A haven for sushi lovers

If you dine frequently in Quezon City’s “Scout” area and love Japanese cuisine, do try the newly-opened Sushi Shokunin. Shokunin means artisan or craftsman in English. Located at The Ignacia Place, #62 Sgt. Esguerra Ave. cor. Mother Ignacia, Sushi Shokunin is owned by Chef Migs Flores, a culinary arts graduate who apprenticed at Benihana and Wagamama in Dubai until the COVID pandemic changed everything.

I came to know about the place through my daughter, who loves Japanese food. She told me a few weeks ago that her classmate had opened a sushi place where the food was delicious. Coincidentally, a dear friend was looking for a good Japanese restaurant in the area, so we decided to give it a try.

And it did not disappoint.

Sushi Shokunin Special Roll is packed with unagi, prawn tempura and sprinkled with Tobiko.

I asked Chef Migs what made him decide to open a Japanese restaurant in the middle of the pandemic, when lots of restaurants were closing down. For him, it was all about his passion and love for Japanese food. Preparing Japanese food is an art, and it takes lots of time and patience to not only master its techniques, but to source the freshest ingredients to make each dish delightful.

Chef Migs had to come back to Manila when the global situation worsened due to the pandemic. While stuck at home, he thought of an online food delivery service that would serve top-grade, scrumptious sushi delivered right to your doorstep. When that venture proved successful, he was encouraged to open the restaurant after a few months. He wanted to see people come together over the dining table to enjoy the food he prepared. He even added a teppanyaki table to entertain diners with his cooking prowess. It also helped that a cousin, who has a restaurant in the same building, told Migs that there was a vacancy. The thought of him and his cousin running restaurants in the same building appealed to him.

When we got to the restaurant, Chef Migs and his sister Bianca warmly greeted us at the door.  For starters, we had the mixed sashimi deluxe platter that had tuna, salmon, scallops, saba, uni, kani kama and unagi sashimi. It was so fresh, decadent and beautifully plated, I was in sashimi heaven!

Mixed Sashimi Deluxe is made up of fresh salmon, saba, tuna, scallops, ikura, uni, kani kama and unagi sashimi.

We also had five different kinds of sushi: the Sushi Shokunin Special (the house special roll which brings an explosion of flavors and freshness in every bite. The roll had unagi, kani kama, prawn tempura, tobiko with teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo on top and topped with a generous topping of tobiko); Tuna Flakes Roll (tuna sashimi and crunchy tempura crumbs all rolled together with spicy mayo and leeks); Torched Salmon Roll (torched salmon sashimi, cream cheese, kani kama, cucumber and ikura); Avocado Unagi Tempura Roll (avocado, unagi, kani kama, prawn tempura, teriyaki sauce and black tobiko); and Crazy California Roll (orange tobiko, tempura crumbs, cream cheese, spicy mayonnaise, cucumber and kani kama). Everything we ordered was so good.

Even though I was almost full after the sashimi platter and the sushi, I couldn’t stop because, for me, no Japanese meal is complete without shrimp tempura and fried rice. The tempura batter was light, the prawns were perfectly sized, and the fried rice was flavorful — all truly delicious. Then came the to-die-for dessert: Tempura ice cream, vanilla ice cream coated in a cake batter then fried to perfection then served with frozen berries and drizzled with salted caramel. Yes, it was sinful but worth every calorie.

Because I had no more room for his teppanyaki dishes, I promised Chef Migs that I’d be back. I’m already looking forward to my return visit to Sushi Shokunin, and I’ll be sure to bring an even heartier appetite.

Tempura ice cream is vanilla ice cream coated in a light cake batter then fried to perfection and topped with creamy, salted caramel sauce and frozen berries.

Chef Migs Flores