Theres a lot of things we should be thanking Japan for; gamers for the Super Mario and Final Fantasies, female anatomy enthusiasts for Yua Aida and Anime lovers for pretty much everything. But if you’re a food lover, you should be thanking Japan for food that tastes so distinctly and uniquely their own. Cuisine that emphasizes raw and healthy ingredients and creative preparation, Japanese food is clearly one of the more recognizable world cuisines. Imagine my delight when Blogie invited me to a popular Japanese restaurant as part of Davao Bloggers’ Food Trip.

Zakoya is a fairly new restaurant that has slowly but steadily been getting buzz amongst the local food lovers. I actually missed the memo stating to bring your own camera, fortunately Batang Yagit was gracious enough to take pictures for me. We sat at the Tatami area and use chopsticks to put ourselves in a Japanese mood. I wasn’t able to have lunch that day so I was first at the buffet table. Different variations of tempura, Oysters, wasabi, Sushi, skewered garlic and Sashimi were laid out on the the first table. I like how they are being prepared right in front of you across the table.

The next table was where the main dishes were laid out. My favorite was the miso soup which reminded me of taho except its warm and full of veggies. Teriyaki, kamameshi, black seaweeds, veggies in Kimchi (skipped it) and a beef plate. There was a third table full of fruits and desserts but I never got around to it due to me having no space left in my tummy after devouring the meal.

The teriyaki was good, the Black seaweed despite its appearances tasted harmlessly, the beef dish was also good, the coleslaw sushi was delicious, the fried fish was delectable, and that miso soup? still my favorite among the bunch along with the oysters.
I neglected to order sake and instead blurted out Iced tea. We had a great time talking amongst ourselves and that speaks to Zakoya’s conversation friendly atmosphere.

Now, on to my verdict -
The Good:

• Different dining areas
• cool table design (bubbles in glass)
• beautiful Men’s bathroom, I was going to check out the Women’s but I wasn’t drunk enough
• not too cramped
• conversation friendly
• a few Great dishes(miso soup, oysters)
• relatively affordable price

The Could-Be-Better:

• Food tags would’ve been nice, I didn’t know the names of what i was gobbling up.
• Food was mostly Ok, but lacked freshness on some dishes
• The plates were heavy
• Stones on the steps to the tatami area could be cause of accidents
• wouldn’t it be cool if there was a Geisha or a Samurai greeting you at the door.

In summary, for a great Japanese resto that won’t break the bank go to Zakoya.
Here are the restaurant’s info lifted straight from DavaoDeli:

Open all week for lunch and dinner. There’s a bar in a separate room. They close at around 2 AM. There’s also an open-air area out front.

The restaurant is located at Door #3 DavCon Autoville, Torres St., Davao City. It’s beside Coco (formerly Regine’s) and the Davao Convention and Trade Center. Tel.: (82)227-7760.