Fire and memory: An evening at Teppen of Tokyo
Rain has a way of sharpening the appetite.
It probably is the cool air settling over the city after another humid July day, or the quiet invitation to linger a little longer indoors. On evenings like this, Bonifacio Global City seems forlorn under umbrellas and streetlights, and somewhere between the rain and the rush of traffic, one discovers a stage where the flames of the robata grill, carefully crafted dishes, and Japanese flavors transport diners, if only for an evening, a little closer to Tokyo.
Waiting behind the doors of Teppen of Tokyo, the newest Japanese dining destination at Uptown Bonifacio, is a celebratory Japanese nightlife.
The evening gathered together an interesting cross-section of Manila: business leaders, diplomats, media personalities, artists, chefs, and longtime friends. The Philippine STAR executive vice president Lucien Dy Tioco and vice president for sales and marketing Jay R. Sarmiento joined the celebration, along with executives from Viva Group led by Vic del Rosario Jr., VR del Rosario, Vincent del Rosario, and Veronique del Rosario, whose venture into hospitality continues to grow with unmistakable confidence.
Yet despite the distinguished guest list, there was remarkably little pretense in the room.
It felt like a family welcoming people into a home they had spent years imagining.
The Del Rosarios have long built businesses around stories—music, cinema, entertainment. This time, they are telling one through food.
The formalities came as expected. There were speeches, some long enough to trace the restaurant’s journey from idea to reality, others refreshingly brief but no less heartfelt. VR del Rosario, never one to spend unnecessary words, reminded everyone that the goal was simple: to bring another authentic Japanese experience closer to Filipinos, allowing diners to discover Tokyo without having to board a plane.
VR might have long discovered that the strongest vision is expressed in the fewest sentences.
The speeches had introduced the people and the dream behind Teppen.
It was now the food’s turn to tell the rest of the story.
At Teppen, every plate arrives like meeting someone for the first time. You notice the appearance before the personality, the aroma before the conversation. Then comes the first bite, that quiet moment when introductions give way to understanding. Flames leap from the open grills. Iron plates hiss. Charcoal slowly coaxes sweetness from meat and seafood. One quickly realizes that dinner here is something to watch.
The evening unfolded course after course, each revealing another chapter of Japan’s rich grilling traditions.
A delicate Ban Ban Ji opened the meal with tender steamed chicken dressed in creamy sesame, while the playful Sushi Pizza, layered with toro salmon, kani and crisp nori, reminded guests that tradition and creativity need not compete.
The Tebasaki Tokyo Wings, glazed with the restaurant’s signature seasoning, disappeared from plates almost as quickly as they arrived.
But it was around the robatayaki grill that Teppen seemed most comfortable telling its story.
Robatayaki, the centuries-old Japanese method of grilling over charcoal, demands patience. Fire here is respectful.
Slices of Gyuniku, kissed by garlic sauce, arrived perfectly charred. Orange Pork balanced citrus brightness with smoky depth. The Tori Momo skewers celebrated the confidence of ingredients prepared without unnecessary embellishment.
Then came the Salmon Genshiyaki, grilled slowly over hibachi fire until the fish developed a gentle smokiness beneath its crisp exterior, accompanied only by tartar sauce that knew when to stay in the background.
There were moments when conversation at the table simply stopped.
Because good food has always been one of the few things in life that satisfies the appetite and stills the soul.
The Sirloin Steak, one of Teppen’s signature dishes, justified its popularity with remarkable tenderness, accompanied by mashed potatoes, vegetables, steak sauce, and salt ponzu that allowed diners to season each bite according to taste.
The Sizzling Soboro Mapo Tofu, served bubbling hot, surprised with its gentle balance of spice and sweetness, while the richly layered Tonkotsu Tantanmen offered the kind of comforting bowl that persuades diners to return long after the excitement of opening night has faded.
Dessert arrived without fanfare, as though confident that the evening had already won everyone over.
The Tokyo Churros, dusted with roasted kinako and paired with Okinawan kuromitsu brown sugar, provided a fitting final introduction, the dessert so comfortingly familiar yet unmistakably Japanese.
Generous pours of Yamazaki whisky, Kirin Beer, and an assortment of Japanese highballs kept glasses full throughout the evening, adding warmth to an already vibrant celebration.
What lingered longest was not a particular dish. It was the feeling.
Restaurants often promise authenticity, but whether authenticity is found in imported ingredients or in intention is clear now. It lives in craftsmanship repeated thousands of times until it becomes instinct. In chefs who understand restraint as much as creativity. In owners who genuinely hope guests leave happier than when they left the parking area some hours ago.
That spirit traces back to legendary Japanese grill master Akira Muto, founder of Nanbantei of Tokyo, whose influence on Japanese robatayaki spans more than five decades. His philosophy—respect the fire, respect the ingredients, respect the guest—finds quiet expression throughout Teppen.
One leaves understanding why the restaurant bears its name.
Teppen means “the summit”—the highest point, the very best.
Whether every restaurant can claim such ambition is another matter.
But ambition, after all, is what keeps cities exciting.
Metro Manila has become increasingly fortunate that the world continues to arrive on its doorstep. Italian kitchens, Korean barbecue, Spanish tapas, French bakeries, and now another thoughtful expression of Japanese fire dining continue to shorten the distance between cultures. We no longer need to travel thousands of miles simply to experience the flavors that once belonged only to postcards and travel itineraries.
Once in a while, Tokyo comes to us.
And on one rainy evening in Bonifacio Global City, it arrived carrying charcoal, steel, generous hospitality, and enough beautifully prepared dishes to satisfy the tongue and the stomach, but also the storyteller searching for another tale worth telling.
If you are wondering where your next meal should be, allow this to be your gentle nudge.
Drive to Uptown Bonifacio. Come hungry. Be curious. Watch the fire.
Meet Teppen.
