There’s a food stall on the Lower Ground Floor of Mitsukoshi Mall that’s turning heads of passerby, as offerings on display are definitely unique to this Manila market. At its most basic, its Japanese-style comfort food—defined as what the Japanese in Japan, or even the Japanese expats here would prepare and consume on a daily basis as part of a regular, and far healthier diet. This is to be distinguished from what we’ve grown accustomed to see at restaurants highlighting Japanese cuisine.
The food stall is called Cuddle, and it’s the brainchild of Alyanna Uy, with Chef Hiroyuki Meno; and as guided by their food consultant, Yukiko Niimura, who’s connected to the family restaurant Kappou Sanei in Kagoshima City. These homemade delicacies are extra strong on the freshness of ingredients, and with an emphasis on a variety of vegetables that are filled with health benefits.
As Yukiko explained, “What you see in restaurants offering Japanese dishes is what we eat when we go out; that’s quite different from what the Japanese will prepare at home for their children and when the family eat together. What we have in Cuddle is true comfort food, Japanese-style.” And Alyanna adds that as such, it can be a real eye-opener to how diverse Japanese food can be.
The best way to enjoy Cuddle is to pick four to five of the ready dishes to savor a variety and decide what to pick the next time. To make it more palatable for first-time Filipino visitors, Cuddle has added some “ulam” dishes such as Chicken Karaage, Pork Shogayaki, Grilled Salmon, Gyu Sukiyaki, and Fried Shrimp Stuffed Shiitake. Take your pick to be eaten along with the specially prepared Cuddle specialties.
I really liked the Inari Sushi, consisting of sushi rice stuffed in tofu pockets, with simmered shiitake, red lotus roots, snap peas, crab sticks, and egg. These were super clean tasting, yet filling and strong on protein. Another quick favorite was the Shiraae - mashed tofu salad with sweet potato, kale, shimeji mushrooms, and okra. The touch of okra is what had me sold.
Alyanna reports that among the early bestsellers have been the Steamed Onion Ponzu - featuring steamed new harvest onion, with Oroshi Ponzu; and the Simmered Kabocha - a dish with pumpkin, chicken soboro, and edamame. The Umami and Sour Vegetables was the other dish that piqued my interest, largely because of the visual aspect, and I was curious as to just how sour they would be. Yukiko was here creating some new selections, and I tried the shredded Carrot with Yuzu Sauce and Nuts, which easily became my favorite of the day.
When ordering to share or to take home, the available bento boxes are a great way to bring home something with presentation, and at the same time, offering variety and a tasting experience. Both Alyanna and Yukiko were quick to point out that no preservatives are used, so what one takes home should ideally be consumed in a day.
Fancier bento box sets for the holidays are being planned by Yukiko and Alyanna, and knowing that Alyanna is behind Prologue and Dough & Grocer, expect these gift sets to be exceptional gifts that your family and friends will truly enjoy receiving. In particular for those who seek to give gifts that are out of the ordinary, head to Cuddle on social media, CuddlekitchenPH, to discover when these bento boxes will be available. In the meantime, discover just how delicious and engaging healthy, and plant-based, can be! It’s definitely time to Cuddle.