Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me My Favorite Japanese Restaurant
Wed, August 13th of 2008
3:19 pm
How you pronounce its name, Umu, is up to you but I say “OO-moo.”
The succinct, staccato rhythm that means, “born of nature,” remains true to its name with the use of highly textured materials in the dining room such as onyx, wood and granite, and an extraordinary 3-D feature wall done in bronze. The massive space, all 1,000 square meters of it, includes pavilions that serve as function rooms, an al fresco smoking and dining area, as well as traditional tatami (Japanese mats) rooms.
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- Umu’s bronze wall
But that’s not all. If I visit during the day, I eat at a table that faces out on the meticulously maintained garden which, when I visit at night, transforms into a striking illumination of various lights and the audible gurgle of waterfalls. Umu occupies the space of the former Japanese restaurant, Benkay, which bid farewell to three decades of service when Dusit Hotel Nikko became Dusit Thani Manila last April.
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- the gardens outside Umu
The restaurant’s arresting visuals are foreplay – if you will – to equally exceptional food. The Sashimi Gosyumori (P1,190), five different types of seafood inimitably presented on a bed of Japanese herbs held aloft by a tower of stones and faux crystals is radiant, design made edible. Another time, the chefs indulge their playful sides by serving the same dish, but this time in a receptacle filled with dried ice. The resultant “smoke” is like being witness to an alchemist’s magic. I especially like pairing the sashimi with the shiso (aka perilla) leaf, a jagged herb that’s reminiscent of fennel. Sushi is also good here, it goes without saying, although its presentation is less fussy. And oh! All wasabi served here is freshly grated; it’s difficult to go back to grocery store wasabi.
I’m adamant that no visit to Umu is complete without an order of the pumpkin tofu (P250; also on cover photo). Handmade and topped with prawns, it’s garnished with wasabi and floats in a light broth. An almost ethereal custard, it has the texture of the smoothest cheesecake with the flavor of pumpkin pulsing through. A masterpiece.
For an uni (sea urchin) lover like me, I’m intrigued with the uni with skimmed soy milk (P515). It comes to table in a small pot with a flame that burns lazily. Positioned in a subtle broth that hints of mirin and concentrated Japanese stock, are strips of uni reposing on blocks of what look and taste like tofu but with a decidedly milkier taste. Partway through the meal, I ask the server to extinguish the flame because the broth is bubbling vigorously, forming a crust on the milk “blocks.”
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- smoked salmon belly: one of the delectable things cooked on Umu’s robata grill
Umu is making a name for itself with its teppanyaki offerings and its food cooked on the restaurant’s robata grill. A traditional Japanese cooking method, the ‘robatayaki’ style of cooking is food cooked over an open charcoal flame, perfectly in sync with today’s style of (healthier) eating. The smoked salmon belly (P680) is especially good.
On days when I crave familiarity, the tempura udon set (P730) suffices nicely, as does the hana chirashi (P950), a variety of sashimi on a bed of vinegared (sushi) rice. Sometimes there’s nothing like sukiyaki (P2,280) however, a comfort dish of mine because my mom used to cook it for me when I was growing up. Most sukiyakis in Manila are too sweet but the one at Umu hits the right balance of salty and savory with generous slices (300 grams) of US ribeye and lots of veggies and vermicelli.
Though Umu’s prices might seem prohibitive to some, there’s plenty to eat here without going home broke. Lunch brings several set menus (P730-P1,610) and you can have a tasting sampler of the appetizers, most of which are less than P400 each. Or try the Saturday lunch buffet which is ongoing for only P945.20, a 32% discount from the original price of P1,390. Why 32%? It’s to celebrate the hotel’s 32nd anniversary.
Umu
Dusit Thani Manila, Ayala Centre, Makati City
Open Monday to Sunday, 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and from 6 to 10 PM.
For inquiries and reservations, phone (02) 867 3333, extension 3343 / 3344.
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tempting! very, very tempting! love your photos, as always, lori!
