12/10, one of the best-kept secret spots in Makati, is a modern Japanese izakaya. It has a beautiful ambiance that’s quaint and very welcoming.
First Visit
Last month, we went there to try their tasting menu, which was designed for two people. It was comprised of a full, 9-course meal. Namely, our menu included; oyster, uni toast, salmon, cauliflower, eggplant, mackerel, Mayura wagyu, onigiri, and capped off with their homemade faux Twix.
For us, the star of the show was their Mayura Wagyu – it’s a special type of wagyu because, during the cow’s lifetime, it’s fed with chocolate which supposedly makes for an extra soft and tender meat that’s packed with flavor and has a butter-like consistency. We also added a couple of dishes that according to their friendly staff was a must-try like the mushroom salad and their katsu sando. We paired our food with the Crying Lighting, a shaken cocktail with 3 types of rum (Chairman’s reserve, O.F.T.D plantation, and Sailor Jerry) mixed with Kwai Fei lychee, orgeat, and garnished with lime. It’s on the sweet and nutty spectrum and made for a pleasant after-dinner drink.
Second Visit
We recently paid another visit last week. This time, we came in early, but couldn’t get a table since they were fully booked for the night. Instead of turning us away, they offered to seat us at the bar, which turned out to be better than expected because we had a more interactive experience with their welcoming staff.
We got uni toasts (something we had sampled on our last visit) which was quickly turning into a favorite of ours. We wanted to try something new, so we asked the bartender, Louie, what his favorites were. We ended up ordering seaweed rice together with their best selling tori, which we paired with a cocktail called “Sunflower.”
Sunflower features Tanqueray gin, St. Germain, Cointreau, and lemon. The food was decadent and had a lot of umami notes, the Sunflower had bright and floral notes which made for a great palate cleanser in between courses.
If you’re just dropping by for a quick drink or a bite, we do recommend sitting at the bar. You’ll most likely be entertained by their staff, and it’s a good place to have a little chat with them, they’ll be happy to explain what’s in your drink or food so just ask away.
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