The 5th Taste: A Modern Japanese Cuisine

I was invited to a food tasting event at The 5th Taste by an acquaintance whom I bumped into PhFW last October. Thanks again for having us, Nana! Of course I brought along my Japanese friend, Reina, who is now a blogger. Yay! I'm glad I also got you into blogging. Okay I'm not really a food blogger but I do like discovering new places to eat and these are just my opinions. Now, let's start. :)

The 5th Taste is a modern Japanese fusion restaurant and has been in the business for almost 2 years. It can accommodate 40-50 persons which is perfect for events and such. You can either have it buffet style or sit down. What's even better is they can customize the menu according to your liking. Plus it's very affordable. :)

We first had deconstructed miso soup. The story behind the name is the way it was served -- the soup is poured over the tofu and pork floss. Props to them for the presentation and entertainment factor (teehee!) but the soup itself was very savory and the tiny flakes of meat were tasty.

Next, we had tofu steak. I'm not a big fan of tofu but I eat it sometimes. It was served in 3s soaked in oil. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but boy, I did! The play of textures (soft tofu on the inside and crispy on the outside plus the crispy squash garnish on top) was nice. What I liked most about it was there was no after-taste of the tofu at all!  

I've always loved sushi and I must say, this has got to be one of my faves yet. The california maki furai is very crispy, crunchy and tasteful. The Japanese mayo and nori on top completed the whole dish. I have nothing but good words about it!

Another favorite of mine, the kani salad pizza. It's pizza with a taco feel. The crust is very thin and crunchy but it was topped with carrots, cucumber, kani, Japanese mayo and loads of cheese! I don't usually eat cucumber but the flavours of the cheese and mayo totally made up for it. This could be your healthier option for pizza if you're not into meat or anything greasy. Well, can I just say that I can eat this the whole day?! It's that good!

The 5th taste lasagna is served with spicy bread on the side and nori on top. It was meaty, flavorful and cheesy. Layers of nori was also embedded inside along with the pasta and cheese.

I wasn't a big fan of the mirin chicken ala pobre because I think the taste was too strong for me. It was sweet and tasteful and the pouring of the gravy was fun. I did enjoy that haha! :)

The jalapeño cream cheese onion tonkatsu was served on top of a bowl with veggies, Japanese mayo and sesame seeds. I liked it because it wasn't that oily and was flavorful. I find the idea of it being on top of a bowl to drain excess oil really innovative!

For dessert, we had sansrival with cream and cherry on top. The taste is quite similar to the one from Beard Papa because it is also owned by The 5th Taste. It's chewy and tasty. Just perfect.

(Photo op with the other bloggers. It was nice meeting all of you!)

The 5th Taste is located at 453 P. Guevarra St., San Juan, Metro Manila

For menu, prices and more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Overall, I like how The 5th Taste gave a modern twist to the traditional Japanese cuisine. Great food, great place. I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars but go try it for yourself! I definitely recommend this restaurant! :)

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