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Comment by Joy Cruz — August 13, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
I am always on the lookout for good sushi! I have heard good things about this place…I’m glad you did a feature so I can see what it’s all about! Freshly grated wasabi is really leaps and bounds better than the tubed paste…I consider it a good omen when a restaurant uses it
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Comment by joey — August 13, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
I have been going to the Japanese restaurant of the Dusit on and off since I was six years old. (Even before it was a Dusit hotel). We’ve celebrated countless birthdays, graduations, and what have you’s over the years. I have to say, the last time I was there (last June ’08 to be precise. To celebrate another birthday), I was very disappointed. Ok, the place looks nicer. The service however, was terrible. We had the slowest dinner ever. Everything came out one by one. We had one dish at a time. Drinks were slow too. And the only two desserts we wanted, weren’t even available. Not to mention, our waitress looked so unenthused. The restaurant wasn’t even packed…On July (another birthday), we opted for the Japanese restaurant at the Shang ri La hotel. It was excellent.
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Comment by michelle — August 13, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
OMG, Lori. You had me at the sashimi.
I wish I had something more substantial to say but I’m too busy wiping my drool. 
But seriously, a delicious post. I’m always looking out for great Japanese restaurants. Umu is definitely worth a visit.
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Comment by Franco — August 13, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
I agree! The Sukiyaki at Sugi is yummy, but too sweet too!
That pumpkin tofu looks good.
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Comment by Shalum — August 13, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
Hi Lori! I agree with michelle. I’ve been going to Ben Kay since I was a kid and it’s really different now. The service before was excellent with all the old-time waiters. Plus I loved the fact that I could just drop by and order my favorites in the old teppanyaki table. I used to eat there at least once every two weeks until it became Umu. They got rid of all the good waiters and waitresses, hired a new manager who doesn’t know a thing about hospitality. I used to walk in and out of that place until my last “visit” when the manager told me that I couln’t be seated since it was full and I had no reservations. When I peeped in, the whole teppan area was closed and the dining area with the sushi bar was half full! So, I brought my business to the thai resto on the mezzanine floor – Benjarong where the manager, Kulanit is always accomodating. The food of Umu can also be inconsistent – the steak was amazing the first time, then on my 2nd and 3rd visits, the steak wasn’t cooked the same way anymore.
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Comment by Chat — August 13, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
pardon my asking, but where is the green shiso in your photos? I see something that might be red shiso, shrivelled up, and a green leaf that looks like japanese mugwort or yomogi.
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Comment by corinna — August 14, 2008 @ 12:35 am
Hi, Lori!
How does Umu compare to Kuretake in the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell? Brian and I are frequent patrons there and love their sashimis and sushis.
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Comment by Aina Luna — August 14, 2008 @ 6:56 am
i used to go to ben kay as well. it was my parents favorite place when i was much younger.
they unfortunately didnt take me because i probably wouldnt appreciate the food then.
good to see theyve remodeled. based on the above i hope their service has improved as id love to try it again.
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Comment by jay p — August 14, 2008 @ 11:39 am
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Comment by Lori — August 14, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
It’s 2am and you just got me craving for sashimi and that wonderfully looking pumpkin tofu. I’ll have to Umu to inquire (and probably reserve seats) for the Saturday lunch buffet. Thanks for an awesome review
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Comment by Vera — August 15, 2008 @ 2:18 am
Went to UMU 3 Sundays ago and didn’t know that it was buffet offerings on that day. Suffice to say the buffet offering they had was poor. The staff was great, but after going through their offering, I somehow felt it was more comparable to the Saisaki buffet rather than the Japanese restaurants in Shangri-La Manila and Edsa. I do hope the ala carte is as superb as you describe, but I don’t get why the buffet sucked.
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Comment by Ed — August 15, 2008 @ 11:15 pm
After reading your post, I immediately called up Dusit to inquire about their discounted buffet lunch (P942.50), only to find out that the promo expired yesterday! Argh! Anyway, prices are now P1,450. But judging from your post, the price may still be worth it!
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Comment by Eileen — August 16, 2008 @ 8:24 am
what a gorgeous spot! food looks pretty good too…
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Comment by foodhoe — August 17, 2008 @ 11:59 pm
Hi!
