serving up!
TRANSCRIPT
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QUEZON CITY’S LARGEST
SHOPPING mall, SM City
North Edsa, has welcomed all
kinds of new foreign kids on
the block. One of the relatively
recent movers is a charming
twenty-something from Japan,
with a taste for food and an
energy that takes nothing but
the frown on your face. After
a year of settling in, he’s still
got lines of people waiting in
excitement.
Meet Dohtonbori, Japan’s
okonomiyaki go-to since 1990.
AUTHENTIC FLAVORS
Okonomiyaki is a sweet and
salty mix between a frittata
and pancake. No matter how
big of a picky eater you are,
chances are, there will be an
okonomiyaki for your taste.
Roughly translating to “what
you like, grilled,” Okonomiyaki
lets you incorporate whichever
ingredient is to your liking—the
only limit is your imagination.
ables are built with a griddle
where food will be cooked
right before your eyes. You may
ask your buddy (as servers are
fondly called) to do this for you,
or you can do it yourself.
Ingredients are crucial to
the authenticity. From thebest kinds of cheeses in the
Philippines, for example, the
Dohtonbori board in Japan
will produce a whole new
kind of cheese, one that’s
closer to their taste. Te raw
okonomiyaki ingredients also
include nagaimo (mountain
yam) and beni shouga (pickled
ginger), both exciting flavors
for the Filipino palate. Te yam
is subtle in its introduction,
while the pickled ginger leaves
an accent that is something
new. Te mayonnaise brand
Kewpie (kyu-pee) also made
a concoction specially for
Dohtonbori, so it doesn’t stick
to the pan. Te brand uses rice
wine vinegar, making it sweeter
than its Western counterparts.
Okonomiyaki might be the
claim to fame, but other
offerings, each with a distinctive
Dohtonbori taste, are equallydeserving of the hype. And who
could forget about ramen, the
college student’s introduction to
Japanese cuisine?
A good ramen is not just salty:
it is savoury. Teir Tonkotsu
Ramen helps you distinguish
the fine line between sodium-
packed and umami. Noodles
are thin, the kind that works
best with the hearty pork bone
broth. Te alkaline solution
Clockwise from top: Your gateway to Japan’s dining scene, set within the mall. Chef engaged in the art of making ramen. Raw
ingredients are served neatly arranged in a bowl. Okonomiyaki art: the next big thing to latte art. Bottom left: The official mascot,
Tanuki-san.
Serving Up!
Japan’s favorite okonomiyaki
chain has come to the Philippines,
bringing in authentic Japanese
taste in both food and service. By
JOANNE VILLANUEVA
Photos by MARIAH NERONA
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS
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Clockwise from top: Nostalgic memorabilia for the 90-liners who grew up watching
dubbed Japanese shows. An abundance of ingredients for Hiroshima style
okonomiyaki. Dohtonbori, serving smiles since 1990. Vegetables cooked in seiro
(steam basket). Bottom: The battery-operated breathing cat by the tatami area.
where noodles are treated
gives that authentic
ramen bounce. If that
isn’t enough, the rubbery
kikurage mushrooms add
an extra fun texture. Te
broth leaves a gelatinous
residue on the lips, which
may be too much of an
umami for a few to handle,
but the mayu (black garlic
sauce) evens out flavor and
leaves your palate with atoasty caramelized end.
Unlike many recipes, a
great mayu is made by
ignoring a few notes from
your culinary mentor.
Maillard Reaction is
responsible for the
browning of cooked food.
Past this stage, most foods
will lose palatable flavor.
But not for mayu, which is
let off the fire at the exact
moment the garlic turns
black.
SHOP IN MANILA, DINE
IN JAPAN
Complete with the
decorative details of noren
(fabric dividers), lines
of chouchin (lantern),
and tatami (straw mat),
the Dohtonbori branch
inside SM City North
Edsa recreates thequintessential Japanese
okonomiyaki place where
old friends catch up on
new stories and where
office ladies eat together
before retiring for the
day. Tere’s space to leave
shoes before entering
the tatami area, where
you can find a battery-
operated, curled-up cat,
as if he just happened to
follow the appetizing trail
of smoke while patrolling
the neighborhood.
Dohtonbori wants you
to experience authentic
Japanese dining, but
unfamiliar foreign
practices wouldn’t beimposed either. Below
each low table (kotatsu) is
a hollow space, for those
who are not comfortable
with sitting in the Seiza
position (the Japanese
manner of sitting on their
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ALSO ON THE MENU
SAKURA (CHERRYBLOSSOM) ICE CREAM
Don’t be fooled by the name;Sakura ice cream is juststrawberry ice cream’s show-stopping, knee-high-boot-wearing, pink-haired cousin—
and tastes nothing close tosoap or any repulsive tastes
you would imagine.
TIRAMISU
They use a mixture ofmascarpone cheese andcream so a scoop doesn’tmelt that quickly, even amidPhilippine heat.
CHU-HIGHChuuhai is the drink ofchoice for those who can’tdecide between the kick ofcarbonated water and the
punch of distilled spirits. It ismade by mixing soda with
shochu, a liquor made fromgrains and vegetables.
knees). Te menu has Japan’s best-sellers,
set alongside dishes more familiar among
Filipinos, such as rice bowls (donburi) and
food in steamed baskets ( seiro).
Guarding the entrance is the official
mascot, an original depiction of Tanuki,
the raccoon dog you hear of in folklores.anuki might be similar to the beckoning
cat Maneki Neko in the manner that they
are both believed to bring good luck, but
anuki is a unique quirky character on his
own. His bulging belly signifies composure
even in the face of hard decision-making.
Every now and then you’ll hear buddies
exclaim Pon Poko Pon, the sound anuki
makes when he pats his belly (in Japanese
onomatopoeia). Te white flask on anuki’s
side is for his daily dose of sake (rice wine),
which is symbolic of gratitude.
Te inviting aura extends to the restaurant’s
façade, and as you overhear buddies
enthusiastically greeting in Japanese, you’ll
forget for a second that you’re still inside
a Philippine mall. Dohtonbori buddies
undergo three months of training, including
language lessons, to ensure that customers
feel like they are in Japan not just through
the restaurant’s food and interiors, but also
through its brand of service.
A TASTE FOR SERVICE
Te closest word to “service” or“hospitality” in the Japanese language
may be Omotenashi, but the word holds
something more for its speakers. At the
core of this Japanese brand of hospitality
are selflessness and anticipation of needs.
You’ll know once you experience it at
Dohtonbori, where you’ll have a line of
servers bow at your presence, and be
presented with an option before you even
think about wanting it.
Wa is an ethical concept valuing
continuation of a harmonious community
over personal interests. Omotenashi and
Wa work together to create an engaging
environment around the griddle. Teppan
Communication, as the philosophy is called,
makes the Dohtonbori experience a vibrant
addition to Manila’s dining scene. With the
exciting dishes to cook with your peers,
you’ll never run out of things to talk about.
It will be one of the rare days when you
won’t find yourself constantly reaching for
your phone.
It doesn’t matter whether you retie old
connections or create new ones, as long as
it is done over a shared meal—a form of
bonding enjoyed whether in okyo, Manila,
or anywhere else. n
Two current branches in Manila : 1) 2F, 8
Missouri Street, Greenhills; and 2) UF, Main
Bldg., SM North Edsa. UPTown is set to
have the next branch, and by 2020, they are
looking to have 30 stores.
Clockwise from top: Creating a Japanese
ambiance, right to the decorative details.
The classic Tonkotsu Ramen. Chill dining
at the tatami area, while griddles outside
sizzle in action. Grill okonomiyaki by
yourself or ask your buddy to do it for you.
Handpainted menu of Chu-
high flavors. Tiramusu for
those who want to end with
a dessert but don’t want the
unbearable sweetness.