Family Favorite: Omakase, Alabang

We discovered this little gem of a Japanese restaurant several years ago, when it was still at its old location in the now-demolished Casa Susana Building beside Alabang Town Center. At the time, it was still something of a secret, for the most part known only to Southerners who liked good Japanese food--particularly sushi--at a reasonable price. I know Omakase has a few branches, and perhaps one or two of these were up and running and well known before the Alabang branch was put up. But here I speak specifically of the Alabang branch: It was at the basement level of a building that many people not from the South overlook, and even Southerners wouldn't have known that down in the basement was a Japanese restaurant that soon would become a neighborhood favorite.

And like a true neighborhood favorite, it gained patronage through word of mouth. Sushi lovers who've been there raved about the variety of sushi offerings--beyond your usual California maki and tuna/salmon sushi. Fellow sushi fiends were quick to try it and, impressed not only by the selection of sushi and but also by the good quality of food, reasonable prices, and ambiance, were quick to recommend it to even more people. Omakase became so popular that if you showed up at peak hours (especially weekend dinner), there would already be a wait list, and it would be maybe 20 or 30 minutes before you could be seated. But it was also so good that people were willing to wait.

Fast forward to the present. Omakase has since moved to a larger, two-floor location at the Molito Lifestyle Center, just across the street from its old location. Now much more visible and accessible, it has opened itself up to a larger market, no longer limited to the social circles of the South--although a large portion of its regular clientele is still made up of Southerners.

Last week, we had dinner there to celebrate my brother's birthday. 8:30 pm on a Wednesday night, and the place was bustling. We were pleasantly greeted at the door, seated promptly, and given menus. Since Omakase is a regular haunt for us, it didn't take us long to decide what to order: our usual Spicy Tuna Salad, SAR Platter, and JSC platter; a Deep Blue Sea; and a Momoiro Udon, since it was a birthday and we needed a noodle dish. Later on, my brother took advantage of his being the birthday celebrant and requested an additional order: a Dynamite Roll.

Our orders arrived within a reasonable amount of time. The Spicy Tuna Salad (PhP 220 [~USD 5]) was, as always, the perfect way to whet our appetites, with fresh raw tuna cubes, a nicely spicy salad dressing, and crunchy bits of tempura batter atop a bed of lettuce, sprinkled with chopped scallions and either tobiko (flying fish roe) or ebiko (shrimp roe).

Spicy Tuna Salad

The first maki to arrive was the Deep Blue Sea (spicy tuna and tempura bits inside with with salmon, shrimp, and shredded kani [crabstick] on top, PhP 280 [~USD 7]). It was quite good, with fresh ingredients, but it wasn't my favorite. For one thing, I thought it was too big of a mouthful for me to properly taste what i was eating, and for another, the ingredients seemed to complete and blur each other out rather than complement and enhance each other.

Deep Blue Sea

The SAR and JSC platters arrived almost simultaneously. The SAR platter (PhP 445 [~USD 11]) contains Salmon Skin maki (crunchy salmon skin with scallions and sesame seeds outside, individual order PhP 180); American Dream (deep-fried, tempura-batter-coated sushi with salmon, kani, and cream cheese, individual order PhP 195); and Rock n Roll (spicy tuna inside with scallions and sesame seeds outside, individual order PhP 180). Do the math: ordering these makis individually amounts to PhP 555 (~USD 13), so the savings are significant when you order the platter.

SAR Platter: Salmon Skin maki (top right/bottom left),
American Dream (middle), Rock n Roll (top left/bottom right)

The Salmon Skin maki is my mom's favorite: lucky for her, because it's everyone else's least favorite. It's actually good, but I suppose the rest of us just don't particularly enjoy the rough texture and partial crunch of the salmon skin. The American Dream is a popular, safe choice that can be enjoyed by sushi veterans and the uninitiated alike; it tastes good and is not lacking in sophistication, yet it is not raw and not too exotic. The Rock n Roll is my favorite among this platter's offerings; it's simple but not plain or ordinary, and you get the clean, natural, unadulterated flavors of fresh ingredients.

The JSC Platter (PhP 695 [~USD 17]) is a combination of the Jurassic (ebi [shrimp] tempura, kani, ebiko, salmon skin, and cucumber inside with unagi [eel] on top, individual order PhP 280); Seabreeze (ebi tempura and spicy salmon inside, slices of tuna outside, individual order PhP 250); and Crazy Maki (spicy tuna and salmon inside, scallion, salmon skin, and ebiko outside, individual order PhP 185). Ordered individually, these three makis amount to PhP 715--the difference between this and the price of the platter is surprisingly small. However, if you're ordering all three makis anyway--and there's no reason not to, because they're all very good (no duds/fillers here)--might as well get the platter and save yourself 20 bucks.

JSC Platter: Jurassic (top right/bottom left), Seabreeze (center),
 Crazy Maki (top left/bottom right)

Everyone has a different favorite from this platter. One of my sisters likes the Jurassic, perhaps because of the variety of flavors and textures you get in one bite. The Seabreeze is bound to please many, as it combines 3 Japanese favorites: raw tuna, raw salmon, and the flavor and crunch of ebi tempura. The Crazy Maki is my other sister's favorite. It is actually more simple than its name suggests. Perhaps the salmon skin on the outside makes it "crazy," but it's a rather sparse coating, and it's so subtle, I barely even notice it's there. Nevertheless, this is my favorite among this platter's offerings, too.

I'm glad my brother went for the additional order of the Dynamite Roll (unagi tempura inside with spicy salmon or tuna on top, PhP 240 [~USD 6]). With a nice creamy crunch inside and my favorite spicy tuna/salmon salad on top, what's not to like? If I were dining alone or with just one or two other people and we were doing individual orders, this would be one of my top choices.

Dynamite Roll

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Omakase's special dipping sauce for their makis. In addition to the regular Japanese soy sauce, they also provide a special dip of Japanese mayo drizzled with a brown sauce (maybe kabayaki?). I myself am not a big fan of this special sauce and much prefer soy sauce, but it is yummy and rich and goes well with some of the makis, particularly those that are crunchy and those with eel or tempura batter. My mom and sisters are particularly fond of it, often wiping the sauce container clean and sometimes even asking for more!

Soy sauce container (left) and Omakase's signature dipping sauce (right)

Not to be forgotten is the Momoiro Udon (creamy pasta with salmon, shrimp, squid, and crabstick, PhP 255 [~USD 6]). It was as advertised: creamy, generous with the seafood, and rich in seafood flavor. Considering that this was more of a throw-in, which we ordered only because no birthday is complete without noodles, it was not bad at all.

Momoiro Udon

My plate; clockwise from bottom left: 2 Rock n Rolls, Crazy Maki, Seabreeze,
Jurassic, American Dream, Deep Blue Sea, Momoiro Udon. Happiness on a plate :)

Our bill amounted to Php 2,135 (~USD 51) for 7 people, all incredibly full (and we don't have timid appetites); we could have ordered one less maki and still have been full. PhP 300 per head for an assortment of quality makis is not bad at all. The prices are comparable to Tempura or Teriyaki Boy, but the food is better (the sushi/makis, at least), and the ambiance is more that of a table-service restaurant than a fast food.

We usually go to Omakase for the makis, not so much the normal dishes. We've tried some of the usual Japanese fare (donburi [rice topped with meat], sukiyaki (clear savory-sweet broth with glass noodles, thinly sliced beef, egg, tofu, and veggies)], and it wasn't bad, but nothing to rave about either. What really sets Omakase apart is the sushi/maki, so go for those.

Note that the service, at least at the Alabang branch, can be a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it's excellent--it's good more often than not--but other times it's frustratingly slow, and you have to ask for things (water, chopsticks, sauce) repeatedly before you finally get them. Our last visit alone was a mixed bag: The staff were courteous and quick to seat us and take our orders. They gave us everything we needed without our having to ask: individual sauce containers, tea cups for everybody, napkins. We secretly brought in a cake for my brother, and the staff were very accommodating about keeping the cake in their kitchen and bringing it out, candle lit and all, on our signal. However, once we were done with our meal, and we signaled for the cake, one of the waitstaff inexplicably brought out the cake, still in its box, and simply placed it on the table next to us. Surprise ruined. Good thing my brother was a sport and just pretended not to see it. After a few more mishaps, with the server asking us whether he should light the candle and then taking a really long time to find a way to light it, he finally brought the cake to our table, out of the box, candle lit. It was really frustrating that a well-planned surprise, which we'd discussed in detail with their staff beforehand, was pretty much ruined, but we just laughed it off. The server also made up for his blunder by bringing out a knife, clean plates, and forks without us asking.

Despite the somewhat inconsistent service, we'll definitely keep coming back to Omakase. The lapses in service are never so terrible so as to be a dealbreaker, and it's too small a thing to deter us from enjoying a good selection of delicious, good-quality makis at reasonable prices.

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Omakase, Alabang Branch (facebook.com/weloveomakase)
Molito Lifestyle Complex, Madrigal Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa
+63 2 771 1443

Open from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; 5:30 - 10 pm

Other branches:
Intepid Plaza Building, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis (+63 2 637-6013)
Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato, Quezon City (+63 2 332-4115)
Connecticut Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan (+63 2 470-9807)
Ayala Triangle, Makati (+63 2 467-3150)

Ole Reliable: Gourmet's Palate (aka Charbroiled), BF Paranaque

Everyone should have a default place to go when hungry, broke, and too tired to think of what to eat; and it's late; and there's no food at home. Mine would have to be Gourmet's Palate (aka Charbroiled) in BF Homes, Paranaque.

Gourmet's Palate is conveniently located along Aguirre Ave., BF's commercial strip, so it's easy to find. The restaurant is small, with a capacity of maybe 15-20 diners. There is also outside seating, enough to accommodate maybe another 20 people. The interior is bright, with yellow walls adorned with decor reminiscent of a simple country kitchen. It's humble and clean, nothing to boast of, but no one comes to Gourmet's Palate for the decor or ambiance.

What they do come for is the (relatively) cheap, very tasty, and filling food.

Their menu consists of burgers (about 15 different varieties, including a chicken burger, a roast beef sandwich, and hotdogs); sizzling-plate rice meals (about 10 different varieties); and takaw bowls (different flavors of fried rice with meat and veggies). They also have some Pinoy-Mexican fare (nachos, tacos, quesadillas, burritos); Pinoy-Chinese fare (dumplings and noodle soup); shawarma (meat rolled into flatbread); a few silogs (breakfast meats with egg and fried garlic rice) and a couple of pastas; and a handful of desserts.

About 95% of the time, R and I go for their sizzlers. For R, it's usually the Porterhouse or T-bone, and for me, it's almost always the Salisbury Steak or the Roast Beef. All sizzlers are served with rice (either garlic or java) and well as mixed veggies and gravy (except maybe the sisig, which I have yet to try). The meat is always very well marinated and incredibly tasty, and the gravy is good enough to scoop onto the rice and eat as is. Gravy pa lang, ulam na. I might've mentioned that I'm not a big rice eater, and I usually consume just half an order of rice or less, but at Gourmet's Palate, I usually finish 3/4 a cup or even a whole cup of rice, which is astounding for me!

Porterhouse? T-bone? Not sure which.

Salisbury steak

When I'm not in the mood for rice (which rarely happens, particularly when I'm ravenously hungry), I go for a burger, usually the Blue Thunder or Mushroom Melt (I love blue cheese and mushrooms). The bread is nice and soft, substantial but not overwhelming, and it does a good job of soaking up the flavors and excess juices of the meat inside it. The burger patty is char-grilled (so be patient, as it takes a while to cook), big and beefy, moist and tender, and perfectly tasty--this is not your usual McDonald's/burger-chain burger! I'm not really big on burgers--I usually think they're boring and are made interesting only by their toppings (cheese, onions, mushrooms, etc.)--but the burgers here are delicious! I love them so much that I eat them even when I'm in the mood for rice (see Salisbury steak above).

I've ordered a takaw bowl once or twice, and while delicious and incredibly filling, I'd rather order something that isn't predominantly rice (although they are generous enough with the meat and veggies). For those who love fried rice, though, this is bound to satisfy.

Gyoza. I know some pieces are a little more toasted than
others (they must've been having an off night), but I assure
 you that none were burnt, and they were still perfectly good.

When extra hungry, R and I usually go for a size order of gyoza (Japanese meat dumplings). Their version is pan-fried, nicely crisp on the outside, with delicious filling, and served with a nice, mildly vinegary dipping sauce. We also usually share an order of Chinese gulaman, cold, sweet, and refreshing.

Chinese gulaman

Once in a while, we order dessert, either silvanas (the perfect ratio of pastry to butter, great texture, sweet and creamy without being overwhelming) or chocolate cake (perfectly moist).

And the damage? No more than PhP 500 (~USD 12) for two persons, and that's when we're feeling particularly gluttonous, with gyoza, a main each, gulaman, and dessert.

So next time you find yourself down South, and it's late and you're hungry and you don't have much cash to burn, you know where to go!

*Apologies for the low-quality photos. I'll replace them with better ones soon. (Gives me an excuse to eat at Gourmet's again!)

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Gourmet's Palate
Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque

Phase 1 branch
+63 2 809-4273
Open 10 am - 4 am

Phase 3 branch
+63 2 850-8640
Open 10 am - 12 mn