Beautiful Japan – so much reasons to love Japan especially on how they prepare their foods. Japanese foods are not only popular because they taste good, but they also look so fantastic. I can attest to this when a Japanese friend invited me to her home when she insisted to prepare food for dinner. It is a standard practice to combine food art with flavor. If ever you start your journey of trying out Japanese foods, here is one thing you should remember – authentic Japanese foods will NEVER disappoint you. There is a few authentic Japanese restaurants here in Cebu which we’ve been to, and recently, I added Okinawa Heat APM, located at APM Mall in front of SM City Cebu, on this list.

You may also like to read: Ramen Yushoken: A Taste of Authentic Ramen in Cebu

Okinawa Heat APM

If you’ve been to Ramen Yushoken in Oakridge, they are specialized more on Japanese noodles (tonkotsu ramen). However, if you wish to have some variety, trying out Okinawa Heat is a brilliant idea! Megumi-san, our Japanese friend, invited us to visit this place last month. I know for sure that when she recommends the place, there’s no doubt it’d be a sure go-to resto since Megumi-san is really particular when it comes to eating. So, below are some of the Japanese foods we tried out at Okinawa Heat APM.

100% U.S. Beef Lava Plate Heat Steak

It’s not your ordinary steak plate. This is Megumi-san’s favorite here in Okinawa Heat APM. The quality of the beef is real good, and the meat is almost free of fat making it tender yet flavorful. The stone beside the steak is called hot rock or lava rock. Basically, its purpose is to contain the heat so that the steak can have the sizzling hotness till your last bite. Lava rock is perfect for any steak lover.

Ostumami Cabbage

Otsumami is a Japanese word which means “snacks paired with beer”. Otsumami cabbage is a combination of half-cooked (boiled) cabbage + salt + sesame oil. The combination of the crunchiness of this fresh salted cabbage and cold beer makes you want to have more and more.

Tonkotsu Ramen

I was really looking forward to the tonkotsu ramen, but it wasn’t the taste which I expected. The broth is average, not as flavorful as that of my fave ramen place here in Cebu. However, if compared to other Japanese restos here, it’s comparable.

Gyoza

I love gyoza so much that I can fit as many dumplings as I can in my stomach. Usually, one side is fried and the other is steamed. Then, it is dipped in pepper and soy sauce with the option of adding chili.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Style Pizza)

The first time I tried Okonomiyaki was in Sachi Japanese Restaurant. No wonder it tasted so familiar when I tried it at Okinawa Heat APM. Okonomiyaki is Japanese version of pizza. It’s made up of cabbage, meat, eggs and other condiments. Okonomiyaki, as we translate it to English, means grill as you like it. “Okono” means as you like, while “Yaki” means grill. It’s delicious, superb!

What popular Japanese food makes you the most excited? Let littlemisadvencha know in the comment section!

Cha Esper

Cha of Little Misadvencha is a Filipino Civil Engineer, researcher and a fur mom. She came from General Santos City and finds that everything in life teaches her a lesson. She is inspired to write about and out of her experiences, but later found out that it was her experiences that actually inspire her.