A Goto Welcome in Fujinoya

Just a short walk from the corner across JY Square leading to Camp Lahug is a Japanese restaurant that prides itself of faithful usage of fresh baking ingredients for its cakes and pastries. Unlike most Japanese restaurants in town that serves mostly maki, sushi, sashimi and miso soup, this restaurant puts on the front line their baked goods. The moment you walk into the glass doors, the line of cakes and desserts inside the glass fridge becomes a sight that is guaranteed to make your mouth water. They say the Japanese technique infused in the creation of these western cakes makes a signature Fujinoya product.

It was lunch time, so we painfully looked away and sought for a cozy corner.

A semi-round cushioned chair at the corner looked interesting, so we propped ourselves on it and waited for quite some time only to discover that orders are done at the counter. Confident that no one else will take the seat from us, we approached the barista to ask about the menu. After reading the chalk writings on the menu board and flipping our hands from one menu cardboard to the next, we decided to order the Wasabi Burger, Kakiage Burger, and Kishimen Kakiagi.

Kishimen Kakiage Noodle Soup

Kishimen Kakiagi was served first and "my!!!" .. did it taste so good! Kishimen is flat Japanese noodles, quite like our local "udon". By itself, it would probably have tasted dull but as soon as it absorbs the mix of flavor from the fresh vegetable ingredients, it becomes a symphony of nothing else but blissful goodness.

Kakiage Burger

Kakiage, which consisted both our burger and soup orders,  are deep-fried fritters made of vegetables (carrots, shallots, and onion) and peeled prawns. They are mixed and glued in one piece by flour and egg yolk before they submerge into the scorching vegetable oil. There is something deceitful about adding vegetables in anything fried. It makes you forget it was soaked in oil.

Wasabi burger. Andami kong nasabi. haha

The crisp crackles as you bite onto the Kakiage Burger. While I love the Wasabi Burger, I feel that it lacked the wasabi taste. Either cummin overpowered the wasabi or wasabi tasted like cummin. I was really expecting a palate-kickin' surprise but it left me wanting to separate the mayo dressing and other ingredients to find the wasabi's hideout. Overall, the char-broiled patty, the crunchy onion ring and french fries sides were enough to make me silent -- at least for a while.

Conference area at the upper level.

Don't you go finding where the faucet is at the sink. This hanging ornamental lamp spews water too.

It is not only the food that will make your dining experience in Fujinoya comfortable. You are assured the experience of a relaxed ambiance. The artistic pentagon designed ceiling and blend of cushion and wood interiors slightly removes you from the urban neighborhood. If you dine outside the shop, you'll find yourself stepping on a carpet of grass, not minding its plastic/rubber compositions. The upper level is available for reserved conferences and meetings. The room accommodates up to 15 people and charged at an hourly CONSUMABLE rate of P1000. Use of the LCD projector is P500 for the whole duration of your team meeting. I think the price is very reasonable given that Fujinoya is an international name. It merits the perfection of its cake recipe to the 3 generation of cooks in the Goto lineage. Fujinoya is derived from "fuji" which is "goto" in kanji and "noya" is a derivative word meaning "welcome to".

Wallet Watch:

  Kakiage Burger      - 220
  Wasabi Burger       - 240
  Kishimen Kakiage - 250

Fujinoya Bakery | Gourmet Coffee | Bistro
Address: Wilson Street, Lahug Cebu City 6000 (Beside Pino Restaurant)
Operating Hours:  7:00AM – 12:00 Midnight
Contact Number: (032) 231-5238 / 0915 483 8097
http://www.fujinoya.net/english/shopinfo/
Facebook

Korean Bakery

We were walking according to instructions from the owner of Gani hotel to find the street where we could get a ride to IKABUD, a popular Filipino restaurant in Angeles, Pampanga. Just a few stores along the Main Gate Friendship Terminal and in front of Mr. JJ supermarket, we noticed a well-lit store bearing "Korean Bakery" for a signage. It was quite interesting since it stood lined along small conventional Filipino stores which were just walls apart. Since, we were hungry for a sumptuous dinner at that time, I put my curiosity behind. As soon as we finished dinner, we really had not much choice but to go back to where we came from to avoid getting lost in the city. When the jeepney halted at the crossing near Mr. JJ, my thoughts wandered and my curiosity began to rise again. When I learned that my companions wanted to go back to the bakery which to me brought both emotions of relief and surprise, I strut silently behind them grinning.

Main Gate Friendship Terminal in Angeles, Pampanga. Photo from here.

 

I have been to Korean restaurants before but I had yet to see what their bakery looks like. When we entered, it was just a glass-walled store lit under fluorescent lighting, a long cake stand in front, and some bread and cookies display on the sides. It was simple but not the cakes. You could set apart a Filipino, American, or European cakes from the Korean creations. Theirs were particularly adorned with fresh slices of colorful fruits. While our bakers put solidified fondant strawberries theirs had the actual version. While our cakes are flavored mainly with delectable chocolates (be it white, black, or brown) theirs had green tea, berries, and other healthier options. My companions got so drawn to it that they decided to buy one out for an evening dessert. They picked the Green Tea cake with fresh Kiwi, orange, and cherry toppings.

Although uncertain if all Korean cakes are prepared with the same level of sweetness, the green tea cake did taste appropriately sweet. That appropriate sweetness is by the way quite a contrast to our usual cakes that bear heavy sugar ingredient suited for the sweet-toothed customers. We seldom fail luring customers with excessive sugars because chocolates and candies were after all supposedly sweet but the deviant and healthier Korean cakes won me over the former. It may take time for Filipino taste buds to acquire this sugar-less taste on Korean cakes but baking cakes this way definitely makes it the healthier option. Now, we can eat more slices than the usual, guiltlessly.

More pictures of Korean Cakes here:
My Korean Kitchen
Minjeongie

Other food places in Angeles:
Mr. KimBob
Ikabud

Location:

View Larger Map