My very first time going here and I must say I am overwhelmed at how good and kind the owner was. She immidietely corrected and gave me options for such short notice but it all work well. It was a very amazing experience both how the staff attended the costumers and how they served. this place is one of the best place i've been and I will seriously be back for more <3
My new favourite place! Everything, from the food to the music to the decor, is simple and elegant. It's so quiet and peaceful; stepping inside felt like I was being transported back to Japan. The staff is so helpful and attentive -- and even the owner stopped by to chat with us at the end of our meal: she's awesome! Everything we had was delicious and I can't wait to go back to try more of their dishes and sweets, especially with a pot of tea. I can imagine just spending the whole afternoon there with a book. If you're looking for a quiet place to escape the hustle and bustle of Manila and are in the mood for some authentic Japanese homecooking done well, this is the spot.
Thank you for the delicious food. And a very accommodating staff. Specially the owner is so kind and a jolly person. The place totally feels like you are in japan :D I love it so much
Kudos to the Japanese owner who personally attends to her Filipino clientele! Authentic, responsive and accommodating. We came for lunch and the chanoyu tea ceremony. To complete the experience, we dressed up in our own kimono. Our host discussed the spiritual underpinnings of chanoyu and daily behavior, then gave a step-by-step tutorial and a practice round before we set foot on the tatami mats. I like the cultural aspect wherein cooking workshops, tea sessions, Nihongo nights, etc. are held. I am just glad that they have a different menu from franchise Japanese restos. Their warabimochi with kinako powder and cinnamon-flavored yatsuhashi bring me fond memories of Japan.
I believe the most accommodating Japanese theme restaurant I have been so far... the food is good and the ambiance is great. We had a photoshoot here yesterday and the staff is very accomodating to us. I hope i can go back to this place again soon.
Looking forward to experiencing the tea ceremony. Worth recommending to friends, especially those who'd like to experience Japanese cuisine. Tea Latte tastes excellent! Ramen is very good. There are many other items in the menu that are interesting and no doubt, scrumptious.
great japanese hospitality, refined dishes. ask for okonomiyaki - a splendid treat. we also enjoyed the different sakes, and plum wines ��
Great food, great staff, great owners! Thank you for offering the Kimono Experience � We had a great time! �
A great place to eat! Yummy food. Attentive staff. A really nice place. :)
Princess Ruthie Abangan
+5
Everything about the place is amazingly authentic - food, tea, homemade ice cream, japanese hallway, very very clean and nice restroom, homey & cozy dining spots... sooooo perfect for good and meaningful conversations....sooo perfect for friendships and new beginnings. And yes, AUTHENTICITY begins with the lovely and passionate lady owner, Ms. Non. For this place, Love at first sight it is!
Dianna Marie Estacio Trias
+5
Highly recommended. The foods are delicious especially their Japanese desserts. Had a great time with cousin. Next time I will be bringing my friends and family too. They would really enjoy the authentic Japanese culture. I'm so happy to experience wearing a kimono. The owner was so friendly and accommodating. Looking forward to my next visit.
Great place to unwind and enjoy Japanese food
The best takoyaki I’ve had!!
Had the Chicken & Salmon Ochazuke and a Pork Okonomiyaki. The Ochazuke is light but filling and is something you'd probably struggle to find elsewhere. Loved the okonomiyaki! Probably one of the best I've had here and definitely comparable to the ones I had in Osaka.
Good ramen, just a bit salty. Loved their matcha kakigori as well!!!
Authentic Japanese food experience. 🤗 And value for the money. 👍Servings are decent for a healthy meal. Will come back to try other dishes on the menu.
We love coming here for the desserts and the tea. The ambiance is really nice and quiet. Food is on the somewhat delicate and light side, so I get why maybe some other customers find it bland. They want the bang and boom flavors of an izakaya strong savory, salty, smoky. Yet this is a teahouse, so I manage expectations and tastebuds as well. I like their salmon offerings amd their okonomiyaki. Dessert and tea were the best parts of the meal. Service was good, similar to japan where its a mom and pop store with dad cooking and mom serving not like the big restos where they have alot of waiters. Come for the simple quiet date ambiance, with home cooked yummy momma food and dessert. But if you want the cosmo jap resto experience Isaribi is down the road.
Very charming place! It was exactly like we were in Japan. Food was interesting and yummy. Tea and desserts were great! Definitely coming back more often!
