Suzu Kin Japanese Restaurant along EDSA Quezon City, Dishing Out Affordable Japanese Cuisine in Manila

I may be one of those lazy kids out there for checking out just recently an affordable Japanese Restaurant in Manila which has been considered a tradition since 1981. I apologize, because my affinity for Japanese food wasn't really given much thought of until I started getting serious with my chopsticks blog.  Owing to the fact that I have been receiving emails from readers asking for my recommendations on this league, I must say that there couldn't be more apt time to be introduced to Suzu Kin Japanese Restaurant.

While I have few favorite Japanese restaurants which I can easily recommend, most of them calls for a hefty wallet that can stare back at your appetite eye to eye without flinching.  Now, knowing that Japanese gastronomical experience comes with price, the words affordable and Japanese cuisine cannot be usually found in one sentence. Well, at least in my opinion.

Sure there are wallet friendly Japanese fares we can find in every corner there is, but let us be realistic here. We do not want to deal with run-of-the-mill Japanese food, truth be told. We want something that is so good, we wouldn't mind dishing out the proverbial Domo Arigato even with bad accent.

I lost count how many Domo Arigato I have muttered even before the dessert was served to us during our visit at Suzu Kin because almost everything I have tried was great considering its price. To bump into an affordable Japanese restaurant is already a feat in itself, what more if it's an affordable Japanese restaurant that dishes out decent Japanese food?

The fact that Suzu Kin's inception was dated way back 1981 ( Older than I am,yes) and is still around amidst the numbers of new Japanese restaurants sprouting in Manila proved that it is already a legend ( as my friend, The Pickiest Eater aptly puts it.) Although the EDSA branch owned by Leslie dela Cruz is a franchise, they make it a point to just continue the tradition that Suzi Kin way back has started.

In any Japanese restaurants that I have been to, I am not the type who enjoys crisp dilis (anchovies) for appetizer because I pity dead little fishes in general. Okay, I am kidding. But seriously, I am not a big fan of crisp anchovies, yet Suzu Kin's is an exception. While its taste tend to lean on the sweeter side of the spectrum, (which I love to the core, by the way) it has the right amount of crispiness to it that will tease your palate into munching for more.

I love fresh oysters while baked variant I believe is heaven sent. Yet when I tried Suzu Kin's Oyster Furai (Php181), it was a revelation. A beautiful revelation at that.

Basically, it's fried battered oyster reminiscent of tempura, only it uses oyster. While it was already good on its own, the special sauce that came with it, which name escapes my mind because I am a responsible blogger that way, added an extra layer of sweet savory dimension to its flavor.  My foodie seatmate has a mean allergic reaction to seafood, so imagine my gleeful selfishness happiness while I devoured these babies.

Suzi Kin's Salmon Sashimi and Tuna Sashimi which are priced at Php205 and Php175 respectively were good enough to curb one's sashimi cravings. Fresh and well proportioned, its innate sweetness was a proof that it was prepared as ordered and hasn't been sitting in a chiller for heaven knows when.

While their California Maki (Php198 / 12pcs) is well worth mentioning, I deem that it's Suzu Kin's Dashimaki (Tamago) that deserves the spotlight. Downright simple, yet delightfully reassuring. The use of sweetener is apparent without overbearingly so. Just the right amount to tickle the palate without assaulting the tastebuds.

They say that you haven't been to Suzu Kin if you have not tasted their famous Ebi Tempura (Php200). I am not sure about that, but what I am sure of is that I have been to Suzu Kin and I have tasted their tempura, and it simply blew me away. Its batter was ethereally light that provided a delightful crisp texture covering, while the shrimp inside was sinfully succulent that it felt like you are taking part in a beautiful ceremony in the sea as you bite on it.

Since Suzu Kin is famous for dishing out really affordable Japanese cuisine, it is expected that they are serving combination meal platters fit for those who wants to try a little bit of everything in one go.

We already have ample amount of food on our table but out of curiosity, I went for their Suzu Kin Super Meal. So much for self control, yeah? Anyway, for its price of Php210, one can have a taste of Ebi Tempura, Sakana Furai, Yakiudon, California Maki, Dashimaki, and Kani. This platter comes with a cup of rice and miso soup.

Another meal platter is the Suzu Kin's All-Day Everyday Meal which is priced at Php123 only. Mindblowing, I know. This platter is a combination of Ebi Tempura, Chicken Furai, Crisp Dilis, Pork Kushi Yaki, and Tuna Steak.

I am not crazy about cold soba because I do not want anything cold associated with my noodles due to wild imagination (yuck, i know.) But I tried cold soba before which I deem decent and Suzi Kin's Cold Hiyashi Soba (Php162) I must say was well worth trying. I love the texture of the noodles combined with the interestingly refreshing taste of the special sauce. If you are big on dishes like this one, then you should go for it.

Another oyster dish which was a revelation to me was the Oyster Butter Dish (Php194). It's simplicity in appearance does not translate the richness of its flavor. There was a subtle hint of butter but the reverberating flavor was that of the oyster in all its savory glory.

I could have gone the extra mile and taste other dishes that we were served but contrary to popular belief, I also have some limitations. So, I really cannot comment on the taste of the following dishes shown in photos below, but I am certain that I will definitely have them on my next visit to Suzu Kin.

Tonkatsu (Php155)

Yakisoba (Php129)

Chicken Teriyakidon (Php198)

Gyudon (Php159)

While there are dishes I have managed to skipped, I paid respect to the unwritten rule of leaving room for desserts. We were served with Frozen Leche Flan (Php80) which I love to bits for its creaminess and the right amount of sweetness it has. The other one was the Coffee Jelly (Php80) served with two scoops of cookies and cream ice cream on top. The coffee jelly kind of remind me of the one I had at other Japanese restaurant which I love so it is safe to say that it hits the right button for me.

Suzu Kin is tagged as hole in the wall restaurant but I find the place to be decent enough in terms of location size. It also has a private room which boasts of karaoke system that diners occupying the room can use.

I couldn't stress enough that I rarely encounter a Japanese restaurant that serves good food at an affordable price, so having been introduced to Suzu Kin was a welcome feat. It's a kind of place that you would love to go to when mean cravings for hearty Japanese meal sets in without punching a hole in your wallet. Their menu are extensive enough that it calls for a revisit, and I am hoping that I will bump into you my readers at Suzu Kin, one of these days.

Suzu Kin Japanese Restaurant

K-Zone, Shell Station (Northbound)
Edsa corner NIA-PDEA Road,
Quezon City
(near MRT GMA-Kamuning Station Northbound side)
Contact no.: 861-9108
Facebook Page:  SuzuKin-Edsa