Reimagined Japanese at Makanai
Makanai is more than just a new Japanese restaurant. This new restaurant reflects a deeply personal collaboration between Chef Jorge Mendez and the late Chef Margarita Forés. It is rooted in memory, meaning, and the joy of cooking for others.
Jorge first came across the word makanai while traveling with Margarita. In Japanese, makanai means staff meals or employee meals — meals prepared by the team, for the team. These meals are humble, heartfelt, and shared. It was a word that both of them related to. When the idea of them starting a Japanese restaurant took shape, Makanai felt like the right beginning — it was a place to welcome people to eat. This resulted in Jorge creating Makanai’s re-imagined Japanese cuisine. Guided by the legacy of Margarita and the spirit of CIBO, Jorge brings food that feels familiar but different. The menu is built on expressive combinations, fresh ingredients, and dishes meant to be shared.
The interior of Makanai reflects Jorge’s story influenced by his love for Japanese culture but with the Filipino warmth. A facade of Japanese roof tiles welcomes diners into a space that feels like home.
The Watermelon Sunomono is a refreshing start. Marinated watermelon cubes, topped with ebi oboro (crumbled shrimp paste), ikura (salmon roe), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), and sliced red onions, served with katsuo-dashi ponzu. My favorite starter had to be the Gyoza Tartare – a deconstructed version with minced beef tenderloin seasoned with gyoza spices, topped with wasabi sour cream, rayu honey, and beetroot hay to be served on nori-seasoned chips
Pasta is served Japanese style and I couldn’t decide which one I preferred from the two I tried. The Wagyu Bolognese Maze-soba was flavorful Bolognese pasta made with thick udon noodles, topped with grilled A5 Wagyu slices, sautéed onions, shoyuzuke (a method of pickling or curing using soy sauce and vinegar) egg yolk, and cheese was excellent and so was the crowd favorite — Crab Aglio Olio — an oil-based pasta with shredded crab and a snow crab claw, finished with lemon and bonito crumbs
Donabe means “earthenware pot” in Japanese and these pots are made from special clay for use over an open flame. These clay pots are meant to be shared and there are four to choose from. There’s Wagyu Short rib served with seasoned chahan (fried rice) infused with truffle cream and collagen, shoyuzuke egg yolk, onion sarada (salad in Japanese), Wagyu short rib slices, sukiyaki lotus root, and fried garlic. Second is the King Crab Claw with paella chahan, steamed snow crab leg, kani (surimi crab), buttered edamame (beans), spring onion, fried garlic, and ikura finished with house-made crab fat sauce. Their version of Fish and Chips is unique as unagi or eel is used instead of fish. This is egg chahan infused with unagi tare and collagen, spring onion, grilled eel tempura, tamagoyaki, lotus root chips, fried nori, katsuobushi, and ikura finished with unagi tare sauce. My stomach only had room to try three but I shall be back for the last donabe (sometimes shortened to nabe) I have to try – Spicy Beef Tendon XO.
Make room for dessert! There’s the Matcha and Dark Chocolate Cake — dark chocolate cake with matcha (green tea) butter cream, topped with rich chocolate ganache and a cacao tuile and the Popcorn Purin — a sweet corn purin (Japanese custard pudding) topped with salted Chantilly cream, caramel corn, and burnt sugar caramel.
Jorge says the dishes are “Not just a shared meal but a way of strengthening our bond over food. That shared spirit continues to shape the way Makanai cooks and connects, where the familiar is re-imagined into meals you’ll remember.” *
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