One of my favorite things in the world is being introduced to a new restaurant by a friend or family member, and then becoming borderline obsessed with it that I have no choice but to introduce it to other people in my circle. That's precisely what happened with Icho. A few months back, I went there for lunch with some of my previous coworkers and realized what a gem it was - serving super fresh Japanese food at value-for-money prices, and not too far from me (it being in Greenhills, and me living in Pasig). Since then, I've gone back twice -- yesterday night being the second time.
Arriving at around 5:30PM on a Tuesday, with exactly one parking slot available and extremely empty tummies ready to be filled, we sat down at our table and went ahead with ordering. One of my absolute favorite things about Icho (aside from their robot waiter) is their tea - I always have this cold, and I love how it's so refreshing and tasty, and kind of acts like a palate cleanser between bites. 100% recommend getting your fill of this when eating there!
For myself - because I tend to overindulge especially when it comes to Japanese food - I ordered three things. And yes, I absolutely did have a food coma after this.
Shake Ikura Don (P850) - Wildly generous slices of sashimi-grade salmon and salmon roe over a bed of rice. Fresh, plentiful, and honestly enough for two people if you're getting other dishes on the side. I usually feel betrayed when ordering anything sashimi at restaurants because it's always pricey and only has around 5-6 thin slices, but trust me, this is worth it.
Spicy Tuna Salad (P340) - Honestly, it's the overload of tempura flakes that are eaten alongside the fresh tuna, and the fact that it isn't crazy spicy, that makes this one of the best spicy sashimis I've ever had. Every bite stays crunchy even after some time in soy sauce, and it's perfect to eat with some rice from that shake ikura don. Lol.
Foie Gras Aburi Sushi (250/pc) - THE most indulgent and decadent thing that I ate, and obviously the last bite I took. The balsamic teriyaki sauce fits perfect with the richness of the foie gras, and should be a staple order for anyone who goes to this restaurant. Try it at least once!
Tummies satisfied, we decided we needed something sweet to end the night right. Isn't it always a vicious cycle of eating something salty, then wanting something sweet, then salty again? It never really ends.
As part of tradition (as this was what I had done on both of my previous trips), we decided to stop by Carousel Creamery and get a scoop of ice cream. But me being me, I obviously had to get more than one scoop, which is totally fine because I worked out yesterday. The final order amounted to P219.65 -- two scoops of Vanilla Toffee Crunch, with a side of extra toffee.
As a person, I do admit I have a sweet tooth; but this flavor is balanced with just enough sweetness and creaminess without getting "umay". Ultimately though, I always get a side of extra toffee to add crunch and just enough bursts of sweetness to give me a sugar high for a few hours. But fear not if you're into less sweet and more savory flavors as they have 101 flavors to choose from, so there's definitely something for everyone! My other sister got a vanilla with blueberries and cherries, while my brother-in-law got cookie dough - which they both seemed to really enjoy.
Anyway, after two and a half hours of non-stop eating, we finally decided to head home - food coma and all. See you again real soon, GH!
ICHŌ Japanese Restaurant - 6 Annapolis, San Juan, 1502 Metro Manila
Carousel Creamery - 8 Missouri St, San Juan, 1503 Metro Manila