After living in Makati for the past six
years of my adult life, it’s pretty hard to move back to a quiet hometown in
the province and try to move on with your life. And ever since I did that, it
felt like a part of me has died and it’s been so hard to go on. Losing my Dad a
couple of years ago was a big reason why I decided to drop everything that was
happening in my life then and start anew. Only, the fresh start I had hoped for
didn’t exactly happen in Bacolod—it took place in Cebu City.
I’ve already been in Cebu for a year and
it’s an amazing experience. The people here are nice to me and have really made
me feel like I’m part of their circle. Although there are things I miss about
Makati—my condo, staying out late with my friends, and all the food; I have
accepted that things must go on. So whenever I can, I try to re-live moments that
I enjoy most about Makati: mainly eating and discovering new restaurants.
For a while, I’ve been on the hunt for a
dish that my friends and I love to share every now and then. Even though
Japanese food is quite common here in the Philippines, that specific dish is
somewhat new to most Filipinos. If not for my friends, I wouldn’t have known
about it.
Okonomiyaki from Kagura in Little Tokyo
(Picture from my old Multiply account)
So for a while, I’ve been looking for a
restaurant in Cebu where they served Okonomiyaki.
My friends and I used to eat it in a restaurant in Little Tokyo, Makati. If
you’ve never been there, it’s definitely an adventure on its own! You’ll feel
like you’re actually in Tokyo and you get to sample different Japanese cuisine.
A visit to Little Tokyo will help you get oriented with the different types of
dishes served in their country. After all, there’s so much more to Japanese
food than just ramen, sushi, and teriyaki.
A few months ago, Guile and I chanced
upon Tomo Café—a cosplay café that
served Japanese café food. I was extremely happy to discover that they served
Okonomiyaki. However, they didn’t offer the option where you add crispy noodles
on the base of the batter. While I made do with the dish, I decided that the
only way I could eat that specific version of Okonomiyaki was to make it on my
own.
True enough, I found a recipe for
Okonomiyaki that I cook at home. It’s a cheaper option and I can choose the
ingredients I would like to add to the dish. But sometimes I feel so lazy to
cook and worry about the excess food. Thankfully, a recent discovery proved to
be a happy experience for me and Guile!
On a busy Wednesday evening in December,
we decided to eat out. The first option was to eat Sangyupsal since it has been
a while. But later on, the choice turned to trying out a Japanese stall we
discovered all the way in Talamban. With the usual rush hour traffic, it took
us an hour to get to our destination: Piazza
Elisia.
Sacchan, Piazza Elisia, Talamban
Upon arriving in Sacchan, I felt like I was back in Little Tokyo. The stall was
situated underneath the stairs of the establishment, with foldable tables and
stools surrounding it. Once we got seated, a friendly Japanese woman approached
us and handed us the menu. If you’re looking for ramen, sushi, or the usual
Japanese food, you’ll be disappointed here. Just like Little Tokyo, Sancchan
only focuses on a specific type of Japanese cuisine—takoyaki.
Sacchan Menu (from Facebook)
Their menu consisted of a few options: Takoyaki,
Okonomiyaki, Gyoza, Yakisoba, and a couple of teriyaki rice meals. On our
visit, we ordered the Gyoza and the Modanyaki. I was very pleased to
discover that they served the okonomiyaki version that I had been looking for
since I left Manila in 2012!
Pork Modanyaki (P150)
And it was exactly what I was looking
for! I was so happy that I finally got to try this dish again!
Gyoza (P120)
The Gyoza was good as well. The Japanese
owner was so friendly that she even poured our sauce for us and explained what
they were.
Mango, Red Iced Tea (P20 each glass)
They also served refreshing Red and Mango Iced Tea.
Sacchan also offers daily lunch sets and nightly promos for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Overall, I really enjoyed my visit in Sacchan
and would most likely be back real soon! I was promised she would prepare
onigiri next time!
Sacchan is situated in
Piazza Elisia, Talamban. They are open daily from 11:30 am – 10:00 pm. For
inquiries, call 09437055641.
