Aozora Japanese Restaurant

“Aozora is a Japanese word which means Blue Sky. Aozora Japanese Restaurant is the place where your taste meets sky.” -Ms. Christine Arriola-Villongco, owner of Aozora Japanese Restaurant

I hosted a bloggers party last November 17-18 at Charming Tagaytay Vacation Home. It’s a fun-filled event where we exchanged a lot of ideas about blogging and social media marketing. Parties are incomplete without food trips! I tried to search for top 10 best restaurants in Tagaytay. Among the top 3 are Antonio’s Garden, Cafe Voi La, and Aozora Japanese Cafe + Bistro. I asked them which they prefer and we unanimously chose Aozora Japanese Restaurant.

My friends and I went to Aozora Japanese Restaurant to have brunch. Since we are 15 in the group, I realized that it’s a perfect time to make food reviews!

Let’s begin with appetizers. They have Yasai Itame (PhP 200), Gyoza (PhP 280), Okonomiyaki (PhP 210), Edamame (PhP 120), Agedashi Tofu (PhP 185), Tofu Steak (PhP 235) and many more.

They have Kani Salad (₱310), Aozora Salad (₱330), Tuna Avocado Salad (₱335), Grilled Chicken Salad (₱290), Wakame Daikon (₱320), and Salmon Pomelo Salad (₱360).

I personally love their Dragon Maki (₱385). Their best sellers includes Rainbow Maki (₱345) – Tuna, Salmon, Shime Saba, Tamago, & Mango and Mixed Seafood Futo Maki (₱425) – Shrimp Kani, Squid, Salmon, Obaro & Ebika. Other types of Maki like California Maki ranges from ₱245-320.

Aozora Japanese Restaurant offers a wide variety of sashimi and sushi. Mixed Sashimi (PhP 550) includes Tuna, Salmon, Shime Saba, Tako, Uni, Kani, and Tamago. Mixed Sushi (PhP 550) contains Tuna, Salmon, Shime Saba, Tako, Uni, Kani, Tamago, and TekkaMaki.

If you don’t like raw food, you can have their Katsu dishes, Curry dishes, Teriyaki, and Yakiniku! Rice meals range from PhP 250 to PhP 380. I’d love to try their Wagyu Steak (PhP 950) and Mixed Seafood Teppanyaki (PhP 550) next time!

Going to a Japanese Restaurant is incomplete without trying their Ramen. We tried the Aozora Ramen (PhP 350) – it’s their signature dish which is enriched with Tagaytay’s favorite bulalo. Other types of Ramen includes Miso Ramen (PhP 320), Shoyu Ramen (PhP 280), and Sikuyaki Soup (PhP 770). They also have different types of Udon. I’m surprised that they even have Shabu-shabu Hot Pot (PhP 850).

They offer four different sets of Bento: Pork Tonkatsu Bento (PhP 480), Ebi Tempura Bento (PhP 525), Chicken Teriyaki Bento (PhP 480) and Beef Teriyaki Bento (PhP 90).

They offer various types of drinks like Sake, Tea, Shakes, Beers, Soda & Coffee. Sake includes Shirayuki (PhP 390), Sochikubai Gokai (PhP400), Jun (PhP 375), Yamanadanishiki (PhP 525), Karantaba (PhP 350), Nigori (PhP 420), Hakutsuro Nama (PhP 310), Nihon Sakari Nama (PhP 310), Kikusui ( PhP 425), and Ozeki (PhP 390). For a special ocassion, their house wine costs PhP 1200, while one sake bottle costs PhP 1900.  Their tea and shakes ranges from PhP 130-170. They also have a Japanese Beer (Kirin Asahi Sapporo) for PhP 165.

For desserts, we tried their Matcha and Sesame flavored Ice Cream (₱170 per serving). They also have Mango Tempura (₱180), Fried Mochi with Red Mongo Ice Cream (₱290), Oshiruko (₱135), Coffee Jelly with Vanilla Ice Cream (₱210) and Cupcake with Ice Cream (₱70).

The people are very accommodating, from the receptionist, supervisor, chef, and even the owner. They really make time to answers my questions about the food. Their customer service is really superb.

Aozora Japanese Restaurant has two branches:

• 209 SVD Road corner Tagaytay Main Rod, Tolentino West, Tagaytay City
  • Landmark: across Country Suites and in front of Containers by Eco Hotel
  • Contact Number: 0936-980-9656
• Purok 157, Tagaytay-Calamba main road, Sungay East, Tagaytay City
  • Landmark: in front of Southridge Village
  • Contact Number: 0977-683-7353

• Bento is only available from Monday to Thursday during lunch time.
• I think the best time to go there is 9-11 am. The place gets crowded during noon time because it’s really popular among the locals and the tourists.
• If you want to interview the owners, you may contact Ms. Christine Arriola – Villongco at 09063501704 or email her at [email protected]
• For more details, check out their social media accounts
  • Facebook Page: Aozora Japanese Restaurant
  • Instagram: @aozoraph

Thoughts about Aozora Japanese Restaurant:

• The customer service is really great. We never felt neglected by the staff.
• They have a Japanese and a Filipino Chef which makes the preparation and cooking have the authentic Japanese style.
• The food is from authentic Japanese cuisine. They use ingredients imported from Japan. The only thing they don’t import are the veggies. The leaves of the salad are really crispy, they really serve fresh food.
• The ambiance is classy. I love the minimalist theme of the restaurant. So Japanese!
• The price is suitable for Class A, B, and C. I think you’ll experience more than what you paid for. The quality and the quantity of the food gives justice to the price.
• My top picks are Dragon Maki, Aozora Salad, and Gyoza!