I love this place!!! Great place to eat. Peaceful ambience. Authentic Japanese Food. Loved the okonomiyaki, tea, and the mochi. Some items on the menu are too expensive for the portions served. Also, the onigiri lacked salt and the filling was too little. Our server the second time we visited, lacked knowledge about the menu, she was unsure of everything. Nevertheless, it’s worth the journey to visit here.
Definitely my new favorite japanese restaurant. No frills, just good japanese soul food. Bring a friend and sample more of what their menu has to offer. Don't forget to irashaimase before you itadakimasu mga senpai
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I enjoyed the food and the "feel" of the place the first time I visited. I came back. This time, I brought my family with me. And how they shared the positive experience as well.
My mom and sister both had Salmon Teriyaki, my nephew the Takashi Ramen. I had the Pork and Squid Okonomiyaki which I should say was such a delight. I have eaten this Japanese pancake in other Japanese places but Zaan's version, was with all honestly, is the best (so far). Probably, it helped that I chose the one with Squid that added a distinct flavor to the whole affair. Maybe so. What I'm trying to say here is that I like Zaan more than the food served. More than the food being good. More than the Okonomiyaki being the best (in my opinion). Or more than the mom's Salmon Teriyaki being fresh and seasoned well.
Maybe because I met the Japanese female chef the first time I was here. And how I loved the Matcha Tea she offered me. Maybe, how she talked about their food and how she love food in general. Maybe because I love the paper bags that they personally cut from glossy magazines, artistically gluing them together as their contribution to recycling. Maybe.
I can't honestly put my finger on what makes Zaan an experience not to be forgotten. That's why I can't understand why the number of complaints are thrown here. I dare them to come back. Have an open mind. Be more forgiving (fine dining this place is not). Just enjoy the ride.
I do not understand the negative reviews in this restaurant, especially the 1 star rating. (???) This restaurant is also operated by ms Nom, a japanese lady who I often see when I dine in this cozy relaxing japanese nook hidden away from all the manola hustle and bustle. The servers were courteous enough and always accomodate me or the company I’m with. Also I don’t know about the others who didn’t like the food but I appreciated the fact that the noodles were hand made and there isn’t that much processed ingredients involved in preparing the food
I alsl appreciate the fact that they want to be environmentally responsible by taking initiatives such as urging the customers to refrain from asking utensils to save in water consumption.
The japanese resto is very warm cozy as Miss Nom. If you like to relax and enjoy delicious green tea served the authentic way, then head over to zaan.
The place is lovely. Food is simple and has clean taste. Staff is nice and friendly. Miso soup and okonomiyaki(took a long time though) is good. Hope the serving will be a little bigger though.Will definitely return.
Iwamoto-san and her staff are so accommodating! While their tsokofino kakigori and shiratama are a must, I would recommend first and foremost the ultra-rare crystal warabi mochi ❤️ Legit Japanese interiors and legit Japanese dessert!
This place is terrific! Please try their ochazuke and their desserts. They are absolutely delicious. The tea is also very good. It is owned by Iwamoto Non so her chocolates are available here as well!
Tucked in a spot around the Scout area, you won't even notice it during the day. Food is good though, great interiors and very nice service. 👍
Very good simple Japanese cuisine. Location is just a bit off as it is away from most resturants but that also means there are less people. A nice quiet place to eat a good lunch and have some tea.
Food is great especially the ambience. It had real Japanese feels! The service is good. The staff is super approachable. Will definitely go back. 😎
Great menu with simple, authentic Japanese dishes. All reasonably priced (Php100-300) with generous servings.
Ordered the salmon chazuke, onigiri in three variants, and the Japanese version of a sandwich (but with rice and nori sheets) — all good for two and totaled only Php690, including hoji cha or roasted tea.
Great service, too. Would definitely come back.
Superb. Authentic Japanese food from a Japanese owner. Simple dishes and clean flavors, very much like what normal japanese citizens would eat (not the overly commercialized and bastardized terriyaki and sushi you would normally see at other Japanese restos) The setting, with a beautiful area for a tea ceremony, is an experience in itself and makes the tea house perfect for a date or for friends who want to try something new together.
P.S. The Tsokofino (fancy chocolate embedded with pili nuts, mangoes, etc.) that they sell here is a MUST-BUY, and a good souvenir for foreign guests.
