Nikkei Robata: Gorgeous Food Served Cold

My family and I attempted to grab lunch in Mitsukoshi BGC during its soft opening week; but,the lunch crowd simply overwhelmed the limited dining concepts which were operational during that time that it seemed impossible to get a table anywhere. Hungry, my family was actually set on just grabbing lunch at Grand Hyatt BGC, when I spotted Nikkei Robata across the street.

CHIPIRONES FRITOS (P520)

Naturally, Nikkei Robata was a more fitting and of course, reasonably more affordable choice than an impromptu meal at a hotel restaurant! When we arrived, we were promptly seated but were notified that the kitchen already had a 30 to 45 minute waiting time already – which we consented to. We were seated outside though, and we would have appreciated being served with a pitcher of their house water (and yes, we followed this up multiple times to no avail). We were shooting jealous glances at other tables who were served with complimentary appetizers (which we didn’t ask for already, as we were just focused on being served our water).

The Chipirones Fritos was the first dish to come out – and it looked gorgeous! Its vibrant colors and playful plating definitely made us forget about the less-than-ideal service. This dish was promising – the baby squid was fried perfectly and was served with a delightful combination of two kinds of mayonnaise and topped with tobiko. Unfortunately, the batter was simply too much – that we could barely make out the squid pieces already.

KUSHIYAKI PLATTER (P850)

One thing that sets Nikkei Robata apart from the original Nikkei concept would be its yakitori and kushiyaki choices – so naturally, we had to order one of its platters for sharing. The combination of sticks in this platter would be Kurobuta pork belly, ika (squid), ebi (shrimp), tamago (rolled egg), and quail eggs. I understand that sticks are cooked on the spot (which means that you’d really have to wait a considerable amount of time before it’s served) – but surprisingly, despite our long wait for it – the whole platter was served cold. We didn’t bother sending it back to the kitchen as this would mean another grueling wait.

BLACK COD BOWL (P595)

My family and I opted for a personal rice bowl each – and I opted for the Black Cod Bowl – it was promising as it featured a generous serving of honey miso-glazed Indonesian black cod, poached egg, cilantro salad, fried onions over rice – however, it was overcooked and again, the rice was served cold.

This was my first visit to a Nikkei Robata branch; but I’ve dined in a couple of its regular Nikkei branches in the past – but definitely, it’s been years since I have been to one. I guess, this less-than-ideal visit proves that I haven’t missed out on anything these past few years then.

Nikkei Robata

36th St., Uptown Ritz corner 8th Avenue, Taguig, Metro Manila

Date of Visit: November 20, 2022 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua