ICHIBA: Japanese Market

Photos by Star Sabroso The newest Japanese seafood market-to-table concept just arrived in the Philippines and it is looking promising. Since it opened its doors last February, people have been curious at the new concept restaurant in Resorts World Manila. Ichiba: Japanese Market “started as a dream to have something unique in Manila. We want to create illusions of different types of market in Japan. We get inspirations from Osaka where you have Kuromon market, in Tokyo we have Tsukiji market, plus the other markets in Japan. So, we put it in one place,” Bryan Tiu, president and CEO of ifoods Group Incorporated and creator of Ichiba, explained. The restaurant boasts of an all-in-one yakitori, takoyaki, ramen, donburi mini grocery where you can find all your favorite Japanese treats and goodies, and a unique fresh station where you can choose from their aquariums or catch live fish from the pond like red tilapias or lapu-lapu, and have them grilled fresh. The fun interactive aquarium pond station is something kids and families would enjoy. The aquariums have the capacity of sustaining up to 600 kg of live seafood and guests can have a variety of lobsters, different shells like elephant shells, white shells, nylon shells, crabs and different fish varieties. “I think the challenge for us is also bringing live air flown items from Japan. We have about 60 percent of produce that we get from Japan; (while) 40 percent support local fishermen. Produce from the Philippines are our tiger lobsters, sleeper lobsters, and clams. The oysters we fly it in from Japan because the Japanese don’t want to risk contamination,” says Tiu. The sashimi station makes you salivate as you watch them create a spectacle of sashimi bouquet with fresh tuna, salmon, oysters, shrimps, and fresh uni. “We have two Japanese guys with us, one is Chef Onishi; he is strong in sushi seafood side. He has been with us for almost two years, helping me out with my other Japanese projects like Wafu in Greenhills, and we have a Japanese grocery as well,” shares Tiu. “We have another guy, he studied aquaculture and fisheries in Japan. He is the one who is making sure that the live section is properly maintained,” he adds. “We have a lot of comfort food. We started with the ones Filipinos are familiar with – yakitori, takoyaki, ramen, donburi, and the fresh stations,” explains Tiu. “We also have the first Asahi bar in the Philippines.” A lovely way to down your crispy tempuras and grilled yakitori is with an ice cold Japanese beer. The design of the place transports the guests into the lively feel of markets in Japan, with everything made of wood and the stations are near each other, creating the illusion of a busy market with traditional and modern Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji murals decorating the walls. Meat lovers are not to be shunned as Ichiba also offers slices of tender meat from the yakitori section where one may order bite-sized beef yakitoris, flavorful sukiyakis, juicy gyozas, and a wide range of high-grade steaks and meats like Wagyu or Angus beef. The place is a lively venue to share good authentic Japanese food with your friends and family, and is also a perfect place for you to hold corporate gatherings as it has three function rooms at the back, perfect for meetings and small group gatherings. “We wanted something that will touch our people, something that will touch the locals, and something that can be part of your life. We wanted to be first,” says Tiu. “I’ve been going back and forth in Japan; it is an honor that even the Japanese Embassy knows that we’re here. There’s more to come; I think I’ve opened doors for them,” he concludes. Ichiba: Japanese Market is located at the second Floor of the Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila.