Seryna

Seryna Japanese Restaurant

2277 Chino Roces Ave.

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 894-3855

I remembered it was Mother’s Day and we didn’t really know where we should celebrate it. Coincidentally, one of our family friends phoned mom that morning. Excited, she had a little chit chat until it was already nearing noon. I was already getting hungry and I figured my mom would be too since the both of us didn’t have breakfast. As if on cue, he suggested the restaurant “Seryna.” Hey, it was Japanese, so how can we not consider the suggestion? Out of options and stomach already growling in hunger, we agreed to go visit this place.

While passing Chino Roces, approaching the old, almost rundown mall called “Plaza Fair”, I saw the said Japanese – Korean block. Façade wise, I wasn’t sold. I was barely sold. It was quite old, not really dilapidated, and was crammed with sort of mushroom – like restaurants. I pushed the idea aside, reminding myself not to judge a food joint by its appearance.

We finally located the said restaurant, and to our surprise, there wasn’t any available parking! (Not that it was surprising because it had only around 4-6 slots) So, we opted to just allow the valet to handle our car’s parking. Once we got in, the restaurant was jammed packed! A long cue for reservations was posted on the door, people waiting to be seated. Lucky for us, there was already a table being tidied up.

When we took our seat, I grabbed this opportunity to look around. It wasn’t as dodgy as its façade. In fact, the place (or rather the ambiance) was quite welcoming. Having a wooden skeleton for its support gave an authentic Japanese feel to it. Not to mention the cabinet full of sake and other Japanese alcohol and the sort of sushi bar with a real Japanese sushi chef in the middle of the resto.  Ambiance wise, I give a 4.

A waitress soon came up, giving us the menu. I was surprised since it was a single sheet with only around ten or less dishes written on it. It was lunch rush, people starving and they give us ten choices? Really? It wasn’t my position to question the restaurant owner, but I did take note to ask why they had limited choices. For now, we decided to order the “Kaisen.” It was supposedly their own version of Chirashizushi (Or pieces of sashimi over a bed of sushi rice). 

We’ll see.

The “Kaisen” arrived as a bento box, having a clear soup (you can have miso if you like), a small bowl of salad, some ‘weird’ seaweed – like appetizer, the two layered chirashizushi  (bottom layer would be the rice, pickles and tamago and the upper layer which was the sashimi) and a small serving of fresh fruits (either grapes or watermelon). Wow. It was all oh so appetizing!

NOW. For the taste test.

All I could say is that it did surpass my expectations. Of all the places I’ve been, the chirashizushi I ate, this is, by far, has the best sushi rice. I couldn’t put down into words what it tasted like because it isn’t the typical sour – sweet – sticky rice. Yes, it was sticky, but the flavor was a level higher than its rivals. The choices was also quite excellent: salmon, tuna, squid, uni (sea urchin), fish cake, shrimp, salmon roe and tamago (Japanese fried egg) to name a few. They were laid on a bed of shredded radish, which could be eaten, especially when dipped in the soy - wasabi mixture. Served with a complementary hot or cold tea (this cold tea is quite different from the typical iced tea. It wasn’t sweet, but the underlying roasted taste that lingered in the mouth makes it a refreshing drink to combine with the fresh taste of the sashimi), I give a 4.5 for the food.

Now. Back to the menu. The reason why they only offer only a handful of bento box sets is because it was their lunch special. Priced at 350 Php each bento box, their offer lasts from 11:30AM to 2:00PM or while supplies last. From sushi and sashimi sets to udon, soba, ramen, grilled salmon and others, it is really affordable and very satisfying. Come dinner time, the full menu is offered but the price is sometimes doubled. I give a 5 for the price.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal there and I recommend this, especially during their lunch rush. I will surely come back, hungry for a bento box.