Restaurant Review: Kikufuji Japanese Restaurant

My brother had been raving about Little Tokyo since he first set foot on it with his girlfriend. Though my knowledge of the place was only limited to the very few blog posts I read, I knew that it is a strip of Japanese restaurants and stores that sell Japanese goods. The entire family got the chance to finally go there on my brother’s birthday last February 25. He specifically chose Kikufuji Japanese Restaurant.

We arrived around 6PM so parking space was understandably scarce. The first thing I noticed about the restaurant is the smell! Just so you know, I have a bionic nose! Kung anong hina ng tenga ko, ganoon naman ang lakas ng pang-amoy ko. I could not stand the fishy smell, but I didn’t want to disappoint the birthday boy.

Aside from the smell, the next thing I noticed was the very unfriendly waitress who was assigned to our table. It was my parents’ first time so they naturally asked a lot of questions. The waitress looked very impatient and did not even show a single sign that she is capable of smiling. I told Boyet, “Pigilan mo ako! Isasalaksak ko sa ilong nya ‘tong chopsticks ko!” Seriously, if you’re in customer service, make sure you know how to treat customers. They are paying for your services. I don’t expect you to be jolly, I just want you to be civil at the very least. Ang baho na ng restaurant, ang baho pa ng itsura ng waitress. Kaloka! In fairness to Kikufuji, the other waitresses were really nice to us. With the bad smell and the attitude of one of the servers, I expected their food to compensate for the bad start.

Both Boyet and Papa can’t start a meal without a bowl of hot soup. Mama and Papa shared Seaweed Soup, while we had Tamago Soup.

I really don’t like takoyaki because the first time I ate one, it caused me an upset stomach. The one I had before had tons of uncooked flour and shredded cabbage. Somebody told me that poorly-prepared takoyaki really causes tummy aches. But the takoyaki I had at Kikufuji changed my mind. It has real octopus bits, and the flour has been cooked thoroughly. The takoyaki sauce is very tasty too.

My parents don’t like eating raw food. So when they saw sashimi on the table, it was frowned upon. Hahaha! I am not fond of eating anything raw too, but I have learned to eat sashimi once in a while. Abes has been raving about Kikufuji’s Spicy Tuna Sashimi. He didn’t need to convince me because he already got me at SPICY!

Fresh tuna chunks are coated with a spicy sauce and crunchy tempura bits (I think). It’s really good that even my parents could not stop munching it.

Japanese dinner will never be complete without teppanyaki so we had Beef Teppanyaki that night. Beef strips on a bed of mixed vegetables are served on a sizzling plate. I love that the beef strips are very tender and that the vegetables aren’t soggy. The sauce is very delicious too.

Another staple dish on a Japanese meal is the Chicken Teriyaki. Teriyaki is a hit or miss dish. If it becomes too sweet or too salty, then the dish is totally ruined. Fortunately, Kikufuji’s Chicken Teriyaki has all the flavors balanced. I also liked that the chicken was grilled to perfection.

After the triple gastronomic treats from the Spicy Tuna Sashimi, Beef Teppanyaki and Chicken Teriyaki, the Yasai Itame didn’t impress me at all. It was just so-so.

Then, the Yaki Udon came last. I don’t know how to describe this. It tasted weird for me. There was a bitter aftertaste that actually stays in my tongue even after washing it with water. I’ve tried Yaki Udon numerous times before so I know that it’s not supposed to taste that way. I just really didn’t like it. :|


Our dinner at Kikufuji didn’t start and end well, but I was glad that I enjoyed most of the food. Until now, I’m still dreaming of that Spicy Tuna Sashimi! :)


Kikufuji Japanese Restaurant
2277 Pasong Tamo St.,
Makati City