So where exactly is Nirai? It is a new place in the famed Greenhills shopping area, in front of the Mr. Donut shop. It was where Jazz n Rhythms used to be, for those who can remember. Barely on its fourth month of operation, Nirai is getting its huge share of patrons craving beer and, of course, Japanese food in the wee hours of the morning.

Kani Krunch

Conventional creations like my favorites ebi tempura, yakitori and teppanyaki, are available and I think they go very well with beer and some sake. The very trendy "kani krunch" is evidence of the kitchen team up, displaying traditional techniques in maki rolling and applying new tricks and strategies to give it more appeal.

It is actually a basic, inverted maki roll that makes use of lettuce instead of nori and is topped with chopped kani sarada (kani salad); and the appeal is the crunchy exterior provided by what I think are crumbs of tempura batter where the maki was rolled in, instead of the usual ebico or sesame seeds. It tastes exciting because it creates a lot of texture in your mouth; the rice is soft and a bit chewy, the lettuce crisp, and of course the crunchy surface gives an unusual twist to the usual maki we get from our favorite Japanese restaurants. And the best part here is it is only P 95.00 a serving.

Another interesting offering from the menu is the "koroke", which literally means potato balls in Japan, and is almost similar to the westerners’ croquettes. It is made in the same way that croquettes are, deep fried until golden brown and served with my favorite tonkatsu Bulldog sauce. Other variations, such as cheese and chicken filling in lieu of the usual pork, are available.

Beer is amazingly priced at a low P 30.00 (remember it’s in Greenhills) and the cocktails range from P 125.00 to P 150.00. Sake and other famous Japanese drinks are also offered. Carlsberg Chill, a new product out in the market, can also be found here for only P 40.00.

A sample of the cocktail was sent to me by Archie. It was their signature "Sake Bomb" which combined their two favorites: beer in a glass and a shot of sake. You drink this stuff by dropping the shot glass in the center of the beer glass and gulping the liquid straight. After trying this out, Archie offered me another drink he calls "Boy Bastos", for those who like to get some really strong buzz. Again there is a procedure before drinking--you have to slam it really hard on the table three times to aerate the soda, combine all seven liquors by pouring in a single glass, and then drink it straight. The concoctions are really great but they are really bastos!

Come as you are, says Archie referring to his clientele. There is no dress code or anything like that; if you want to drink in your most comfy way come at Nirai. He even allows his regulars to play poker inside and any guest who’s interested in playing can be introduced to any game by just asking the waiters. The place is also a hang out for the badminton community. But if you are into motorcycles this is also a good place to go to because every night a certain group of bikers, after a road trip, hangs out here for cold drinks, bike talk and a lot of kani krunch.

Nirai is a place to visit; it has good food, good drinks and good company (beautiful girls). With its very casual and friendly atmosphere I am sure that you will want to go back again and again.

I have a croquette recipe that is easy to prepare and has a lot of flavours in it. It is called

Croquettes

300 grams mashed potato

2 cloves roasted garlic

1/4 cup fillet of smoked fish

2 pcs egg whites

1 cup Flour

1 cup Japanese break crumbs

Oil for deep frying

Bull dog sauce for dip

1. Mix all together very evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Form into small balls and roll into flour, dip in egg whites and roll in Japanese breadcrumbs.

3. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve hot with Bull dog sauce.