ERICJAZ FOODIES: KUSHIKATSU DARUMA (PHILIPPINES)

A Japanese long-time favorite has finally booked a one-trip flight to Manila, and we are just so happy to welcome it all....

...in our tummies!!!!

Yep! KUSHIKATSU DARUMA, the Osaka institution when it comes to mouth-watering skewers, is finally here. And we have THE TASTELESS GROUP (Bad Bird, Hey Handsome, Ping Pong Diplomacy, etc) to say Arigoto to!!!

KUSHIKATSU DARUMA!!!!

KUSHIKATSU DARUMA Manila is now located at UPTOWN MALL in BGC!!!

Remember... BGC!!

Not UP Town Center in Quezon City!!!!

When you're hungry, the two places could be confusing.... Like some people found out. He he he he he he he!

Sino kaya yon????

Inside KUSHIKATSU DARUMA is like the old alleys in Tokyo but with more style.

Black plates and gray tables add to the simple but zen like style of the place. The wooden chairs give a casual air into it.

There are a lot of hungry faces to greet you at corners of the restaurant!

What I like about the interiors of KUSHIKATSU DARUMA is that they still have a lot of space to do the tango.

We arrived in KUSHIKATSU DARUMA a bit late. When we got there, we saw FOOD IN A BAG in a Kushikatsu Daruma coma!!!

So let's not waste any time.

TIME TO KUSHIKATSU DARUMA ourselves!!!!

KUSHIKATSU DARUMA menu 1...

KUSHIKATSU DARUMA menu 2!!!

According to Mr. Charlie Paw, CEO of THE TASTELESS GROUP, their beer and drinks are cheap. Hopefully, drinkers will make KUSHIKATSU DARUMA their regular hangout!

We started off with the KUSHIKATSU DARUMA Beginner Level (P480.00) that included 9 sticks!

You think this is too much? I swear, once you pop, you can't stop.

This one had Fried Okra, Cherry Tomatoes, Shiitake Mushrooms, Onion Leeks, Lotus Root, Eggplant, Onions, Asparagus, Squid Cake, Pork Katsu, Chicken Balls, and Prawn!

Oooh lala!

In KUSHIKATSU DARUMA, it is discouraged to wait before eating your food. So that includes taking pictures because it's best to savor their fried dishes piping hot.

But of course, before doing so, don't forget to give it a generous dip at a condiment in front of you.

In every table, there's a metal tub of brown ponzu sauce!

Looking around, you would often read this gentle reminder of the restaurant.

And another...

AND ANOTHER!!!

According to Mr. Paw, the practice is not just for hygiene purposes (because in Japan, they have a communal setting). They also want to stress on enjoying the true flavors of the fried skewers that is perfect with just one dip of the ponzu sauce!

Of course, no matter how much reminders are posted inside KUSHIKATSU DARUMA....

Once you've tried the deliciousness of their sauce in your meats, you'd want more of it.

But TRUST ME though. They take NO DOUBLE DIPPING seriously.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Later on we served with these Beef skewers!!!!

FINE! One dip nga lang!

Egad! Their beef skewers are so effin YUM!!!! The meat was juicy tender and so perfect with the sauce. The fried breading was not heavy and in fact complemented the taste of the fried food!

According to Mr. Paw, the breading, and ponzu sauce are all flown in from Japan. As for their ingredients, they only get the freshest and high-quality meats and vegetables. Everything is fried in their Beef Fat oil for extra taste!!!!

Yup! KUSHIKATSU DARUMA believes that their diners deserve nothing less than the high standard practice of the Japanese!

In KUSHIKATSU DARUMA, they serve complimentary veggie sticks to munch on. I recommend this to refresh your palate at every skewer serving. At least, it's a diet-friendly alternative to rice!

This just encouraged my non-veggie eating hubby to have some!

The prawns were just addicting so we had more of it!

Firm, juicy, and fresh!!!! I bet you cannot just stop at one!

Mr. Paw said that soon they'll be adding more Japanese favorites in the menu like scallops and oysters.

WOWZA!

Yup! The skewers just kept on coming and we're not complaining!!!!!

Besides, we got great company while savoring all the fried dishes at KUSHIKATSU DARUMA!!!

THE FOOD ALPHABET!!!

And my kumareng THE FOOD ALPHABET!

It was so fun meeting up with the other KTG peeps too!

And now, back to eating!

The Camembert Cheese was so creamy with a slight saltiness into it. I never thought this would be so good fried!

The Pork Katsu was tender and so sulit to eat with rice!!!!

When you're done with the sticks don't forget to put them in the metal cups you will find at every table.

But at the rate we are going, we may need MORE cups!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

We saw that they had Pork Gizzards in the menu!

Oh wow! A must order in KUSHIKATSU DARUMA!

THE FOOD ALPHABET made the mistake of biting into the Chicken Isaw, something he's not allowed to eat. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I tried one and it was so good that I almost grabbed his stick if he didn't want it.

The Shiitake Mushrooms are a "meaty" alternative for the vegetarian!!!

But one of my ultimo favorites was the fried Foie Gras!!!!

So buttery and fatty. Egad. If I wasn't watching my cholesterol, I would've gotten 10 more!

Now just in case you have already dipped your meat but still crave for more sauce, you could get a lettuce leave from the complimentary veggie bowl....