecue. Skewers of meat, seafood or vegetables are grilled plain and seasoned with salt or your choice of sauce before being served to you. On the other hand, kushiage has a heavier batter than tempura, making it a more filling snack-on-a-stick.

Kushiyaki choices include chicken meat (breast, thigh, liver or tail), pork belly, shiitake mushroom, beef tenderloin and salmon belly. Of the kushiage items, try the skewers of chicken, pork belly, prawns, scallops, zucchini and quail eggs.

To up the fun, other popular traditional fare are also served as Wafu Izakaya. Okonomiyaki, or Japanese-style cabbage and meat pancakes, is also available, as well as gyoza, tofu steak and barbecues of grouper, snapper and salmon jaws.

Ungco says the vibe of a Japanese izakaya will give Filipino diners a new side to Japanese cuisine, one that is casual and entertaining.

“With this new offering, Wafu hopes to invite a younger crowd eager to hang out with friends and colleagues after a day’s work, or those Japanese fast-food aficionados eager to try something new and different from the usual Japanese fare that can be found anywhere in the city,” she adds.

Wafu Izakaya had its official opening yesterday. Wafu Japanese Restaurant is at the Greenhills Shopping Center.