8 Must Try Japanese Dishes at Soru Izakaya

EATUP MNL INC. opened their second restaurant venture in the Philippines at Maginhawa, Quezon City through Soru Izakaya.

New Nippon Restaurant in the food capital of Quezon City, Maginhawa.

Soru Izakaya is a Japanese Restaurant that fuses the traditional and modern techniques of cooking flavorful and delectable Japanese cuisines from Salads, Sashimi, Teppanyaki, Maki, to Donburi, Ramen, Kushiyaki, and beverages.

A wide array of Japanese dishes served by Soru Izakaya.

EATUP MNL also used the same concept in providing Filipinos a traditional and modern Japanese vibe while dining at  Soru Izakaya. Manga-inspired wall décor filled the restaurant. While metal mixed with wood pieces of furniture such as chairs and tables occupy the dining area of Soru Izakaya. Japanese characters, on the other hand, were also painted on the chairs like the ones found in traditional Japanese Restaurants.

A mixture of modern and traditional Japanese Restaurant interior of Soru Izakaya.

Manga-themed wall decor and chairs with Japanese characters made up the interior of the restaurant.

Kushiyaki is a Japanese staple dish that composed of grilled and skewered poultry and non-poultry products such as meat, vegetables, cheese, and seafood.  Soru Izakaya serves 13 variety of kushiyaki. They have Kosho Buta, grilled skewered bell pepper stuffed with ground pork, Bonjiri, grilled skewered chicken butt, Tsukune, grilled skewered chicken balls, Saikoro Wagyu Cubes, grilled skewered wagyu cubes, Arabiki,  grilled skewered pork sausage, Shishamo, grilled skewered saltwater fish, Bacon Asparagus, grilled skewered stuffed with asparagus, Bacon Enoki, grilled skewered bacon stuffed with enoki mushroom, Asura, grilled skewered bacon stuffed with hard-boiled quail egg, Gyuchizu, grilled skewered sliced beef stuffed with melted cheese, Shitake Mushroom, grilled skewered shitake mushroom, Butabara, grilled skewered pork belly, Yakitori, grilled skewered chicken leg.

Kushiyaki has sweet barbecue flavor with juicy and well-seasoned meat and tender vegetables.

Kushiyaki is served with a minimum order of three (3) sticks and platter which composed of 2 sticks of Bacon Enoki, Asura, Ggyuchizu, Shitake Mushroom, Butabara, and Yakitori.

Ebi and Kani Popcorn

Ebi and Kani Popcorn in Nori batter.

Ebi and Kani Popcorn is composed of deep-fried shrimp (Ebi) and crab meat  (Kani) in nori batter, topped with shoestring potatoes and served with spicy soru sauce.

Ebi and Kani Popcorn servings.

This dish is crunchy on the outside with juicy and well-seasoned shrimp and crab meat on the inside. The nori batter gave a tinge of sweet and earthy flavor while the dip provided the spiciness to the dish.

Ebi and Kani Popcorn costs Php 280 per servings.

Shake Salmon Sashimi

Juicy and well-seasoned Salmon Sashimi.

Shake Salmon Sashimi is made of chilled Norweigan salmon. Compared with the usual salmon served in other restaurants, Soru Izakaya’s Norweigan salmon provides a clean taste and texture that it’s as if the meat melts in your mouth. Since the salmon that they are serving is also chilled and not frozen, the salmon’s fat is still intact with the former which provides a sweeter and tastier salmon.

Shake Salmon Sashimi servings.

Shake Salmon Sashimi costs Php 420 per servings.

Hiroshima Maki

Hiroshima Maki is made of salmon, spicy Japanese mayo, topped with fried gyoza wrapper and salmon sashimi cubes marinated in spicy sauce.

Hiroshima Maki is served with a dragon made of  Japanese mayo.

People who love spicy foods will surely love Hiroshima Maki. This dish is full of texture coming from the crunchy gyoza wrapper. While the sweetness of salmon, the spicy flavor of mayo and sauce blends well.

Soru Izakaya’s spicy Maki.

Eight pieces or one serving of Hiroshima Maki costs Php 290.

Paella Maki

Akai Maki or maki in red paella rice.

Soru Izakaya has two variations of Paella Maki- Akai and Kuro Paella Maki.

Akai Maki has the perfect blend of sweetness coming from the mayo, saltiness from the sausage.

Akai Paella Maki is made of sausage, red paella rice asparagus, tamago, and arabiki with teriyaki and aioli sauce.

Kuro Paella Maki or Seafood Paella Maki.

Kuro Paella Maki is seafood paella maki. It has squid ink paella rice and salmon marinated in special sauce, asparagus, kani, shrimp and squid with aioli sauce.

Kuro Paella Maki has sticky black paella rice with juicy shrimp and crunchy cucumber.

Akai Paella Maki per servings (eight pieces) costs Php 380 while Kuro Paella Maki costs Php 480.


Nori Tempura

Nori Tempura and its generous servings,

Soru Izakaya’s tempura is made of deep-fried tiger prawn in nori batter. The nori batter gave a whole new twist with the typical tempura that is being served in other Japanese restaurants in Manila. It gave this dish a sweet and earthy flavor. The outside of the tempura is crunchy while the tiger prawn meat inside is juicy and well-seasoned.

Three (3) pieces of Nori Tempura costs Php 240, while the five (5) pieces are Php 360 and the eight (8) pieces are Php 520.

Shake Belly Aburi

Shake Belly Aburi is made of torched Norweigan salmon belly with teriyaki sauce, Japanese and truffle mayo, and ikura or salmon roe.

Flavorful and Must Try  Shake Belly Aburi.

Shake Belly Aburi emits a sweet flavor in every bite. The salmon belly is juicy and melts in your mouth while the fats of the salmon that are still intact with the former add more flavors to it.

Two pieces of  Shake Belly Aburi costs Php 220.

Matcha Cheesecake

Slice of Matcha Cheesecake.

Every slice of Soru Izakaya’s Matcha Cheesecake is composed of layers of matcha and white chocolate cheesecake with buttered graham crust, topped with matcha powder and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

A slice of Matcha Cheesecake costs Php 240.

Soru Izakaya’s Matcha Cheesecake is not your typical cheesecake, it tastes like ice cream cake with a tinge of earthy flavor coming from the layers of matcha in it. This cake is definitely a Must Try!

To try Soru Izakaya’s Japanese Dishes  you may visit them at: