RESTAURANT REVIEW: Oji-San Asian Kitchen at The Hub in Greenfield District Mandaluyong

Oji-San Asian Kitchen is a newly opened restaurant in Greenfield District, Mandaluyong. We pass by their restaurant daily and were looking forward to its opening as avid Japanese food fans. Now that we found the time, we visited during their soft opening.

Oji-San Asian Kitchen is also known as Oji-San Yakitori Bar and was previously in the Open Kitchen at Rockwell Business Center, Sheridan, Mandaluyong, just a few blocks away from Greenfield District.

Even before the opening, Dane wanted to order their bento box. Why, you ask? Because even during renovation, the tarpaulin they had covering their store was exactly that. Lol.

Oji-San is a sit-down restaurant but we ordered from the cashier as we browsed their menu first to see if we wanted to push through.

When we checked the menu, they had a huge selection of Southeast Asian dishes from Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Chinese cuisines. We were surprised to see Kimchi Jjigae (Korean stew) in Oji-San as it’s a rare dish to find even in Korean restaurants in the Philippines.

Their main dining area is upstairs, which may be a disadvantage to some diners. I did appreciate that they immediately served service water within a few minutes of us ordering downstairs and sitting down

upstairs.

Dane opted for the Pork Katsu Bento Box. Pork katsu, is a staple dish for us (Hello, Yabu!). Aside from rice, it also included stir-fried vegetables and four pieces of California Maki.

The short review is: it’s delicious!

Dane thoroughly enjoyed this set as all of the inclusions were good. Personally, the porkchop was a bit overcooked for me, but the flavor of the sauce is on-point. The California Maki is better than most we’ve tried, and the veggies lend itself as palate cleanse throughout the meal.

If you like Tokyo Tokyo’s bento box, you’ll probably like this too!

Pork Katsu Bento Box: P368

Dane and I’s Rating: 3/5 (Yabu is our 5/5)

Dane also ordered their Miso Soup (P48 for a bowl). It was light and was a good appetizer, though it resembles a Korean seaweed soup more than a Japanese miso soup.

I’m a beef and udon girl. And if you have those two together, you’ll be certain I’m ordering that.

The soup is light, as the name implies. The beef is flavorful and served in a decent portion size, though a bit overcooked (hot soup might not have been accounted for). The noodles were thinner than most udon noodles I’ve encountered and was a bit sticky compared to bouncy.

It was okay. Just okay.

Oji-San’s portion size is bigger than Marugame Udon’s, but I’d take the latter if we’re comparing flavors.

Beef Udon in Light Soy Soup: P288

Dane and I’s Rating: 2.5/5

We also decided to go for their Takoyaki. Each ball is a touch smaller than your standard Takoyaki size, so it was the perfect size to take whole. It’s one of the best takoyaki we’ve had and at this price point, it’s definitely a good deal.

Original Takoyaki: P188 (8pcs)

Dane and I’s Rating: 4/5

Overall, Oji-San Asian Kitchen was a good experience, both flavor and service, and we’re coming back to try the rest of their dishes, including the Kimchi Jjigae we mentioned!

Overall Rating: