Kai Restaurant

It was one of those days again wherein we didn't know where to go. We had our favorites in mind but it's been quite a while since we tried something new. We walked along the sides of greenbelt 5 and thought about eating at one of the places there. We then passed by Kai Restaurant and I remember reading about this in an article about Manila's Best Restaurants. It was ANOTHER Japanese restaurant. And we went in to find out if it could stand out from the rest.

California Maki, originally uploaded by belly happy.

We usually have a set menu for Japanese Restaurants. We are so used to eating at Teriyaki Boy that whenever we go to other restaurants, we order the same thing. After all, they are serving the same cuisine.
Most of the time, we go to Japanese restaurants whenever she feels like eating California Maki. This was not one of those days but this is part of our "set menu". We have eaten a lot of variants of this dish (even though they look and taste almost the same) but this one is definitely at the top of our list.

Age Dashi Tofu, originally uploaded by belly happy.

We would always order this dish along with the California Maki. Throughout the different Japanese restaurant experiences we've had, the presentation would look the same. Perhaps, a slight change on the accessories surrounding the tofu but that's about it. This time, it was the Tofu that looked different. It was crispy to the bite but it explodes in your mouth. The presentation was simple and yet unlike for other restaurants, the star here is really the tofu. Not the accessories. Not the sauce. The tofu.

Ika Karaage, originally uploaded by belly happy.

Perhaps the least favored among our dishes. She really didn't like it. It was dry and a little bland. The taste relied on the dip on the side which was (to our guess) some mixture of vinegar. I was able to finish it all with her taking very few bites. It was disappointing.

Wagyu Strips Teppanyaki, originally uploaded by belly happy.

Good thing we had this. This definitely would be my favorite dish among the rest. Without this, it would have been an utter disappointment. It was our first time to try Wagyu Beef as a full-fledged entree. Once you've tasted Wagyu Beef, you're bound to look for it again. We were first uncertain because of the price but it was really worth it. The beef was so soft that you could almost cut it without using your teeth while the juices are seeping out. What a treat!

Ebi Tempura, originally uploaded by belly happy.

The Ebi Tempura was presented in a different way but the taste was nothing special. If you've tasted Tempura from other restaurants, then you probably won't notice a difference between those and this one.

The pros: Wagyu Teppanyaki, California Maki, Agedashi Tofu
Like the other award-winning restaurants, it cost us about P2000++. Some dishes weren't worth the money for us. For the favorable ones, we wouldn't bother to have paid more. It was certainly a mixed experience. The search for the best Japanese restaurant is still on...