A lot of Filipinos love Japanese Cuisine. More and more Japanese restaurants are sprouting here and there, giving us, food lovers, easy access and variety of this type of cuisine. One interesting restaurant can be found in the busy streets of Bonifacio Global City. Located on the third floor of Uptown Mall, Tendon Kohaku is the first of its brand here in the Philippines. This very brand went viral in Singapore, having long lines of waiting costumers. They specialize on tendon, which is a combination of the words tempura and donburi that means tempura over a rice bowl.

The restaurant has that Japanese vibe, with a see through kitchen where you can see the dishes prepared. Looking at the menu, you will already feel that hunger even by just looking at the pictures of the dishes. They mainly serve tendon, udon (noodles), and sushi rolls. They also have appetizers and side dishes that will surely increase your appetite for the main dishes.

One appetizer served to us was the Wasabi Potato Salad. From the name itself, it has the wasabi flavor, which was quite sharp but really good. Wasabi lovers will surely like this dish. The softness of the potato was in the right scale. The sweetness of the salad balances the spiciness. With this appetizer, you’ll surely be wanting more.

Another side dish that will make you crave for more is the Pork Kimchi Cheese Omelet. Just by the looks of this dish, you’ll definitely think that it is delicious, and you are definitely right! The cheese surprisingly mixes well with the kimchi, and omelet. The vibrant yellow-orange color gives that “I want more” vibe.

And for the best part of every trip to a restaurant, it is the serving of the main dishes! Their bestseller main dish is the Kohaku Tendon. It is a combination of chicken, black tiger prawns, squid, crab stick, green beans, shitake mushroom, young corn, and pumpkin tempuras served over a rice bowl. Just hearing all those ingredients will make your mouth water, and instantly crave for more. With a special secret sauce, and crispy coating, this dish is really one of my favorites. That sweet sauce is amazing. The tempuras are so crispy to the point that I can hear my own bite. Kohaku Tendon is not complete without the Japanese rice bowl. For every bite of the tempuras, you will want to eat more and more rice!

They also have a special dish every season. The one that was served to us was the Ocean Gems Tendon UMI. This dish is mainly composed of seafood like shrimp, fish, squid, crab stick, and scallops. The enticing look of this dish is due to its IKURA garnish, which is a red caviar, and the dark brown sauce. The taste is super rich, with the sweetness, saltiness, and sourness blending with each other. This dish is also best eaten together with rice, lots of rice.

Aside from their tempura bowls, Tendon Kohaku also offers udon and sushi rolls. One of their bestseller udon is the Kakiage Udon. The crisped shrimp and prawn toppings are served separately from the noodles and soup, to retain their crunchiness. This dish can also be served either hot or cold. You might think that cold noodles are weird, but it is actually good especially during summer season.

Another dish served to us was the Red Chili Tuna Roll. The appearance and plating of the tuna roll was great and really looked appetizing. From the very first bite of this dish, you will already feel the crunchiness of the cucumber, the softness of the chili tuna, and the stickiness of the Japanese rice, which brings variety of texture in your mouth. The pickled radish that comes along with the sushi roll has that strong taste that arouses the spiciness of Red Chili Tuna Roll.

A restaurant is not complete without one of the favorite part of a meal, the desserts. What a better way to finish your dining experience in Tendon Kohaku than having their Ice Cream Tempura? Sounds weird right? However, this dessert tastes really good. With the crispy outer shell, and the cold vanilla ice cream inside, topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream, this dessert makes a perfect combination of tastes. This can refresh your taste buds after all that rich flavored side dishes, tendons, udon, and sushi rolls.

Tendon Kohaku really offers these amazing dishes worth the value of your money. The serving portions are really generous for the prices. Eating at this restaurant will surely brighten up your day, and your tummy will definitely give you two thumbs up!

Japanese food lovers far from BGC, and can’t go to their first branch? Don’t worry! They will open their second branch this December 2018 at Vertis North, Quezon City. See you there!

Follow Tendon Kohaku on their Social Media Sites below.

Facebook: Tendon Kohaku

Instagram: Tendon Kohaku

Address: Uptown BGC, Bonifacio Global City

Contact Number: (02) 838 2476

Store Hours: Mondays to Sundays, 10AM to 10PM