Manila is privy to many great Japanese restaurants. You’ve got a handful of haunts that go from tradition to fusion, fast food to totally way of your budget. Pasig may have its popular spots in the malls in Kapitolyo’s burgeoning restaurant row, but those who spend their days across the bridge in the deeper recesses of the city have to travel through traffic jams just to get to the nearest dive.
Along the mostly industrialized are through which C. Raymundo run lies an unsuspecting gallery of familiar restaurant chains. Hampton Gardens Arcade is where you want to be. Park and make your way up to the second floor; you’ll be transported to Tokyo’s world-famous Tsukiji Market by way of Shinsen, Pasig’s newest Japanese restaurant.
Lovingly put up by a group of friends with a passion for all things Japanese, Shinsen is a small space that packs a whole lot of punch in everything it has to offer. Its modern interiors, concrete flooring, colorful mural, and open kitchen take you straight to Japan, no muss no fuss. With thoughtful details like trivia scribbled in windows and walls, and a vibrant wait staff that’s efficient and helpful, you’re put at ease as soon as you step inside. And that’s just the start-your real shinsen experience begins when you flip through the menu and discover its incredibly expansive range of food. Raw food lovers will not want to miss the sashimi, some locally sourced and others shipped chilled straight from Japan.
Salmon Sashimi
Comes from Norway, honest-to-goodness, melt in your mouth shake
P 338
Dynamite Roll
Raw fish in roll form that provides the perfect spice
P 268
Crazy Roll
Fish in roll form for less adventurous folks mixes salmon and cheese
P 198
Those who can’t eat raw food can have their salmon aburi or torched. Main dishes are priced mid-range and are delivered quickly to the table. Everything in Shinzen is made to order and adjustable to your dietary concerns and taste preferences.
Tori Kuwayaki
Chicken cooked almost like a cross between karaage and teriyaki, kid-friendly treat that offers crunch and flavor that everyone can enjoy
P268
Gyoza
P 158
Ebi Tempura
P 318
Australian Rib Eye Steak
Tender, soft as the salmon sashimi, Yakimeshi rice is a perfect match
P 798
Misono Tofu Steak
Comes with a lovely serving of enoki mushroom on the side
P 278
Grilled Salmon Head
P378
While most Japanese restaurants in Manila have at least one Japanese chef to head the kitchen, Shinsen proves that Filipinos can capture authentic Japanese flavor, too. With the 20 years of intense training under the Japanese that their staff possesses, Shinsen shows that simple passion expert skill, and a veritable love for what you do can yield extremely delicious results.
SHINSEN INFORMATION:
Address: Unit 202 Hampton Gardens Arcade, 100 C. Raymundo Street, Barangay Maybunga, Pasig City
Contact: 664-6331, 0977-855-1105
Open Hours: 11 A.M – 2:30 P.M / 5:30 P.M – 10 P.M
Photos: Hans Fausto
Source: Spot.ph