Excellent food. Excellent service. Excellent everything. A little hard to locate at night, but I'm glad my friend and I didnt give up to find it. I loved all items that we ordered, but most definitely the salmon ochazuke and shiratama kinako. 10/10 will definitely come back.
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Zaan Japanese Tea House is one low profile authentic Japanese restaurants in QC that I barely hear anything about. But the perfect 5 Star score so far it have from the 1st nine review is a statement on how legit the place is.
Zaan doesn't look attractive on the outside but upon entering the place you'll think you are entering a Spa. The place got a zen calm vibe. For their menu it was a small album with some hidden secret menu in the middle of the album. For our visit we mainly focused in trying out their snacks, desserts and tea.
🍵Onigiri - a japanese rice ball with different feelings. I got to taste the tuna variant which was yummy. I also liked that they use red rice which made it standout.
🍵Crystal Warabimochi - this one is a raindrop crystal jelly covered with soybean powder. I love the taste of this. It reminds me of Korean Injeolmi Bingsu.
🍵Shiratama Kinako - this one tasted similar to the warabimochi since they used similar toppings. What made this standout is the chewy mochi like texture of the shiratama.
🍵Matcha Surprise - affogato matcha style. Pour the matcha on a Vanilla ice cream and topped it with azuki red bean. Love it! Legit bitter delicious matcha!
🍵Genmaicha Teapot - loved their relaxing hot Genmaicha.
Definitely be back to experience their tea ceremony.
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Zaan Japanese teahouse offers a homey vibe with its tatami mats and cupboards filled with antique teacups and bowls.
When I entered the place for the first time, I felt like I'm separating myself from the rest of the world which is what you should feel in a traditional tea ceremony. (This is related to zen)
Food is great especially if you're looking for something that they usually serve at home. Try their udon, chazuke and 3 pc. Onigiri. ESPECIALLY CHAZUKE. Chazuke is similar to our version of lugaw. It's rice served with soup (which is tea), salmon flakes and seaweed. You can't typically find it in Japanese restaurants.
As for drinks, try their tea-based drinks. I would recommend you to try their hojicha or matcha drinks. If you're up for a good night, try their 3 sake sampler! Best served with udon or ramen.
As for dessert, try their japanese traditional dessert such as shiratama kinako and dorayaki. My favorite dessert is Shiratama kinako. It is composed of shiratama dango served with sugar syrup and kinako powder. It's similar to our bilo-bilo!
I really appreciate their good service. The staff is always jolly and interactive!
My friend and I tried their tea ceremony (I actually tried it twice already) wherein the tea master will teach how to properly participate in a tea ceremony. Better reserve 2-3 days in advance so you could check if the tea master is available.
I had so much fun so I hope you try it as well. :)
if you really like to taste a near-to-authentic japanese food try Zaan, me and my boyfriend been to different japanese restau aroung manila and for us, it is very very very very best. The Razu is my favorite! super yummy, all the ramens are so delicious from broth to noodles. The onigiri is also perfect ! the cold and hot drinks is yummy too, i felt healthy after drinking hehe, the ambiance is so peaceful and if you want to focus on having a chill conversation with someone i think zaan is a good place, they also sell authentic japanese plates etc. The prices for us is so affordable! if you want something cheaper i guess zaan is not for you, but if you really into taste and quality, zaan's prices are very much with justice.
A bit out of the way and hard to find, this is a quiet corner of Japan, tucked away in Quezon City. It is not your usual commercialized Japanese restaurant in the city but more like a small authentic place you'd find in some back alley in Fukuoka or Kyoto. The Japanese lady chef cum owner is very charming and has an inventive way of cooking. My favorites were the cold soba and her summer ramen. Leave room for the delicious and traditional desserts.
I went to Zaan Tea House through a couchsurfing post. Non Iwamoto, the owner of the place organizes events for Japanese culture enthusiasts. There are language events, culinary events etc. The interiors of the place will teleport you to Japan. The host was very hospitable, the event though small, they'll try to make sure that you'll feel at home. The food is like Japanese homecooked cuisine which was really good. I ordered the Sukiyaki rice which fetched a good price. The feel of the place is very comfortable. Service is awesome. Very hospitable.
Authentic Japanese food at an affordable price! Yay!
Ate here with my friends last week for my birthday. Aside from the food, we also enjoyed the ambiance of the resto. Would definitely come back.
