Not-So-Good Christmas Eve Lunch at Miso Restaurant

It has become almost a tradition with the boyf and I to have lunch during Christmas Eve because the rest of the day is spent with our respective families. This year, we wanted to have our lunch date at Tiny Kitchen because it was timely as I, too, had to pick up the Seafood Paella we ordered days before (for our Noche Buena). Unfortunately, they weren’t open for diners at that time and was only available for pick-ups. And so, we had to scour some of the few available restaurants near Torres to have our lunch in.

We saw Miso Restaurant from among the rows of restaurants in DavCon complex at Torres. So, we figured it might be worth a try; plus, both of us haven’t been there before. Judging by the name, I also expected it to be an authentic Japanese restaurant.

When we entered the restaurant, our immediate reaction was – “This looks like a wedding reception!” Funny as it sounds, I immediately dropped my expectation. Then, I had a look at their menu – it was nothing Japanese at all! But it was too late to turn around because all of our other preferred restaurants were closed for that day. Plus, our tummies are beyond aggravated!

The Mushroom Soup started off our meal and it was fantastic! The stock was creamy and rich in flavor, plus there were lots of slices of mushrooms tossed in. If you happen to drop by Miso Restaurant, make sure to order this one.

I wasn’t up for a rice meal that day and so I went with their Smoked Deep Fish Roll. This was probably the best of all our orders. The wrap did not soak up too much oil upon deep frying, and the seasoning on the fish filling was savory enough to make every biteful quite a treat to your palate. It also comes served with a pineapple relish but a regular vinegar dip would’ve been better, or more appropriate.

I also ordered the Sizzling Gambas, which is a disappointment because it only comes with very few shrimps. And besides, it does not taste like Gambas at all! It is more like your average seafood sizzlers, only that it comes with shrimps alone. But knowing that it is priced at roughly PhP 150, it’s another sad case of “you get what you pay for”.

Meanwhile, E ordered the Carbonara because he is craving for pasta and none of the other two earlier orders were available. Bummer. But it was actually better than I had expected, albeit the fact that the sauce is a little too thin for my liking. It should have been more creamy and thick than it did to allow the flavor from the sauce to cling onto the pasta. 

To conclude, it was not as good of a dining experience at Miso Restaurant. Obviously, since it was our first time, we did not know what to expect. Do I see myself coming back here to dine? Probably not. 

But if you want to give them a try, you can visit Miso Restaurant at DavCon Complex in Torres St. It is located beside Trellis N Vines, the former location of Belgica restaurant.