Kazunori Japanese Restaurant (Makati City): The Japanese Restaurant by the Group Behind Mendokoro and Yushoken

Mendokoro Ramenba, Ramen Yushoken, and, its youngest sister ramen shop, Marudori are absolutely my favorite ramen spots in the country. Their ramen’s broth is rich and tasty, its noodles has the perfect texture for me, and the toppings are simply top-notch. Needless to say, their ramen is amazing!

Then I learned that Nippon Hasha, the group behind these incredible ramen joints, has a Japanese restaurant. I thought, “If they make the best ramen in the country, then they must be good with other Japanese food as well.” I wanted to confirm my theory so I finally visited the restaurant—Kazunori Japanese Restaurant.

Opened in 2017, Kazunori is named after its Japanese master chef, Kazunori Kuramochi. It combines three dining concepts in one space: A Japanese cafe (called Kazu Cafe), a Japanese dining area, and a sushi bar for omakase.

Interestingly, it is located inside a car dealership. So if you’re dining at Kazunori and happen to decide you want buy a car right away, you may easily do so. LOL.

Anyway, let’s talk about the food, beginning with the Gyoza. It’s so juicy that it reminds me of a Xiao Long Bao. It’s easily the best Gyoza I have ever tried, even beating Mendokoro’s version.

Next we tried is the Spicy Salmon Roll, which is fresh and stay-in-the-mouth spicy. The cucumber gives a nice crunch,

You can also order Kazu Cafe items in Kazunori. So we tried the Uni Cream Spaghettini, which is creamy, slightly sweet, and has a subtle uni (sea urchin) flavor. It’s pasta is al dente, which I like.

For mains, we tried the Katsudon (pork cutlet), which is thick and fatty, drenched in sweet sauce and sitting on a bed of moist rice.

Finally, we got the Beef Truffle Don (rice bowl), which has four cuts of meat. It’s saucy and perfectly sweet. I like its beef strips, which are fatty, and the mushrooms, which give a nice texture. But unless my tastebuds betray me, I can’t taste the truffle.

There’s nothing out of this world with Kazunori’s food. They just take classic Japanese dishes and elevate it with cooking techniques and quality ingredients. That’s what they do best!

But I won’t be back anytime soon because of the high prices. That’s the cost of quality food. But it’s worth saving up for!

I’m excited to try more Kazunori food, their Kazu Cafe items (I hope to write a separate article on it), and even their omakase experience. If you’re a big fan of Mendokoro, Yushoken, and Marudori, the you should try Kazunori. I highly recommend Kazunori Japanese Restaurant to you!

Which of the items above have you tried or would like to try? Comment below!

Address: 2301 Chino Roces Ave. (formerly Pasong Tamo Ext.), Makati City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-10PM | Contact No.: 0917-8362695 | Facebook | Instagram