More than 100 ways to enjoy Tempura

The last time I visited a Japanese restaurant was early this month. It was after Erik Santos’ Paskong Pasasalamat concert at the Marikina Riverbanks when I invited my staff to have dinner with me. Initially, I wanted to treat them to a barbecue dinner in one of the "turo-turo" by the riverbank. But the place was bursting with people. We thought of going to Katipunan but everyone was tired. Katipunan was too far away. After scouring the Riverbanks complex for a restaurant that offers barbecue post haste for hungry souls like us, we opted to have dinner at Kitaro. Kitaro is a quaint Japanese restaurant. It was my first time to visit the place. We ordered tempura, several plates of maki, beef yakiniku, among others. Dinner was good and we ate like we have not eaten for a week.

Japanese food has really captured the palate of the Filipinos. They are simple and easy to prepare. Anywhere in the metropolis, you would see a Japanese restaurant. Usually, when you think of Japanese food, the first thing that comes to mind is that deep fried shrimp wrapped in seasoned flour called tempura. And one of the earliest Japanese restaurants to rise in the city is Tempura.

But more than the flour-wrapped shrimp, Tempura has a hundred more selections that keep their loyal patrons and visitors coming back for more. Other recommended dishes include kani salad for appetizer, mixed seafood teppanyaki, tofu steak, mix maki, ebi bacon maki, tori chizu maki, seafood ramen, among others.

Leading the way in providing authentic Japanese food, Tempura continues to awe customers by constantly introducing new flavors and, recently, innovations in food service.

Recently, Tempura introduced the Omega 3 packed ebi tempura which continues to be popular for the health conscious and the plain lovers of the infamous Japanese dish. These authentic Japanese dishes, in reasonable prices, are served in hefty portions that sharing food with friends or family has become a habit at Tempura.

Tempura has also introduced a first among Japanese restaurants in the country. It has installed tables with built-in grill stations called the Yakiniku table.

Yakiniku table is a no-mess, do-it-yourself Tempura original, where guests can grill their own meat and seafood, giving them a freehand if they want their meat or seafood grilled medium, medium-rare or well done. Choices include tori (chicken), ika (squid), ebi (tiger prawn), buta (pork), US prime rib (karubi) and US super prime rib (karubi jo). The Yakiniku choices can also be served cooked if guests don’t want to do it themselves.

Each dish comes with a special dipping sauce and sweet corn. And like most Tempura dishes, servings are big enough for the whole family and friends to enjoy.

The beauty of this little technology is the fact that the grill is smokeless and odorless. So guests don’t have to worry about smelling like they’ve come from a grill house. It’s also fire safe that even kids can do it themselves (with parental supervision, of course). And if finished, the grill has a matching cover concealing it from diners – as if it weren’t there all along.

Tempura Japanese Grill Restaurant has branches in Retiro, Tomas Morato, Greenhills, Alabang Town Center, and UN Ave., Manila, Convergy’s Bldg. in Makati.

Powerdance concert

The Douglas Nierras Powerdance brings to the Philippines the first-ever black theater dance concert billed Not Just Jazz Christmas Show (Hindi Basta Bastang Christmas Show) at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt Dec. 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. It is the latest Powerdance offering and Douglas Nierras makes black theater a real dance experience. Amidst black lights, see dancers morph into different forms and be transported into different worlds. With wonderful choreography from the master himself, you will go on a magical journey you wouldn’t forget.

For ticket inquiries and reservations, call 995-8287 and 995-8283. Tickets are also available at Ticketworld. The Powerdance black theater production is made possible by NAIADDS, Estilo, Ayala Cinemas, Jewelmer, Professional Artist Cosmetics, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, [email protected], Home Radio 97.9 and Structured Water.