Of Ramen, Sushi And Sashimi - Japanese Restaurants in Cebu

“If I were trapped in one city and had to eat one nation's cuisine for the rest of my life, I would not mind eating Japanese. I adore Japanese food. I love it.” - Anthony Bourdain

Well, Anthony Bourdain will likely come back to the Queen City of the South to check out the Japanese restaurants in and around the city. Cebu is home to numerous restaurants offering Japanese cuisine. These restaurants range from small and inexpensive hole-in-the-wall eating places to high-end restaurants. The following are some of the Japanese restaurants one can find in Metro Cebu.

Akita Japanese Restaurant

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Akita Japanese Restaurant Facebook Page

​The Akita Japanese Restaurant is relatively new to the food scene in Cebu.  The restaurant is the brainchild of Toshiro Ishihara who wanted to pay homage to his mother. Mrs. Ishihara is a native of Akita, Japan, which is known for its sake breweries and rice farming. The restaurant offers a number of authentic Japanese dishes, including the Kakiage, Agedashidofu, and Yakinasu, among others. The restaurant is also known for offering hefty servings that are meant to be shared. 

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Akita Japanese Restaurant Facebook Page

Prices of the menu items range from PHP150 for the Terriyaki Chicken Curry up to PHP490 for the large Nikumori. The Akita Japanese Restaurant is located at the GND Arcade along F. Cabahug Street, Kasambagan, Cebu City. It is open from 5:30 PM to 12:30 AM from Monday to Saturday.

Joed's Lutong Hapon

Japanese Restaurants – image source: courtesy of Peter Parcon

​Joed’s Lutong Hapon has made a name for itself as a restaurant offering Japanese food at a reasonable cost. The restaurant had its humble beginnings as a small carenderia-type eating place close to a basketball court in the Mabolo area. Despite its unassuming ambiance, the place has a good following among foodies in Cebu. The new location of the restaurant is more accessible and closer to its market.  The dishes offered at the restaurant are recipes made by the owner, Edgar Malipatan. Mr. Malipatan worked as a chef in Japan for two decades before coming back to the Philippines to establish his own business. The name of the place is a combination of the name of the Malipatan couple, Joan and Edgar.

Japanese Restaurants – image source: courtesy of Peter Parcon

The dishes of Joed’s Lutong Hapon are made of 100 percent Japanese ingredients with the exception of the tuna and salmon. These dishes include the Ebi Tempura Roll, Beef Muyashi, and Yakisoba. The prices of the menu items at the restaurant are between PHP45 for the Muyashi and PHP1,800 for the Sushi Platter. Joed’s Lutong Hapon is located at the corner of Pres. Quirino Street and F. Cabahug Street in Mabolo, Cebu City. The place is open every day from 11:00 AM to 5:00 AM.

Banri Noodle House

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Banri Noodle House Facebook Page

​The Banri Noodle House is an authentic Japanese restaurant offering home-made noodles, hand-made tofu and fried rice dishes. At the helm of the restaurant is Chef M. Terasawa, who has over four decades of experience in preparing ramen in Japan. He is a hands-on owner who goes around the place checking on his guests. He also helps out in clearing plates off the tables whenever necessary.

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Banri Noodle House Facebook Page

The Banri Noodle House offers nineteen varieties of ramen that are served piping hot. The ramen dishes offered at the place include the Shoyu Ramen, Kimchi Ramen and Tonkotsu Ramen. In addition, the menu also includes a number of meat dishes that are cooked in traditional Japanese styles. These meat dishes include the Beef Teppanyaki, Chicken Terriyaki, and Meatball Subuta.  The prices of the menu items at the restaurant range from PHP130 for the Onigiri up to PHP620 for the Mixed Sashimi. The Banri Noodle House is located at the Crossroads along Gov. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City. The place is open from 11AM to 2PM and 5:30 PM to 10:00 from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, the restaurant is open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Barikata Ramen Bar

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Barikata Ramen Bar Facebook Page

​The Barikata Ramen Bar specializes in ramen, which is a staple food in Japan. The ambiance of the restaurant makes customers feel like they are in Japan. The place has both indoor and outdoor seating for its customers, who are mainly employees of nearby business process outsourcing companies at the Cebu IT Park. Aside from ramen, the restaurant also offers other Japanese dishes, including the Gyoza, Cha-Shu Don, and Ebi Tempura Bento.

Japanese Restaurants – image source: Barikata Ramen Bar Facebook Page

​The prices of the menu items at the Barikata Ramen Bar are between PHP100 for the three-piece Gyoza and PHP545 for the Kurocha-Shu. The restaurant is located at the ground floor of the Calyx Centre Building at the Cebu IT Park. It is open from 11:30 to 2:30 PM and 5:30 to 10:30 PM every day.

Cebu can be considered as a melting pot of cuisines with the number of restaurants in the metro offering different cuisines from around the world. Cebuanos, despite their discriminating tastes, have learned to love these cuisines and accepted them with arms wide open. To paraphrase an old quote, “the way to a people’s heart is through their stomach.”