I have been craving for some Japanese dish lately and given that I am leaving for India, I wanted to have a taste of Japanese before I head out to the land of curries. Don’t get me wrong, I love curry but then I also am a big fan of Japanese cuisine.
So when I got an invite from Trish to try out Soru Izakaya, I immediately said yes.
Soru Izakaya located in the rotunda, flanked with a big sign outside, is one of the easy to spot restaurant around BGC. Upon entering, you will immediately notice the quite dark ambiance inside giving it an elegant and sleek appeal.
The restaurant has two floors, each having a sushi bar of their own. You can watch their chefs prepare your food if you are curious.
True to their name which means “New Japanese”, Soru Izakaya offers authentic Japanese cuisine experience with some modern touch to it. All the dishes are made delicately and you can see the artistry of the chef preparing them. Their sushi plates are presented in an elaborate, almost like a painting manner.
We started with their Spicy Maguro Salad (Php290) which truly looks appetizing. The usual greens are topped with generous amount of fresh tuna sashimi cubes and tempura flakes. The crunchy black tobiko or flying fish roe, gave a salty and smoky flavor to the dish which really complemented the tuna. The dressing is made of spicy mayo and miso giving all the components stand out more. It has a bit of an aftertaste, the smoky and spicy flavor lingers a little longer in the tongue.
The next one we tried was their Poke Bowl (Php290) which is like the alter ego of the Spicy Maguro Salad. This dish has a sweeter and more refreshing taste. The greens are topped with fresh tuna and salmon cubes. I really like the salmon cubes in this one because it has that melt in your mouth feel to it. It also has black tobiko and onions giving it a savory flavor, as well as sweet mango cubes which really complements the other ingredients. The addition of cucumber balances all the different flavors well. But what made this dish really stand out is the dressing made of Sriracha mayo and mango sauce, it got hints of sweet and spicy which feels like having the best of both worlds.
Moving on, we had the Cold Soba (Php180). If it’s your first time trying this dish, make sure to dip your noodles in the soba sauce they provided or else you will end up with a bland tasting noodles. Their noodles are made of buckwheat flour and it is gluten free and cholesterol free. It is topped with Ebi tempura and enoki making the dish more satiating. The noodles are cooked al dente and has a slightly nutty flavor and the soba sauce tastes like light broth but a little saltier.
And what is a Japanese cuisine experience without Tempura. Their Nori Tempura (Php360) here is just one of the best. Tiger prawns are used for the core dipped in batter with added nori making the final product really delicious. It got a really crispy outside but the shrimp are perfectly cooked, tender, and tasty. The dish comes with a tempura sauce dip, but I think they just as great on their own. You can order in different serving sizes; Shou for 3 pieces (Php240), Nami for 5 pieces (Php360), and Dai for 8 pieces (Php520).
The next dish we had was their Udon Carbonara (Php450). This meal is quite heavy and really satisfying. The udon noodles are cooked just perfectly while the wasabi cream sauce really takes this dish on a whole new level. The sauce has shitake mushrooms and cooked salmon cubes added giving an additional flavor and balance to the dish. It also has uni and ikura which complements well adding some character to the taste. Topped with parmesan cheese, this dish is absolutely everything.
For me, I think this dish is one of highlight of our Soru Izakaya experience. Made of the finest wagyu beef from Japan, the Wagyu Steak (Php990) is their crème de la crème offering. The price is a little steep for some 200 grams of meat but considering that this is wagyu – wagyu is one of the most sought after and expensive meat – the price is pretty justifiable. The meat was seasoned and cooked to perfection making every tender bite a burst of flavor.
We then moved on to one of my favorite part of this experience – trying their famous Maki. We first had their Lava Maki (Php380). The first thing you will notice is how beautiful the plating was, I even feel guilty eating it because it feels like ruining an art. The sushi with salmon skin and tamago inside are arrange in a volcano-like shape, topped with fresh tuna and salmon cubes, and drizzled with mayo and teriyaki sauce to make it look like a volcano overflowing with lava with a flying dragon circling it. And true to its name, this one is really hot, like spicy hot.
Next, we had the Avocado Maki (Php480) with this one served in the shape of a rooster. It has deep-fried unagi or freshwater eel, mangoes, and avocado, each having a distinct flavor on their own but blends together to create an amazing taste. It is topped with cream cheese which makes it even more delicious.
Up next were their Spider Maki (Php380) which is a combination of crab meat and mango which perfectly complement one another. The black tobiko and ikura gives a refreshing burst with every bite and the nori gives the dish a savory taste. The Japanese mayo and teriyaki sauce absolutely made this dish even better.
We had the Aburi Moriawase before we do dessert. It is a platter of aburi with different fish in it. They have shake, maguro, saba, tako, and horse mackerel you can choose from. You literally need to hold yourself back trying everything once you ordered this.
Lastly, we had our desserts. We were served with their Tiramisu (Php220) and Rising Sun Takoyaki Desserts (Php180). The tiramisu was delightful as expected with all the cream cheese, coffee flavored ladyfingers, cocoa powder, mint leaves, and blueberries working perfectly together.
The takoyaki dessert is quite new for me, it’s made of takoyaki balls with cream cheese and red velvet filling. It is served topped with slices of strawberries and peach, peanuts, marshmallow, and drizzled with ganache.
Overall, Soru Izakaya is a feast for the senses. You will get dishes that taste as delightful as they look for a very reasonable price. I will definitely would love to back again.
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