Tok-Yu Sushi Bar and Restaurant: Satisfy your Japanese food cravings

I must admit, I haven't really been trying out new restaurants these past few months--I guess that's one reason why I haven't really been blogging as often anymore. Lately, my family and I have been sticking to tried-and-tested places where we were sure we wouldn't be disappointed.

Recently, however, we were feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to try out something new for a change. Our destination? Tok-Yu Sushi Bar at Pioneer Center, Pasig City.

We didn't exactly have this place in mind when we were at Pioneer Center--we were just looking for somewhere to satisfy our hunger before visiting my grandparents at the cemetery. After looking at different restaurants, we decided to settle here. 

The restaurant's exterior is anything but imposing. Take away the huge sign and the hanging Japanese lanterns and you might easily dismiss this place as a cafeteria or a typical neighborhood carinderia.

Consistent with the exterior, the interior only reinforces the whole cafeteria look and feel of the place. I didn't mind it at all, though. I actually even felt a tinge of excitement since I rarely get to try these hole-in-the-wall places. These hole-in-the-wall places tend to hold a lot of promise. Case in point: Tim Ho Wan, the Michelin-starred restaurant famous for their baked pork buns, started out as a small, hole-in-the-wall place in Hong Kong. 

While they don't exactly sell their food at cafeteria prices (read: CHEAP), I wouldn't say their prices are at par with some mainstream Japanese restaurants. Food here is priced very competitively.

We started off the meal with some Tamago (Japanese sweet egg).

The Sashimi was good and I do like the thick slices, though I noticed a not-so-fresh piece mixed in. I was unfortunate enough to actually get the not-so-fresh piece.

My dad's order: a bowl of Gyudon which, at P145, seems pretty decent. He finished off his bowl without any complaints.

My eyes widened as my mom's order of Seafood Ramen was placed on our table. Just look at all that seafood! If you're into seafood then I don't think this will disappoint. The serving size was huge, too.

My mom also ordered some Ebi Tempura for sharing. It wasn't bad at all, but it doesn't stand out for me. The restaurant doesn't try too hard to please customers with elaborate food presentations. Some people may actually find the simpler food presentations more appealing. 

My brother and I each had an order of Pork Tonkatsu, at P140 each. Again, food presentation was simple, but wouldn't make you feel like the chefs don't care at all. While the meat wasn't really too tough to chew, I was hoping for that melts-in-your-mouth feeling with each bite. Not bad, though.

Verdict: While the food here isn't spectacular by any means and service could still be improved (it took about 20-25 minutes for our orders to reach our table, and we were the first to arrive before the rest of the lunch crowd trickled in), I would still recommend Tok-Yu Sushi Bar to those craving for affordable Japanese food and those just looking for something more different from the typical Japanese restaurants. 

Tok-Yu Sushi Bar and Restaurant

Pioneer Center, Pasig City

Facebook: Tok-Yu Sushi Bar