Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Soru Izakaya, Ortigas

A few months after visiting Soru Izakaya in BGC, I found myself at their newest branch in Pasig!



If you and I share the same love for Japanese cuisine, then there's no doubt in my mind that you'll love Soru Izakaya! They already have three branches in the metro - BGC, Maginhawa, and now, at Techno Point Building in Pasig - so wherever you're from, you can easily head over to one nearest you! Funny thing is, I live closest to their QC branch, but I've never been there. Haha. Come to think of it, it's actually been a long while since my last visit to Maginhawa... 
Anyhoo, what sets Soru Izakaya apart from other Japanese restaurants is that it's super modern and hip and a lot of the dishes they offer are stuff you won't find anywhere else. 
I mean, just look at all that art. I love how there's so much personality in one space. It also shows in the food they serve - from the execution to the flavors in each dish. That's why I highly recommend them to anyone who loves Japanese food and want to break away from the usual.

To start:

Tori Karaage (P220) | Vegetable Kakiage (P180)
Started our meal off with these two fried goodies! The Tori Karaage is basically deep-fried nori flavored chicken bites topped with cheese sauce, while the Vegetable Kakiage is a mix of shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, carrots, and green bell pepper served with an avocado dip. I wouldn't normally order either of the two, since I'm more of a gyoza girl (I've mentioned this in probably all my posts on Japanese restaurants), but being at Soru Izakaya gave me the chance to try out new dishes, and guess what, I loved them! Though I would recommend eating them immediately as they tend to get oily the longer you wait. Also, it was pretty interesting to serve the Vegetable Kakiage with avocado dip, but it worked.

Saikoro Wagyu Cubes Teppan (P490)

Iron-grilled Saikoro "wagyu" cubes served with mixed vegetables. It had a really good flavor to it and remained tender and moist despite the fact that we ate it cold, but it lacks a certain something - maybe the texture? I personally find wagyu cubes just okay. But if you're into that sort of thing, you'll probably like this one, and the vegetables that came with it.

Steak Teppan (P380)

Another version of their teppanyaki is the Steak Teppan. Now this one, I liked. A lot. Everything here is the same with the Wagyu Cubes Teppan except for the meat itself. I like being able to thoroughly chew my food, I guess? I don't know if that's enough reason for me to prefer this over the previous dish, but you'll be glad to know that these aren't only the two choices for teppanyaki at Soru Izakaya. They also have seafood, beef misono, wagyu steak, ebi, short ribs, and more.

Udon Carbonara (P340)

The Udon Carbonara is one of the dishes you have to order on your visit. It has uni, salmon, and shiitake mushrooms in wasabi cream sauce topped with ebiko and parmesan cheese. Not bad for Php 340, right? My dad would absolutely love this because he has a thing for uni. Oh, and Tim, too. It was creamy and had just the right salmon-uni-mushroom-noodle ratio. I'd order this again.

Gyudon (P260)
Donburi (rice bowls) is a must, especially in the Philippines where people love, love eating rice. Gyudon and Katsudon are the most commonly ordered ones but Soru Izakaya also has Katsu Curry, Meiji Kare (beef curry), Tendon, and Chirashidon ("scattered sushi" / torched tuna and salmon sashimi) available on the menu.

Soru Ichiban Maki
Tori Kasai Maki (P260)
cream cheese, spiced chicken thigh, kimchi, and torched cheese topping


Gyu Maki (P260)
thinly sliced beef strips, seasoned shiitake mushrooms, cream cheese, and tamago with onsen egg topping


Oh Umi Maki (P390)
shrimp tempura and salmon topped with torched sliced salmon, Japanese mayo, annato mayo, and teriyaki sauce finished with crunchy tempura flakes

Lava Maki (P390)
salmon skin, crabsticks, and tamago topped with salmon and tuna cubes in spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce

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So much thought have been placed into each and every single one of their maki. These are the true stars and the main reason why people should dine at Soru Izakaya. Order at least one of these and enjoy not only how they taste, but the way they're presented as well. My favorites? The Gyu Maki and Oh Umi Maki!

For dessert, we had two - the Japanese Strawberry Cheesecake (P200) which is a combination of sponge cake and cheesecake, light and fluffy; and the Tiramisu (P230), consisting of frozen layers of coffee fingers, cream cheese frosting, cocoa, ganache, and blueberries. Props to Soru Izakaya for also creating desserts you won't find anywhere else. These still have some uniqueness to them. Oh, and let's not forget their Matcha Cheesecake which I've loved since the first time I tried it!

Congratulations on your third branch, Soru Izakaya! Drop by Techno Point Building, Julia Vargas Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City, for a taste of their modern Japanese fare!
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Soru Izakaya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato