Threesome at Tsumura

I remember every single date I've been with B's Granny. All in all, the three of us have gone out exactly six times. And of course, on each date, I'm the third wheel.

I'm sure B doesn't mean it, but he always chooses intimidating places. You know, where you actually have to talk while eating, and the servers purposely leave you alone to do just that. Not that I don't like talking to Granny; don't get me wrong, I adore her. She exudes fierceness in a good way. I just don't wish to see that fierceness in action, like, ever, so I tend to be meek around her. Meek becomes me, actually, but it is so so boring.

Oh yes, restaurant review.

On our third date as a threesome, B chose his family's favorite Japanese restaurant-- second to Kikufuji-- Tsumura, in Salcedo Village, Makati. When I first heard his raves about this place, I couldn't believe there's a Japanese restaurant on the second floor of the building I used to pass by on the way to work every morning. When I finally had the chance to try it, alas, I was no longer working in Makati.

My first impression of Tsumura was highly influenced by everything I had previously heard from B, although at first the modern interiors made me doubt its authenticity. But seeing Japanese families and several obviously loyal local customers arriving as dinner time rolled around put my mind at ease.

We didn't take a picture of every dish that came out, but here are a few that made it (and rightfully so):

This was among our appetizers, along with Assorted Sashimi and the ever-present California Mango Maki. The salad was light and refreshing-- a perfect opening for tastier, richer entrees, such as this one:

Usuyaki

This is one of my memorable dishes of 2009. Maybe it's because I seldom eat beef, so when I taste an exquisitely prepared beef dish, the eruption of flavors in my mouth is ten times more intense. Pictured above is mushrooms wrapped in thinly sliced beef. The sauce is just a little sweet and not as salty as most teriyaki dishes are in other restaurants. The combination of mushroom and beef results in a powerful punch of meatiness in contrasting textures: slippery soft shitaake bursting from juicy, chewy beef. As is my quirk when something is too good to eat, one piece took forever to finish on my plate. I kept sampling other things in between little bites. :)

We also ordered Dobinmushi, a clear seafood soup that comes in a clay pot. It has a roast taste and when drizzled with lemon juice, is a refreshing accompaniment to any dish. Granny ordered the Hamachi Head Shio Yakimono, which is grilled young yellowtail fish head, while I ordered the Sanma Shio Yakimono (mackerel). Hamachi is firmer and tastier than Sanma, so it is more expensive. Usuyaki is actually B's main dish.

Nothing still beats the humble fish I had over at Yamazaki, but the overall experience-- excellent food quality, attentive and smiling servers (with Japanese-speaking manager), clean interiors-- in Tsumura is worth coming back for and paying the extra penny(-ies). By comparison, Little Tokyo restaurants seem dirty with service that's below par for Japanese standards, but I guess that's their charm in the first place.

Tsumura is a must visit Japanese restaurant in my book.