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Zaan Japanese Teahouse is located along Mo. Ignacia near Roces Ave. (towards the direction of Sct. Chuatoco). From the outside, it doesn't seem like a restaurant, because of the building façade, but you'll notice the Japanese word flags you see on Japanese restaurant.
When we entered the restaurant, there is a small receiving area that divides the dining area with a Japanese paper door. From the menu that shows curiosity due to unfamiliar menu items with photos, we ordered alot.
Hiya Tofu. It is basically a small block of silken tofu with fermented soy sauce and some grated ginger. The simple flavors of the tofu is enhanced by the ginger and soy.
Crispy Tofu. It is like a deconstructed agedashi tofu. Sweet soy sauce was served on the side. The light, crisp tofu plus the rich umami flavor of the sauce just gives the tofu life (flavor).
Razu Bonito Cheese. It is a rice sandwich wrapped in nori seaweed. Similar to an onigiri, but this is shaped into a square envelope. Brown rice was filled with cheese and hydrated bonito fish flakes. The flavors was intense! Sweet, briny umami flavor from the fish was balanced by the cheese and rice. It reminded me of my first breakfast in Tokyo, Onigiri with salmon.
Sukiyaki Udon. It is a dried sukiyaki noodle soup. The ingredients was cooked/simmered in the soup broth that absorbed all the rich umami flavor. Slices of beef, Chinese dried shiitake, gari, and some aromatics was the whole topping for the udon. It was good and tasty, similar to our instant pansit canton minus the oil, with a flavor of sukiyaki soup.
For dessert, Shiratama Kinako. It is sticky rice balls with muscovado sugar syrup and soy bean flour. Its like 'bilo-bilo' plus arnibal, and nutty, dry flour that incorporates all flavor. The rice ball was soft and not chewy. It was really good. I remembered eating one this in Japan. It was molded in a popsicle stick, like sapin sapin on a stick.
Zaan just reminds me of my trip to Japan. The simple but bold flavors of Japan just express itself in a subtle way from all the dishes I've tried here. Praise to Zaan for bringing Japanese tea time here in Manila.
*They are also offering Japanese tea ceremony classes for P700 for 3 pax and P230 additional per head.
P.S. look for the 'hidden' menu near the back of the album.
#TheFoodCrawlers #OngsFoodprints
Food Chronicles Of Sparky&Noggy
+4
AMBIANCE!: Great! IF you went there not on a Sunday :) Because then, maraming tao. If you're looking for silence and nice tea.
Food: a bit steeply priced. Food is enough for one (with a small appetite). Miso soup is a bit bland (I suppose it's because they're not fond of salt). Katsudon's meat is tender. The tori tatsuta and tori teriyaki both taste nice :) Rice served is red.
We've only tried the matcha with vanilla ice cream and the mochi. They both taste good :) Not overly sweet. The mochi is really soft (not the usual round mochi you see in malls). They also offer a Japanese tea ceremony. (They have two Japanese chefsü)
If you want to pretend to be in Japan, here's a place to go ;)
They have parking :)
Do not expect your usual Japanese cuisine because Zaan gives it a whole new experience. It is hard to find given that it's a small restaurant hidden and not so near the many famous restos in the area but totally worth the visit if you want to experience Japanese tea culture. Food is simple but good. Make sure to bring a friend or two to try their traditional matcha which is served through the traditional Japanese tea ceremony - a unique experience definitely. Also try their wagashi desserts that goes super well with their line of Japanese teas
Not the usual Japanese resto that serves sushi, katsudon, ramens etc. Authentic and affordable. One of the best japanese resto in the Metro. Desserts are delish! Very accomodating host.
The Japanese tea ceremony is indeed fascinating. The ambiance is relaxing. I liked how the food was presented. The ice cream (matcha and chocolate flavors) were also good! I'd love to visit this place again.
I just wished their food would be diverse. Still, the place as well as the people are awesome.
This is a hidden gem off Roces Avenue on Mother Ignatia, NOT along Tomas Morato, going towards Scout Chuatoco. Zaan offers a Japanese cultural experience via its tea ceremony (reservations recommended, Php 500 for three pax) and authentic Japanese homey meals that are easy on the pocket. Service is warm and friendly, and you will probably be served by the owner too! For those who have been to or lived in Japan, a visit at Zaan is sure to bring back pleasant memories.
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