Mangetsu – Amazing Japanese Food

Mangetsu-Yummy…Mangetsu-Delicious…Mangetsu-Awesome… hahaha okay I’ll stop with the bad puns. I can’t help it, Mangetsu is SO GOOD.

Without further ado, here is my family’s experience with Mangetsu. We got a little carried away with the ordering and had enough food for 10 people so you’re in for a visual treat! Enjoy!

California Temaki

When we ordered Miso Soup, the lady asked us, “Red or White?” We all stared at each other blankly and asked what the difference was. Waitress said the red one is more salty but didn’t elaborate too much so we went with what we knew. This was delicious. Will try the red one next time.

The Cheese Risotto came highly recommended by a good friend of mine. She wasn’t kidding. Oh my gosh, this is HEAVEN. It’s incredible. We went crazy over this. It’s good to share because it’s quite rich but if you want to indulge and have the whole thing to yourself, I won’t blame you. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Fried Rice – It was okay. Kind of dry.

Cheese Tempura – I forget the official name but it’s slices of tempura-battered Camembert cheese, with a honey and salt dip. I liked this a lot. I finished the entire thing because my family was too full to eat. So bad for my diet but so worth it. <3

Ebi Tempura – Fresh, crunchy, not greasy and in a filling (larger than usual) portion. Everything you could ask for in tempura and more! They give you the heads which are also yummy to munch on.

Tori Karaage with 3 Salts – ORDER THIS! I command you! The chicken is served hot and juicy – tender and flavorful on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The salts are just bonus. Perfect with rice. We couldn’t finish it all because by the time it arrived we already ate our weight in food so we took some of it home. It’ll be breakfast tomorrow. I’m excited.

Agedashi Tofu – My mom ordered this thinking it was a teeny tiny bowl of tofu. No, no it’s not. It’s a large bowl with large tofu. I didn’t get to try this but she loved it.

Spring Rolls – These are rolls filled with lettuce and beef. Unfortunately I cannot speak to this because I didn’t get to try it.

Spicy Tuna Roll & Assorted Sushi Plate – I can’t remember the last time I’ve had sushi this fresh and this good in Manila. The Japanese rice is soft and served warm/room temp which is how I like it. (Other lesser restaurants serve their sushi cold from being refrigerated.. not the best way to do it).  You can really taste the quality in the fish, in the rice and in the wasabi. I read in other blogs that the Sushi Chef is from Japan which makes the sushi better and more authentic. 😀 I wish they had soft shell crab on the menu. That’s my absolute favorite, I look for that on the menu every time I visit a Japanese restaurant. I hope they put it on the menu eventually.

This is Beef. I don’t recall what the official dish is called. Under that delicious, tender, flavorful mound of meat are some french fries (just for everyone’s information). I don’t know what they put in the sauce but I liked it a lot. It had a tanginess to it that brought out the meatiness of the beef.

Here is our Bill. Told you so. I wasn’t kidding. We really got carried away with all the food. I’m heading to the Gym tomorrow to pay for my sins.

Know before you go:
1) Portions are generous and good to share. Bring your friends!
2) Come hungry, leave happy.
3) While not required, I’d recommend making a reservation because it does get kinda busy.
4) The food comes fast but don’t worry, you can eat slow.
5) Loved the ambiance but no worries, the dress code is not formal. It’s casual.

Mangetsu Japanese Restaurant

38 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Makati

478-3292