BY JOSEPH TANCHEE
When asked, Inno Restaurant and Bar owners Renato and Melissa Tan, would always say that Inno stands for "innovation." However, to set it straight, the name "Inno" was actually coined due to the simple fact that it really sounded Japanese.
Since they opened last year, Inno was lauded for a string of distinct, inventive sauces, such as a mango wasabi sauce for their Tuna Carpaccio Salmon Roll and a special Salsa for their Nacho Supremo. Afterwards, the word innovative just worked very well.
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| Kuruma Ajillio | | The restaurant menu, heavily Japanese, also has a few global dishes, such as Tuna Casserole, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Grilled Pork Liempo. However, it’s the scattered pleasures in the roster that will give the name even more credit.
The menu is dotted with creative fusion dishes that mix culinary ideas from the east and the west. Aside from the typical Japanese menu of sushis, tempuras, and dons, the restaurant has a Japanese Pizza, a classic Filipino dish called Buta Shizuru (pork sisig mixed with Japanese soy sauce and wasabi), and Spicy Tuna Sashimis.
The dishes are the work of executive chef and general manager Ruel Ruiz. Veteran chef Ruiz started his career at the tender age of 19, and he specializes in Japanese cuisine. He has worked as head chef for several Japanese establishments before, and has even owned his own bar.
His dishes’ presentations come across as energetic, but the tastes are carefully planned and meticulously thought out.
Take for example, Inno’s Shake Teriyaki, grilled Norwegian salmon lined with teriyaki sauce which lies on top a bed of spinach sautéed in cheese.
Though the play on food goes way past culinary boundaries, the cheese actually highlights the flavors of salmon. The grilled salmon’s smoky character is also sharpened by the cheese and at the same time subdued.
Dinner at Inno is best started with a platter of Kani Cheese Fritters. The cheese wrapped crabsticks arrive at your table with a chance to sample one of their signature sauces, the mango-wasabi dip.
Another recommended appetizer is the Kuruma Ajillo, a flavorful dish of tiger prawns in olive oil and garlic, served around a heap of mixed greens.
For main courses, fine choices would include the sweet-hinted Chicken and Pork Barbecue, as well as their California Blend Penne Pasta.
Servings at this resto are generous if not hefty. Inno’s has taken the liberty of marking some their dishes as for sharing and its best taken seriously.
Their Grill Platter, piled high with grilled tuna, mussels, squid, and pork, will serve a heavy group of six. Moreover, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a hard night of drinking ice-cold beer.
Other interesting dishes are their Mixed Vegetables Teppanyaki (vegetables, chicken, liver sautéed Misono-style), Beef ala Inno (stir-fried beef tenderloin in butter and garlic), and Grilled Kobe Beef bathed in one of their secret sauces.
At night, the Inno’s stylish setting, a modern, cool, and collected ambiance, is transformed into a hip music bar. Stars from the nearby television networks can be found crooning their acoustic hits, or simply lounging around sampling one of Inno’s original mocktails.
Inno Restaurant and Bar is located along Sgt. Esguerra St. in Quezon City, right across the ABS-CBN compound.
Inno has also opened a smaller branch called Innodon in one of the Metro’s business districts, which offer the same quality Japanese dishes at a much more affordable price.
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