Unfortunately, I will have to agree with Michelle and Chat. The service was shockingly BAD. We had to follow up on everything, main course came while others were already at dessert, took forever to prepare the bill, etc. All the basics you’d expect from a hotel restaurant. There weren’t too many people so we were unsure as to what could have caused such serious lapses.
Even if we still availed of the 32% discount, it still wasn’t worth the exasperation! They should get tips from Benjarong.
Food? Just ok.
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Comment by belle — August 18, 2008 @ 8:51 am
I liked Benkay, too. This new resto looks snappy and ready to serve. I’ll try the Uni dish you mentioned…..sheesh…there goes bad cholesterol….
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Comment by irene lee — August 24, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
the food is great but the service at umu and most of the dusit is SO bad. even the valet girls are masungit.
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Comment by grace — August 25, 2008 @ 9:24 am
I love Japanese food! There’s this one restaurant (at Valero St) in front of my hubby’s office (Philamlife bldg). I forgot the name tho’. It’s a quaint restaurant frequented by many of the office workers working nearby. The chef is Japanese and the food is oh so delicious! Service is fast, price is not that prohibitive and the portions are large. I ordered the cold ebi tempura udon served on a bowl of ice. My hubby ordered the ebi tempura set which included salad and miso soup. The miso soup was the best one I’ve tasted ever! We also ordered california maki. Unlike the usual maki served in fastfood restos, these were huge!
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Comment by Jas — August 27, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
I love love love Japanese food and you’ve made me curious to try this one. But with prices like that, how does it compare to Tsumura, which in my book is the ultimate sushi place in Makati?
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Comment by Jill — September 4, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
Really enjoyed Umu the first time I tried it a few months ago, shortly after it opened, I think. Went back a second time about a month ago and had a horrible experience. Airconditioner in the private room we requested was barely working. Service was very slow. Sashimi was not fresh and hamachi, in particular, was very fishy or “malansa.” My mom was also there a couple of weeks ago and thought the food was terrible. The gindara they ordered was also very “malansa.” The place itself is beautiful but the bad food is a dealbreaker. A far, far cry from the BenKay I used to know and love as a child. I think I’ll stick with Tsumura, which serves good-quality sushi and fairly authentic (not Filipinized) Japanese food. It’s far from cheap, but compared to other Japanese restaurants I’ve tried that offer relatively comparable quality, still fairly reasonable.
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Comment by J — September 4, 2008 @ 8:49 pm
The only time i go to places like this is when they have a promo (like last July’s discount thingy at Tosca)
Just came from UMU’s Robata & Sushi buffet and, personally, just thought it was worth it for around 800 net. They had a good selection of sushi (tuna, maki,etc…), sashimi (3 big pcs of orangey salmon and 2 big tuna pcs), miso soup and the robata (ribeye slices and prawns were the best). Quiet lunch amidst well designed setting plus good service (was wary of the service but my fears didnt materialize, they were helpful to even refill your share of ribeye robata)
will come back happily and try the teppanyaki & sushi buffet sometime.
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Comment by chris — October 29, 2008 @ 2:30 pm
Very beautiful! I love your pics! It’s a very nice locality! It would be grateful if I ccould be a visitor!
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Comment by Poppaea — November 29, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
This is what happens when media/bloggers are invited and treated by restos. They are usually given the best choices on the menu, the chefs handle the cooking, and staff on the best behavior. In reality, when the real paying diners go, they have a poor experience. I’ve been burned so many times by so-called food/restaurant reviewers who rave over their free meals.
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Comment by chinita — March 17, 2010 @ 7:13 pm
I used to be the Japanese Sous Chef before in Benkay Jap Rest 1996,I think the ambiance now is better than before but I think the food before is better,as a Japanese Sous Chef i personally dislike the idea of japanese food being serve buffet style bec japanese cuisine is best in decorations,plating,small amount but great taste,and that thing you loose it when you serve buffet style.thanks
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Comment by Rommel Tumang — July 18, 2010 @ 8:22 pm