Zaifu at the Powerplant Mall
The owner of Zaifu at the Powerplant mall at Rockwell is actually also the owner of Japanese food cult classic Ishin beside Glorietta. Sometimes we wonder why all the great Japanese restaurants are in Makati, sigh.
A preview - read more about Zaifu below!
Anyway, sour-graping aside, Zaifu is a great place to sample some Japanese food before catching a movie in Rockwell. The servers are great and the food is even more fantastic!
The plush cushions match the interiors and the menu is non-intimidating and actually gives so much variety, it’s hard to choose which dish you’d like to share with your date!
soft seats, matching red server uniforms
A small Japanese garden will greet you at the entrance, and actually at the back of the restaurant you can take your shoes of on tatami mats to lounge and dine.
Small Japanese garden, open doors
We surveyed Zaifu’s menu and ordered.
Zaifu's menu
New Zaifu additional menu
I got the Salmon Temaki for P105 when I asked the server what it was – salmon sushi shaped liked a cone. Not too small, but not too big either, since I wasn’t so hungry.
This cone is not for licking - salmon temaki
A pleasant surprised wrapped in a seaweed cone greeted me. The salmon was pink and fresh, and the rice soft and sticky.
I will definitely order it again, and definitely share a couple with a date. It’s better than sushi since you can just get a piece and order something else at the same time.
And good thing, too, since the strawberry ice cream is fantastic! It’s solid enough to chew and hold its own,just the way ice cream hsould be made. Its definitely not soft serve so don’t expect that.
Overall, I liked my order and would definitely go back to Zaifu for more Japanese food dates!
As much as I want to order something different whenever I go to Zaifu, I almost always don’t. That’s because it’s the only place that can satisfy my tofu craving. I usually end up having their Tofu Special (P165). The owner is a friend from high school and I’ve been ordering this dish since she introduced it to me in Isshin 15 years ago. Not much has changed and it never disappoints. The Tofu Special is soft and hot on the inside, spicy and crusty but not crunchy on the outside. Simple and satisfying. Give me my Japanese rice and I’m good to go! The serving is huge and is more than enough for two people. It’s cheap and better than your regular Teriyaki boy/Kimono Ken/ Tokyo Tokyo type crap meal. 
Soft and yummy tofu special
Its not too expensive, don’t worry. It’s about the same price as Teriyaki Boy with definitely better food! Bring along P200-P250 per person and you’be in Japanese food heaven.
To impress a date, learn how to use chopsticks properly, and you can both have fun when you teach him or her the technique. But don’t be too pushy, or else you’ll seem like an a jerk *wink*
Zaifu Japanese Restaurant
Power Plant Mall, 1st Level Rockwell Drive cor. Estrella St., Makati
Telephone no. 898-1702
Make your own Temaki sushi!
