Are you ready for ‘wafu’-style Japanese dining?

MANILA, Philippines - In Japan, Western dishes cooked wafu-style means that these are prepared to suit Japanese tastes. “Wafu” is a term that refers to food cooked the Japanese way.

Wafu Japanese Restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan, offers a unique menu of Japanese dishes true to the spirit of wafu.

Owner Bryan Tiu says Wafu offers only the freshest sushi and sashimi, as well as a variety of traditional and “reinvented” Japanese dishes.

“I always wanted to open an upscale Japanese restaurant after my Japanese casual chain proved to be successful and was bought by a food conglomerate,” Tiu says. His foray into Japanese food reflects his fascination for Japanese culture and its cuisine.

“I used to travel to Japan three to four times a year for business, and I was constantly absorbing the culture with each visit,” he says. “My vision was to open a Japanese restaurant that would become a destination place.”

Wafu chef Chris Oronce says the wafu style of cooking will appeal to Filipino diners because it is very Asian.

“Being Filipino, I know what our guests at Wafu will like,” he explains. “It’s a mixture of sweet, salty, a little spicy, sour and umami, and we are not using MSG in all of the dishes.  The palate of Filipinos is very diverse. They will be able to appreciate the taste of wafu-style cooking.”

The menu is a mix of traditional and modern Japanese dishes that Oronce picked up from his experience working abroad. “I do my best to follow the standard recipe when it comes to traditional dishes. With the modern dishes, I incorporate both local and imported ingredients to create dishes that are similar to modern dishes served in Japan.”

Apart from the standard menu, Wafu offers a variety of teishoku or executive lunch sets, which can be customized to suit the diner’s preference. There are also vegetarian options for those with special dietary requirements, or those watching their diets. Wafu also boasts a wide selection of sake you can pair with your meal selection.

Wafu is set in the newly developed area of Greenhills Shopping Center.  The design of the restaurant aims to match the best restaurants found in five-star hotels. The interior is an 800-sq.m. property designed to create a relaxing dining experience.

The main ground floor dining area has a separate sushi bar and sake bar, while the second floor features a teppan grill dining section where you can enjoy steak, Wagyu, fresh and live seafood with your favorite sake without the hassle of smoke swirling around, thanks to the high-tech ventilation system. The mezzanine has function rooms for business meetings and other private functions for larger groups.

Chef Oronce gained extensive experience in food and restaurant operations management working at distinguished restaurants in the US, like the MGM Grand Shibuya in Las Vegas, where he spent his last years before returning to the Philippines. His other US stint includes Koi Restaurant at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas; working with celebrity chef Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas; and Nobu in New York.  

Chef Chris became chef instructor at Enderun Colleges in Taguig before his chance meeting with Tiu, which led to the creation of Wafu and its distinctive menu.

Wafu offers a special “chef tasting,” which is rarely offered in Japanese restaurants in Manila.  This type of dining is similar to a “chef’s course” for the day. Oronce decides on what will be served depending on the day’s catch, market selection and his culinary fancy. Most “chef tasting” menus consist of anywhere from nine to 12 dishes.

Tiu says ingredients at Wafu are flown in directly from Japan to give diners a taste of how food is prepared and presented there, except for live catch like lapu-lapu, lobsters, and shrimps, which are supplied locally to support local farmers.

Wafu had its soft opening in September, with San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez and Vice Mayor Francis Zamora in attendance.

Tiu is mulling plans of offering izakaya items for the after-dinner crowd. In Japan, an izakaya is a roadside stall or shop that sells simple meals and snacks to office workers on their way home after a busy day or after a night at a karaoke bar. Standard izakaya fare includes yakitori (barbecues), ramen, donburi (rice bowl meals), and the like.

 “The challenge for any Japanese restaurant is to be different from its competitors,” says Tiu. “Our extensive menu of Japanese dishes and personalized service will make Wafu a favorite chef-driven concept among the metro’s diners.”

Wafu is located at Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City. For more information, call 570-3242.