Akira at Robinsons Magnolia and the Art of Teppanyaki

My SoMoms friends and I had a chance to dine at the recently opened Akira restaurant at the ground floor of Robinsons Magnolia mall.

Akira's facade

With my SoMoms mommy friends

Named after a fictional story on the legendary Japanese teppanyaki chef Akira who fought the fire god Kagutsuchi to save his beloved Sayuri, Akira likewise does not just provide great Japanese food but does so with savoir faire and art as its teppanyaki chefs deftly handle the cooking utensils. Teppan means iron plate; yaki means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried (source: Wikipedia).



All 4 branches of Akira have different themes, unlike many restos that look almost the same wherever you go. This Robinsons Magnolia branch was made to look more traditional with authentic Japanese picture frames, curtains and other decor.

Our lunch began with Akira rolls which contain real softshell crab meat, kani, grated cheese, spicy mayo, tobiko, and topped with tempura bits. I so wanted to try this but was afraid since I'm allergic to crab meat.

Akira rolls

Next we were shown the authentic Wagyu beef imported directly from Japan which Akira serves to all its customers.

No scrimping. That's Wagyu beef direct from Japan.

What followed next was a fascinating demonstration of teppanyaki demonstration. We had one of the more skilled teppanyaki chefs of Akira give us a demonstration. Check this video out.



This was what my share of lunch looked like. Trust me, the Wagyu beef was extraordinarily tender and tasty. That's why the picture didn't show much of it left. Hahaha...

For dessert, we also had tempura ice cream (3 scoops of ice cream topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherry, with banana tempura on the sides). My photo did not look so nice so I am grabbing an official photo from Akira's Facebook page.

Tempura ice cream (photo courtesy of Akira's Facebook page)

And as a lovely end to a gastronomic feast, we were lucky that a musician trained in the Koto, one of Japan's traditional musical instruments, was around. He was practicing for the following Sunday's show at Akira but I felt so lucky hearing it playing while we were having lunch. It made my experience all the more authentically Japanese.





Akira
Ground Floor, Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd. cor. Dona Hemady St.
Quezon City
Tel (02) 809-1234
Other branches: Shangri-la Plaza (654-3920), Alphaland Makati Place (0917-706-7328), Burgos Circle (550-2164) 
Also visit their Facebook page