At this Japanese restaurant, the truffle claypot rice steals the spotlight

From sushi and sashimi to ramen and takoyaki, Japanese cuisine is among the most popular cuisines in the world.

In December 2025, TasteAtlas ranked Japan sixth in its list of the 100 Best Cuisines in the World, alongside Italy, Greece, Peru, Portugal, and Spain.

The Land of the Rising Sun ranked highest among Asian countries on the list. The Philippines placed 25th.

In Metro Manila, Japanese restaurants are abundant, mirroring the growing appreciation of Filipino diners for Japanese cuisine.

While many restaurants offer familiar favorites such as ramen, sushi, and sashimi, Kappou Yoshi in Parañaque City takes diners on a kaiseki journey, a traditional multi-course Japanese dining experience, through its Chef’s Signature Set curated by Chef Yoshihiro Sugiyama.

Among the standout dishes is the truffle claypot rice, which easily steals the spotlight for its aroma and fluffy texture.

Cooked in a traditional claypot, the dish finished with slices of truffle mixed into the rice and served fresh at the table.

The truffle rice is best enjoyed alongside deep-fried Miyazaki Wagyu A5 beef and Japanese mountain vegetable tempura. The wagyu offers a melt-in-your-mouth richness, while the tempura adds a satisfying, crave-worthy crunch.

The set also features sea urchin and abalone with sweet Japanese tomato in dashi jelly as an appetizer; wild snapper and fish milt in ichiban dashi broth as a soup course; an assortment of bluefin tuna, chicken grunt fish, and salmon belly sashimi; and simmered Japanese rockfish and bamboo shoots finished with an egg and kudzu starch sauce.

To end the meal, diners are served fresh slices of melon, strawberries, and a creamy hojicha tea pudding for dessert.

The kaiseki meal is steep at P10,000 per person so keep Kappou Yoshi’s Chef’s Signature Set in mind for special occasions. The restaurant is located at Okada Manila. — LA, GMA News