• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Two Japanese culinary establishments – the CoCo Ichibanya and Mitsuyado Sei-men – are bringing the authentic taste of Japan to Bacolod City and neighboring Negros Occidental.
CoCo Ichibanya, dubbed as the “Number 1 Japanese Curry House in the World”, and Japanese noodle haven Mitsuyado Sei-men, will both have their grand opening at The Pavilions of Nara Residences by Rockwell, along GM Cordova Avenue in Mandalagan, Bacolod on May 23.
This will be the first branch of CoCo Ichibanya in Bacolod, and the 15th in the Philippines, since the opening of its first store in Pasig City in 2015.
“We are excited to introduce CoCo Ichibanya to the City of Bacolod, and we invite everyone to have a taste of its authentic Japanese curry rice and experience why it is the world’s largest curry restaurant chain in the world, as certified by the Guinness World Records,” Hubert Young, chief executive officer of UCC Ueshima Coffee Philippines Inc., the company that brought to the Philippines some of Japan’s most popular food concepts, said in a statement May 20.
The curry chain boasts of a wide range of dishes, from mild to spicy, and vegetarian to meat choices, and complemented with an assortment of toppings and side dishes that customers can customize.
Japan’s tsukemen noodle-dipping experience, meanwhile, comes to Bacolod and Negros with the opening of Mitsuyado Sei-men, also at Nara.
“Bacolod is the best place to bring the Mitsuyado Sei-men experience, where there has always been a thriving dining scene,” Young said. “Bacolodnons and people from nearby provinces can expect the same quality of food and service that our restaurants in Metro Manila have been known for.”
A popular Japanese noodle chain founded in 2005 in Tokyo, the restaurant is known for its customizable noodles and distinct yuzu oil-infused broth. It established its first restaurant in the Philippines in 2012 with a branch in Makati City.
“Since the noodles are made every day, customers can expect only freshly-prepared noodle dishes when they dine at Mitsuyado Bacolod,” Young said. | CGC
