Missing Japanese Foods? Takoyaki and Sushi are available in Metro Market Market.

Japanese Foods in Affordable Prices around the mall
By: Desiree M. M.

Takoyaki and Sushi are just few of the Japanese foods loved by the Filipinos and other Nationalities. These delicacies are so popular that many restaurants offer them in the menu. Unluckily, if you really want to have a taste of these mouth-watering cookings, considering the original recipe and ingredients, you have to save a few hundreds. Japanese restaurants in big malls around the Metro serve Takoyaki and Sushi with authentic ingredients. But only people can afford them.


According to Mr. Wikipedia, Takoyaki is a Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, green laver (aonori), mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (fish shavings), first popularized in Taisho-eraOsaka. While Sushi is a vinegar rice topped with fish or mixed with vegetables.


When I was in middle school, I always dream eating sushi someday. Even if it would cost a lot, I really wanted to try one. When I knew about Tokyo Tokyo, I tried the sushi but my savings could not afford my cravings. It was such a frustration. One time, I found a sushi offered from the supermarket and a number of pieces with good price. I bought one and that was the first time I also learned to use chopsticks. I tried and my first bite was like a “speechless judgment”. The taste of sushi was very authentic and my taste buds were crying for more. I’ve learned that you have to dip the sushi on the soy sauce with calamansi / citrus extract or with wasabi. My takoyaki story was simple. When I first watched Gokusen and other anime series, I saw this delicious looking chow with octopus. It was like a stranger for me. But Takoyaki was very difficult to hunt. I couldn’t really find anywhere and only few people know where to find this. The one that I bought for the first time (with a very small octopus cut) was a bit pricey. After sometime, I purchased takoyaki with affordable cost and much bigger.

I was really hoping that someday there would be a small food stall/ restaurant who would offer less expensive delicacy like this two. Now, that was like a dream came true. Sushi and Takoyaki could be purchase at less time. It is good to know we could have a taste of these delicacies event the ingredients of the takoyaki has only few octopus pieces and sushi varieties are limited.

In Metro Market Market, Maki Mi Sushi sells affordable sushi with variety of container sizes with mixed pieces. They have Solo, Double, and many more. Among the many choices of sushi in Japan, Maki Mi Sushi sells about few classes of sushi. As far as I can remember, they have California roll, and nigiri-sushi (tamago sushi, crab sushi). I don’t know own the photos below but these are the kinds of sushi Maki Mi Sushi offers.

Takoyaki can be found at the foodcourt section of Metro Market Market. I am sorry and I forgot the name of the food stall. They sell takoyaki balls in 4 pcs. including the mayonnaise and the toppings in good price. The takoyaki balls taste good and the vegetable fillings were fulfilling. The original octopus ingredient is included but only in few chopped.

For those who wanted to try different cuisine other than Pinoy delicacies, there is no harm in trying new foods for your taste buds.