Grilling the Dohtonbori Way
The advent of Dohtonbori brought about a warm reception as hungry diners eagerly queued up outside its Missouri branch to try out its ‘make-your-own-okonomiyaki’ experience. To be honest, this selling point of theirs wasn’t appealing enough for me to queue up; so I waited until the craze died down by a bit. Although it’s distinctly known for its varied types of okonomiyaki, the heart of Dohtonbori is in its grilling… and yes, they grill almost every item on their menu right in front of you.
UMIGO (P360)
Although it has a variety of options available, all these tend to taste the same once the okonomiyaki patties are coated in okonomiyaki sauce and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise. We opted for the Umigo which contained squid, shrimp, octopus, red pickled ginger, mentaiko, and cabbage; yet save for the chewy bits of squid, you can simply mask it as any other type of okonomiyaki available! Tip: Except for food allergy concerns, simply opt for the cheapest variety! I swear, it would just taste the same!
Dohtonbori’s okonomiyaki isn’t really that distinct or special when it comes to taste or quality. Its USP lies in the experience of having it cooked and prepared in front of you. They give helpful diagrams and step to step how-to’s in flipping your okonomiyaki’s; yet their servers are more than willing to assist you every step of your meal.
It takes a while for the okonomiyaki’s to be ready (maybe around 20 minutes), so I strongly suggest you order other items that cook easily to fill out your tummies!
MISO CHEESE YAKI ONIGIRI (P130)
Dohtonbori provides the option of a Rice Set add-on for the price of P90, which gives you a cup of rice, and a bowl of miso soup. Since their miso soup is less than stellar, I recommend trying out their onigiri selection instead! We opted for the Miso Cheese Yaki Onigiri (which is also grilled in front of you) as the rice granules would have that irresistible crunchy edges and that subtle sweetness of miso paste.
PORK YAKISOBA (P260)
If you want something good for sharing, the Pork Yakisoba can be considered. A hefty bowl of pretty decent yakisoba generously packed with crunchy vegetables and pork slices for a price of P260 is quite a steal.
KALBI YAKINIKU (P280)
Dohtonbori also has a selection of marinated meats that you can choose from. We opted for the Kalbi Yakiniku, which tasted great; however, the slices were on the tough side, which made it less enjoyable to eat.
Overall, Dohtonbori is a pretty decent Japanese restaurant. The dining experience is slow-paced, since everything would be slowly cooked in front of you, so catching a movie right after isn’t the best idea. Its offerings are far from unique; but they do deliver on flavor and service.
Dohtonbori
Cullinan Prime Building, 8 Missouri St., Greenhills, San Juan
Dates of Visit: February 10, 2016 with Irene Tan, Maisie Ramat, and Mina Tionloc; March 5, 2016 with Lily Chua
