Foreigner to Fisher Mall, it was only my 2nd time to take a walk around and dine in this mall along Quezon Avenue. The first one was purposely for a shoot with Chinoy TV, specifically at Kokoro Ramenya – a ramen house. The second time in Fisher Mall, again Japanese cuisine pulled my arms to try Sandaya Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant.

From the name Yakiniku, expect premium grilled meat occupying your plate. At Sandaya, each table has its own yakiniku grill where you get to cook your meat and eat fresh, straight from the grill. Although, Sandaya doesn’t limit its customers to Japanese style grilling. While browsing through the menu, I found out Sandaya also included a percentage of Korean items side by side the Japanese items.

The star of Sandaya cannot be missed out if you want Sandaya to fulfill its promise. When in Sandaya, be sure to order their yakiniku specialties.

The steam stirred upon the arrival of Japanese Style Beef Stew, flavorful beef broth with generous slices of premium beef. Unbelievable to believe the numbers that each bowl costs P120 only, considering the amount of beef chunks included. I reached to the bottom of the bowl and I had a semi-filled appetite instantly.

To let the children eat their greens, Sandaya Special Green Salad fuses strips of mango and crab sticks for a sweeter and pleasing taste of healthy plate. Close to having a front of Kani Salad due to the bountiful spread of shredded crab stick on top.

In a Japanese restaurant, the easiest pick that slips through the words coming from my mouth is definitely Salmon Sashimi. I am not an expert to determine the best sashimi but my taste buds somehow know how to critique the freshness of the fish served to me. Sandaya gave me equally sliced sashimi-grade salmon, fresh with no pretentious flavors.

Now, the romance with Sandaya began from my first interaction with Yakiniku.
I was told that yakiniku grilled meat is best eaten with Sandaya’s special sweet and spicy sauce. Start off with drops of spicy sauce to determine the level of heat you can take.

Yakiniku set prices vary, depending on your choices of meat. In my case, we chose the most premium meat available in Sandaya, which is Premium Assorted BBQ Set. In this set, included are the following: US Kalbi Eye, US Chuck Tender, US Boneless Short Ribs Prime, Japanese Wagyu (Kobe Beef) Inside Skirt, US Hanging Tender, US Beef Special Marbled Tongue and Japanese Wagyu (Kobe Beef) Premium Sirloin.

You have the option to choose from the Yakiniku Set or order each type of meat individually. Don’t be disturbed by the expensive numbers on top, you can enjoy Sandaya’s yakiniku for as low as P200. That’s US Kalbi Eye by the way.

It hurts to see your money burnt down the drain when you see your grilled meat burning in flames. If you are clueless on how to cook yakiniku the Sandaya way, approach anyone from the staff to assist you and teach you simultaneously. I was lucky to be joint by Avin, owner of Sandaya, who I consider as an expert in flipping the meat to perfection.

Yakiniku grill pan sometimes turn blacker as you grill more meat. Once you notice charcoal marks on your meat, you may ask the staff to switch your pan to a cleaner grill pan.

All praise comments boggled my mind while in the middle of being caressed by fresh US and Japanese meat. My chopsticks jumped to the grill pan to pick up hot meat, dressed a little with Sandaya sauce, and shoot straight to my mouth. That was the repetitive journey I don’t mind immersing myself one more time. Indeed, a reasonable dining worth my trip to Fisher Mall.

My top choices are Japanese Wagyu Inside Skirt, Japanese Wagyu (Kobe Beef) Premium Sirloin and US Beef Special Marbled Tongue. 

Appetizer to main course, I was fulfilled. On my stroll to the dessert, it was quite a bore. The desserts failed the consistency of the main savory dishes in the store. Nata de Coco seemed lost, out of the radar of Japanese cuisine. Well, there’s still room for improvement. Maybe Sandaya could bring in more interesting desserts. For now, I have to skip the desserts in this Japanese restaurant.

Full glass windows on one side of the box let light pass through the modern-looking Japanese restaurant. Given each table’s need to have its own yakiniku griller, the whole restaurant was elevated a step higher for an efficient design and layout. Smoke does not circulate with proper exhaust anchored in the room. Forgetting to bag a perfume doesn’t matter as smell of grilled meat won’t cling on your clothes.

What do you think of Sandaya Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant in Fisher Mall?

Share with me your thoughts! 🙂

Cheers,

Food	9/10
Ambiance	8/10
Service	9/10
Cost	8/10
Overall	8.5/10