FUKUJIN IZAKAYA

It was a sweltering morning as usual when I hied off to Little Baguio San Juan for a foodie meet up at Fukujin Izakaya thanks to the invite of @foodiesanti.

I love Japanese food so this was an fmu I was quite excited about. Chef Paul Castillo ( Head Chef and part owner) was on hand to take care of us.

We were served 16 dishes and two desserts , as follows:

KANI SALAD P280

This is one of my favorite dishes.. The lettuce underneath was crisp and fresh. The kani salad itself was delicious.

SPICY SALMON SALAD P360

Another favorite. I loved the presentation. It felt like I was about to eat Tuna Tartare. It had just the right kick to make the salad more interesting. I can just order this alone for lunch and I will be able to finish it. Not sharing this one hahaha

TUNA TATAKI P320

What is Tatataki ? Per google , it is a cooking technique which involves quickly searing the outside of the protein while leaving the inside raw.

At first we were weirded out by the dark color of the seared tuna. But then Chef Paul explained that the seared tuna was marinated in a special soy blend thus their dark brown color. The tuna was fresh and flavorful

ROASTED BONE MARROW P280

An order of this dish comes with slices of toasted buttered baguette . The roasted bone marrow was garnished with panko and herb butter. This was one delicious dish you must order. So good. Best paired with ice cold beer or a glass of wine.

SMOKED DUCK P380

Loved the presentation. I appreciated as well Chef's advice to eat all of it including the calamansi rind. It was delicious.

YAKITORI 3 STICKS P80

The skewered chicken retained its moistness despite the long wait it had to endure while we take dozen pics of it and the other dishes.

BACON WRAPPED MUSHROOMS P150

I got the enoki. The other mushroom was shitake. This is a perfect starter or pulutan with beer

LAND AND SEA SUSHI P380

A sushi take by Chef Paul on the classic surf and turf. Visualize sushi rolled in thin slice of beef with shrimp filling. You have protein, carbs, veg and fat....a complete meal by itsef

SALMON ABURI P450

I simply love the color of salmon. This is one happy sushi for me and quite tasty too

CHICKEN TERIYAKI P300

Chicken was sweet and delicious from the teriyaki sauce. I loved the cabbage salad on the side... their take on the coleslaw.

ROASTED PORK BELLY P350

Hello lechon macau or kawali! But this one is a different version because of the Suntory Whiskey Pepper Sauce. Try it!

HALIBUT TEMPURA P540

Yes quite pricey. But then these are two quite huge fingers of Halibut dressed in beurre blanc sauce

CHICKEN NABE P300

This is rice cooked in kimchi broth as opposed to Kamameshi where rice is fried. The rice itself was flavorful. It was presented in an adorable claypot and slices of egg where it can be shared by two people

SALMON NABE P400

A rice dish cooked in creamy dashi, this is also a good pot of delicious gohan

ROAST PORK BELLY P350

Reminiscent of lechon macau with a twist because of the use of Suntory Whiskey and Pepper Sauce concocted by Chef Paolo

CHICKEN UMAMI SOBA P320

The favorite of everybody, it was indeed umami. The flavor on this one was spot on. The noodles were scrumptious. Must-try!

PORK GYOZA P200

Fat, plump, packed full with flavor.

DESSERTS :

HOME-MADE NORI ICE CREAM WITH SWEET CORN PUFF FROM JAPAN - a fun and perfect sweet ending to a delightful meal

HOME MADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM WITH REDUCED BALSAMIC TRUFFLE - I loved the strawberry ice cream. It was not too sweet and tasted more of the fresh strawberry. The reduced balsamic vinegar complemented the strawberry flavor. There was just a hint of the truffle.

FOOD : When asked how Chef Paul would describe Fukujin's food, he said their cuisine is "progressive Japanese " incorporated with lots of fun.

PRICE : The pricing is generally okay considering the quality of the ingredients, the presentation of the dishes and the portions.

AMBIANCE : The focal point of the restaurant is Fukujin's icon that dominated the entire wall. At first glance my thought was SUMO ie sumo wrestler. Someone else said it was Baymax. But then Chef Paul said it was a geisha. I took a second look and then I imagined the chopsticked bun which I missed , and I get it.

There was a colorful "anime" wall on one side , a fun depiction of the seven lucky gods or gods of fortune in Japanese mythology from which the name of the restaurant was derived.

There were Japanese-themed poster of Star Wars as well on the opposite wall just because the owners love Star Wars.

SUMMARY :

If you love delicious progressive Japanese cuisine that is still not on the radar of most foodies you will love Fukujin Izakaya

It may seem out of the way for some but it is truly a gem waiting to be discovered by lovers of anything "Japanese Reinvented"

FUKIJIN IZAKAYA is located on the 2nd Floor of TNA building along Jose Abad Santos Street in Little Baguio. Its a good place to go to get away from the usual predictable modern Japanese restaurants we frequent in the malls.