Your Guide to Ayala Malls Vertis North's Japan Town

(SPOT.ph) For folks who live or work north of the Metro, they know that Ayala Malls Vertis North is one of the quieter shopping establishments in Quezon City. Plus, the mall is home to lots of good eats—fans of Japanese food are especially lucky because Ayala Malls Vertis North has a section dedicated to the cuisine. Called Japan Town, this part of the mall has almost all the Japanese staples you could possibly crave, from curry and tempura to takoyaki.

Here is your guide to the restaurants at Japan Town, Vertis North:

Japan Fudo Street

Japan Fudo Street is an all-in-one stop, not just for Japanese food, but also for snacks and other goodies from Japan. They offer almost everything, from sushi and donburi to tempura and sashimi, but we highly recommend choosing from their yakitori section. Aside from grilled chicken and beef, you can go for more unusual but no less tasty items like Grilled Baby Octopus (P130) and Grilled Squid (P80). Japan Fudo Street also offers bento sets, like Bento Unagi Sashimi (P380), which will get you tender grilled unagi and buttery salmon sashimi plus pickled vegetables, rice, and miso soup.

Japan Fudo Street is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Hokkaido Takoyaki

If you can’t get enough of takoyaki, it’s pretty much a given that Hokkaido Takoyaki is the place to visit. Located inside Japan Fudo Street, this eatery offers five kinds of takoyaki (P129/six pieces, P179/nine pieces, P229/12 pieces), from the Original that’s studded with tender octopus to Kani and Mozzarella with gooey cheese. Hokkaido Takoyaki also offers special takoyaki variants like Aburi Cheese (P185), or takoyaki blanketed with cheese that’s been torched until melted and smoky.

Hokkaido Takoyaki is at Japan Fudo Street, Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Coco Ichibanya

When it comes to Japanese curry in Manila, you can rely on Coco Ichibanya. At the giant curry chain, you can choose from seven levels of spiciness and customize the size of your rice—plus, they offer lots of curry options, from vegetables to pork, beef, and seafood. We highly recommend their Omelet Curry dishes, especially the Pork Cutlet Omelet Curry (P360). The fluffy omelet contrasts well with the crunchy-yet-succulent pork and adds a lightness to the rich curry sauce. 

Coco Ichibanya is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City. 

Kureji

There are a lot of ramen joints around Metro Manila, but Kureji still manages to stand out. With a name that translates to crazy, how can you expect them not to? Kureji’s specialty is sizzling ramen or ramen served in stone bowls with the broth sizzling until the noodles get to the right tenderness. A small pitcher of broth is also served with your order, plus a minute timer that indicates the right time to add more soup to your bowl. While Kureji offers sizzling shoyu and shio ramen, you can always try the Sizzling Tomato Seafood Ramen (P420), with a spicy-tangy tomato-kimchi broth plus salmon, squid, shrimp, and kani.

Kureji is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Tendon Kohaku 

Tempura is a staple at almost all Japanese restaurants, but Tendon Kohaku sets the bar high for their tendon or tempura donburi. Simply put, tempura rice bowls are the specialty here, but Tendon Kohaku stands out for their sweet tempura sauce and light, airy batter. Treat yourself with the Spicy Seafood Tendon (P480), which has crispy fried wild-tiger prawns, scallops, kisu (small fish), tuna, squid, and oyster on a bed of fluffy Japanese rice and blanketed with their signature, mildly sweet sauce. You can’t go wrong with Original Kohaku Tendon (P340) either The bowl has fried wild tiger prawns, squid, chicken breast, crabstick, green beans, shiitake, young corn, and pumpkin, and the bite of the crisp vegetables contrast well with the succulence of the protein.

Tendon Kohaku is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Botejyu

This specialty okonomiyaki restaurant from Osaka has become known as the place for premium Japanese cuisine. Ordering any of their okonomiyaki is a no-brainer; go for Mochi and Cheese Oko (P350), which comes topped with gooey melted Gouda. Another must-try at Boteyju is their Takoyaki All-Star (P245), a sampler platter that features takoyaki with six different toppings like thick garlic sauce, spicy Mentai mayo, and salt garlic sauce—the takoyaki themselves are velvety soft and generously filled with tender octopus.

Boteyju is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City. 

Tsujiri

When it comes to matcha, you can consider Tsujiri the experts—after all, they’ve been around for more than 150 years. Tsujiri Philippines imports their matcha from Kyoto, so you know you’re only getting the best quality. Aside from matcha drinks, Tsujiri has become especially popular for their desserts, like their picture-perfect Tsujiri Sundae (P295/matcha, P275/vanilla), which comes topped with red bean, mochi, toasted rice, and a cherry-blossom rice cracker for just the right pop of savory, earthy flavor to round out all the sweetness.

Tsujiri is at Japan Town at Vertis Ginza, 4/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.