Hana Restaurant: Shortcut to Japan!

It was by accident when I found out about this place. I was still with Bestfriend Ep after winning a company badminton game by default. It was about to rain that time—the dark, thick cumulonimbus clouds were now starting to accumulate the sky so we thought about maybe hanging out somewhere where we could eat and relax; predicting that if we would go home now, then we might be caught by the rain.

Suddenly, her eyes widened when she mentioned about this Little Tokyo here in Makati. I was thrilled when I saw this imaginary floating light bulb flashing on top of Bestfriend Ep’s head.

Being so astonished, I asked her more about this place. She started to talk about her favorite Japanese mayonnaise that she usually buys at one of the few all-Japanese grocery here. She also talked about her love of Japanese cuisine. But there is one thing that made me crave for more Japanese and that was when she mentioned about this place here called, Hana Restaurant.

Hana is a Japanese word that can mean a lot of things—from a flower, blossom, sometimes used to say beautiful. Hana also means nose. But I guess the restaurant owner just wanted to emphasize Hana as beautiful.

You cannot find Hana Restaurant just along the main road of Chino Roces unlike some other resto here at Little Tokyo. Hana is like 20 meters away from the welcoming arc. Since it was my first time to see this place, of course, I did grab the chance to take a shot with the Japan-themed arc here.

Bestfriend Ep and I

The way to Hana was very Japan-Japan (in Filipino context) too! Forgive me about my use of that repeated word but it just means an intense to extreme Japanese feel as I went inside to find the restaurant. Can you spot the Japanese banner, the bonsai, the architecture of the building behind me? Isn’t so Japanese? I had this shiver down my spine because it really felt like this place is a shortcut to Japan.

The way to Hana Restaurant

At Hana Restaurant

I pretended that I wasn’t in the Philippines when I went inside this place. But how could I make such pretensions if I can see some Filipino folks in here? But never mind, the ambience and simplicity of this place would still be more Japanese to me though.

I suddenly realized how we, Filipinos, really like foreign cuisines. Maybe because since the country was occupied by different foreign conquerors like the Spaniards, Americans, Chinese and Japanese, we were deeply influenced by their culture and traditions. And our food, it started to evolve too.

The authenticity of food here at Hana’s place has not tasted too ‘far’ from the typical Filipino palate. We all love Japanese cuisines, and most of the time, we always experiment on tasting all of them.

Well here at Hana’s, everything tastes so good. I am not exaggerating. They will cook your food after making your requests and in few minutes, they’ll come back to you with all the trays filled with good all-Japanese food—hot when served, freshly cooked as its sweet spicy distinct aroma started to fill the air around you.

Pork Senbei

Chicken Garlic Steak

Kani Chahan

Takoyaki

Takoyaki

Katsudon

Salmon Cream Cheese Roll

As we munched over the food here, we first tasted the takoyaki. It was true when she said that the best takoyaki in Metro Manila is being served here. Well, that is really true—that flavor of seafood, creamy cheese-like taste and intense umami was all exploding on my tastebuds in each and every bite! This takoyaki has just made me love Japanese food even more!

I also liked some other food that we ordered here. Now, I understand why people love flocking inside this restaurant. Eating here was like being diverted to another place. Do you know that feeling when you close your eyes, take a bite and it feels like you’re in a different dimension? Hana deserves a big round of applause—the dishes here are all enticing, incomparable to few, and has the full rights to claim the tagline: “serving all-Japanese food”.

Hana Restaurant indeed is one of the places here in the metro that I would want to go back to. I can remember how I fell in love with Chinese cuisines in Binondo and I keep coming back to this restaurant called Four Seasons to eat dinner and lunch. Now, a new name has been added to my List of Favorites, and that is Hana Restaurant.

So let me tell you this then: Hana Restaurant is the shortest way to Japan!


Hana Restaurant
Chino Roces Ave. Makati City, 2277 Manila, Philippines
Tel number: (02) 828 8471

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