FOR many of us, weekends are opportunities to find new places to dine in. Whether you’re after little holes-in-the-wall that serve yummy chicken and beer, or tony Michelin star-rated restaurants where chefs will set fire to your drinks to entertain you, the search for new restaurants or dining places is always something to look forward to.
Not just because you’re hungry, but because discovery (and the subsequent sharing of information) is a huge part of the gustatory adventure. (Why else would we be posting all those #foodporn pics on Instagram?) When it comes to cuisine, I am open to most kinds of food (though I draw the line at monkey brains), but my go-to is always Japanese food. Whether it’s sushi, tempura or ramen (if you know me, you know I’m on a quest to find the best ramen in the city), I’m always up for a Japanese dinner. Or lunch. Pretty much any kind of Japanese meal, really.
So when somebody told me a new Japanese restaurant recently opened its doors in the city, I was already low-key interested in visiting the place. But finding out that it combines shopping/marketing with the dining experience? This I had to see.
NOT YOUR REGULAR JAPANESE RESTO
Ichiba: Japanese Market is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill Japanese restaurant that serves sushi and gyoza. Touting itself as the first-ever Japanese seafood market in the Philippines, it boasts of some of the freshest marine bounty from Kyushu, Hokkaido and other seafood markets in Japan. The restaurant takes inspiration from the large wholesale market of Tsukiji and incorporates this marketing activity into its dining experience.
Unlike Tzukiji, however, you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to enjoy the experience.
THE MARKET EXPERIENCE
THE Ichiba: Japanese Market experience begins the minute guests step foot inside. The restaurant is designed like a traditional bustling market in Japan, complete with katakana and kanji murals and Japanese music playing in the background.
On one side, rows of aquariums display the day’s catch (about 600 kilos of lobster, crab, shellfish and various types of fish).
On another, a wide selection of meat—bite-sized beef yakitoris, sukiyakis and gyozas, as well as a wide range of high-grade steaks, including Wagyu and Angus beef.
Dotting the room are various food stalls offering favorites like tempura, takoyaki and, yes, even bowls of steaming ramen (watch me make a beeline for this).
Guests are then urged to “shop” for their ingredients, which are then prepared to specification and delivered to their tables.
SIDE ATTRACTIONS
If you’re looking to catch your own meal, or simply looking for some distraction while waiting for the food, check out the restaurant’s fishing pond, where guests, particularly kids, can cast a line and try their luck. Whatever you catch can be cooked together with your meal. (Not really sure if you can take them home as pets.) Evening guests can enjoy a platter of freshly grilled yakitori and a glass of the famous Asahi beer from the Asahi Bar, together with the nighttime ambiance. Those who can’t have enough of the Ichiba experience, or are simply inveterate shoppers like me, can cap their visit with a shopping spree at the restaurant’s minigrocery, which offers some treats and goodies straight from Japan.
If you like combining dining with shopping, you might want to check this out—and don’t forget to selfie! Ichiba: Japanese Market is on the second floor of the Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila.