Mitsuyado Izakaya is not just a name of a Japanese restaurant located in Rockwell, Makati.
This food establishment lives up to its name.
Angel Francisco, the brand’s marketing officer in-charge, explains the definition of these Japanese words that make up the resto's name.
“So, Mitsuyado isn't just about eating good food. It's eating good food, and experiencing it also.
“Izakaya means just relaxing and having a fun time together with your friends and family.”
That’s exactly what PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), along with a select members of the press, experienced when invited at the opening of the Japanese restaurant a few months ago.
The group was treated to some of the delicious dishes and drinks in their menu.
Located at the second floor of The Proscenium at Rockwell, Mitsuyado Izakaya is an experience as much as it is good Japanese food.
Groups of customers occupy the tables. The busy staff can be seen behind the glass walls of the kitchen, while another section serves as a bar.
The store's vibe is neat and obviously "Japanese," with an atmosphere of bustling energy that induces enjoyment or letting loose.
But it’s the food that culminates the dining experience.
It could be the sweet, fresh, pungent taste of the oyster gyoza; or the tuna and salmon sashimi that melt in the mouth; or the sweet and flavorful taste of the grilled unagi or eel.
It may be the tsukemen noodles—the chewy noodles that come separately with the citrusy, tangy, thick, and flavorful broth.
Or maybe it’s the sweet and mild sake; or the tender, warm, salty sparkling sake; or is it the sweet, smooth taste of the soju that gives a kick?
Just thinking of how the food tastes conjures how delectable the dining experience was.
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MITSUYADO IZAKAYA specialty
Angel explained that Mitsuyado has three concept stores: Mitsuyado Sei-Men, Mitsuyado Ramen Shokudo, and Mitsuyado Izakaya.
These stores have branches in Makati, Manila, and Cebu.
Focusing on Mitsuyado Izakaya, the restaurant offers sushi, appetizers, premium liquor, and ramen.
The Mitsuyado brand belongs to the Mugen Group of Companies, which also has other franchises, such as UCC, Mos Burger, Coco Ichibanya, Yamato Café, Shaburi, Kintan Buffet, and Tendon Kohaku.
The Mitsuyado brand prides itself for its noodle-making and Angel said the brand takes it seriously.
She said, “So, all our ingredients are really fresh. Our Mitsuyado flour… is specifically imported from Japan.
“And then we make them fresh in-house daily. So, every day, we have our staff make the noodles in-house and that's what we serve. That's what gives our noodles a special texture.”
There are a number of izakayas in the metro, but Angel was proud to say that that it’s what their store specializes in.
“I don't think there's a lot of restaurants who specialize in premium or niche Japanese liquor. We offer different kinds of sake. We have dry, fruity, sparkling.
“And then we also pair that with a variety of food that Mitsuyado specializes. So, other than the noodles, we have our fresh sushi, and then the in-house yakitori eel.”
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QUALITY-GRADE ingredients
Mitsuyado Izakaya offers almost authentic Japanese noodles, if not entirely authentic.
Angel said that they their Japanese partners from their Japan headquarters visit them quarterly to ensure the quality of the dishes.
“Because they always check on us. They have very high standards of their stores. So, quarterly, they do go to the Philippines to check. They check if each dish is prepared correctly.”
Even the dishes, which needed adjusting to suit the Pinoy taste had been approved by their Japanese partners.
Angel explained, “Some of them, we did have some twist. Which still, I would consider authentic.
“Even the exclusive menus here in the Philippines, they've been created by our headquarters… So, actually, we really make sure that it passes their taste and it's their preference.”
Furthermore, the restaurant’s Filipino staff is trained by their Japanese business partner.
She added, “And we do have trainings directed from them. And also the ingredients.
“Although some of them have a Filipino twist, of course, because we need to adapt to the palate of the Filipino people.
“But each dish has also been, like it has been approved by our Japanese headquarters.
“So, that's why we can say that it's consistently unique and authentic to the Japanese foods. Because we do have our Japanese headquarters to thank for that.
“We really carefully strategized everything—from how the atmosphere would be, the food, and even the location. We really thought everything through.
“So, for me, what set Mitsuyado Izakaya from other izakayas is how intricate and detailed it was planned.”
Upon checking their menu, it is safe to say that the prices of their dishes are competitive compared to dishes of other Japanese restaurants in the metro.
Angel quipped, “[I]t does look kind of intimidating at first, especially when you're in Rockwell, right? But when you look at the prices, we want to stay true to our roots. We want to really share good food to people.
“That's why we still made the prices affordable. Even though we don't discredit the quality, it's still good.
"Well, in terms of being authentic, I would say it's pretty authentic. As I told earlier, all our dishes, some of them, actually, majority of them are dishes that's offered throughout all the Mitsuyados internationally.
Angel gave recommendations for a first-time customer to have the whole izakaya experience.
“I would recommend that you order our grilled foods, like, for example, yakitori and our other skewers.
“And also, we have a mini-grilling setup when you order seafood grills. So, it's more of you're not just eating. You get to experience grilling it on your own.
“And then, you can choose, of course... I would recommend our house sake to go with that.
“Our liquor are imported from Japan. So, they're all Japanese brand.”
Another recommendation from Angel that is unique, at least for Filipinos, is their unagi udon or unagi skewer. Unagi is Japanese for eel.
“We do offer unagi, with an affordable price, compared to a lot of restaurants that offer just anago. So, it's a different kind of eel.
"So, I would say that unagi is a much creamier and more premium kind of eel rather than the anago. And we do offer it at an affordable price.
“Unagi is freshwater eel. And then anago is saltwater eel. So, they do have different textures, different taste.”
