Teriyaki Boy: Feast for Two

It was past a year and a half since I last saw my College buddy. I have been to Japan and back twice, yet, not once was I able to give her an omiyage (a souvenir). She was insiting that I treat her to a Japanese meal and tell her what life was like in Japan. Little did she know, I was really planning on treating her.

It was a Saturday, I was supposed to go to office for our weekly dose of weekend overtime. However, since we were scheduled to meet at around 13:00h for “lunch date”, I informed my officemates that I will be coming in the office around 15:00h. Unfortunately, her car got a flat tire and needed repairs. This pushed our meeting by around 2 hours. Well, I can’t say that it was time wasted, I did find interesting sights in Glorietta while waiting for her.

At around 15:00h, she arrived. Truth was, I was shocked. She looked sexier now that when I last saw her. Her secret? She traded her FF Gym to enroll in a Boxing Gym. Yikes! Think about what will happen to me when I get into her nerves. Well, truth was, we were preparing for a buffet. We planned to eat at Saisaki. Little did we know that Saisaki was open during lunch and dinner only. Well, “brunch” was not part of Lunch and Dinner. So, we cancelled our seats and looked for another Japanese Restaurant. A few minutes walk away, we arrived at Terriyaki Boy. I have little knowledge in Nihongo, but I know that the Teriyaki Boy is not the real meaning of the kanji of the Restaurant. For Reference: the kanji is read as “futotta shounen” meaning fat boy.

We did not waste time. They have two hungry customers. Looking at the image shown above, that was what we had: good for two. We had California Maki, some spicy kani (crab), tiger prawn tempura, miso soup. Tofu steak, Mapo tofu, salmon sushi, california maki and tiger prawn tempura (for take out). So the question is, did we enjoy our meal? Yes Of Course. The down side is that, they service was a little slow and un-attending, inspite of having only a few customers.

In my stay in Japan, Miso soup was a staple in our meals in the canteen (Kyocera Mita Canteen). I have seen Japanese drink their Miso soup like tea, as well as their tea like water. The question is, why do they serve the Miso soup with a Chinese soup spoon? Point is that, customers eat at Japanese restaurants to have a taste of Japanese cuisine. I think, the ways of eating those food will add an extra feel to their Japanese experience.

Tofu Steak and Mapo Tofu. Looking back, I don’t know why I ordered Mapo Tofu when I know that my friend was ordering a Tofu steak. Luckily, I have already acquired a taste for tofu, thus giving me an “OK” experience with the Tofu meals.

Side dishes: Tempura, Fried Kani, Maki, and Sushi. Lessons Learned: it is all about the sauce. I was quite impressed that the sauce for the fried sides tasted the same with what I had in JP. The salmon sushi tasted fresh, however, it has a certain resistance when chewing the fish. Well, truth of the matter is, I had only 2 experiences of eating Salmon Sushi in Japan. I ate it in a Dampa style sushi bar near the wet market in Tsuruhashi station in Osaka. Nothing beats the experience of having a fresh salmon melt in your mouth while giving you different sensations. Having a fresh Salmon sushi fresh from the market was an unforgettable experience. It was like tasting the salmon with the sweet taste of the fresh water stream. It felt heavenly. Going back to reality, I am already here in the Philippines, with little to no chance of trying out the fresh sushi experience. *sigh*

We had a lot of catching up to do. She told me about her, being a model for a village spa. She even wanted me to attend her graduation. But seriously, being with her was really something for me. She made me feel how it was like being frank on everything again. Just like what we did last college.

Those were the days.