Aozora Japanese Cafe + Bistro: Aozora Ramen, Rainbow Maki, and Chicken Teriyaki

Aozora Japanese Cafe + Bistro

This is again one of those Allen-got-invited-and-I'm-the-blogger-plus-one type of dine out. I'm not required to write about this, but I wanted to as I love Japanese food! This was a long overdue invite as, let's face it, Tagaytay is hours away. But when we got another invite in Tagaytay which includes an overnight stay, why not hit two birds with one stone?

Trivia: Aozora means "blue skies". Well, you'll literally see blue skies as the restaurant is located in the roof top of Domicillo Design Hotel. Beautiful and refreshing scenery while you dine.

Aozora Ramen (320 Php)

Bulalo-inspired Ramen

Aozora Ramen

Aside from bearing the restaurant's name, what really got us curious about the Aozora Ramen is that... it is a bulalo ramen. This is really something new for me. It looks like ramen but tastes like bulalo. The soup is flavorful and the meat is tender. Serving size is huge and can be shared by two. I thought bulalo in this form can only be found in cup noodles... but no, this Aozora Ramen made it real!

Chicken Teriyaki (260 Php)

Chicken Teriyaki

I ordered Chicken Teriyaki Don, which I assume is a rice bowl, but the waitress gave me Chicken Teriyaki (ala carte). I told her that what I ordered was the donburi, but to my surprise, she insisted that it was the ala carte that I ordered. I ended up ordering separate rice. That was the only part where I got disappointed. But then, when I tasted their Chicken Teriyaki, whoa.. it was one of the best's I've tried! The chicken was so tender, the sauce seeped into the meat and doesn't seemed to be artificially sweetened. The flavors were so natural that I didn't realize I've almost eaten all pieces. Provided this ala carte has bigger serving than the donburi version, I should have thanked the waitress then.

Rainbow Maki (320 Php)

Tuna, Salmon, Tamago, Shimesaba

Rainbow Maki

This is the second time in my life to eat Rainbow Maki. I would say the first one was more colorful as it includes avocado (putting green among the pink and peach), but Aozora's version has more sashimi, hooray! This is a good choice for me as I get different toppings in each of the 8 pieces, but not so good for Allen who doesn't eat raw fish... oops.

Aozora Iced Tea (120 Php), Green Tea Shake (150 Php), Yellow Mango Shake (130 Php)

Aozora Iced Tea, Green Tea Shake, Yellow Mango Shake

I ordered the Aozora Iced Tea as, again, it bears the restaurants name and there should be something unique about it, which I wanted to find out. It did not disappoint. Even though I can no longer trace the essence of "iced tea" in it, this drink is so refreshing. Imagine the taste of pandan, lemongrass, honey, and hint of mint. Green Tea Shake is another recommended drink, especially to matcha lovers. It has a very evident green tea taste but well-balanced by sweetness. Yellow Mango Shake will always be a usual and safe choice for the kiddos.

That was a very fulfilling lunch at Aozora Japanese Cafe + Bistro. Allen and I, plus our little foodie, Rhyme, enjoyed all the food. And just when we're about to leave, one of the staff asked us to check out the view. I'm glad he did as it was really a breath-taking overlooking scenery, a bit scary too if you look down. We stayed for a few more minutes, chatting with the accommodating staff, while Rhyme roamed around the place.