Noshing on Japanese cuisine, with its fresh, seasonal and premium ingredients, can rack up quite a bill. So it’s good news that there are several Japanese restaurants around town which offer terrific lunches by way of bentos which are a fraction of the cost of ordering off the a la carte menu. Here’s your cheat sheet to where to indulge in bountiful Japanese fare on the cheap, because lavish doesn’t have to mean expensive. 
 

Nihonbashitei

All of the outlets of this old timer restaurant offer value-for-money lunch sets. However, these bentos are offered until 5pm, which are perfect for early dinners too. Each set comes with miso soup, a few seasonal side dishes, as well as coffee or nata de coco. Warm dishes like ramen (from PHP200), udon (from PHP180) and curry (from PHP300) are available, but it’s the sushi and sashimi sets which are especially worth a trip for. A favorite is the nigiri sushi set (PHP350) which comes with four maki rolls and nine nigiri sushi such as tuna, salmon, tamago, uni and prawn. 806 Arnaiz Ave, Bgy San Lorenzo, Makati; +63 2 8936739. Daily 11am-12mn.
 

Nikkei

Much buzzed about Japanese-Peruvian restaurant, Nikkei, helmed by chef Christian Cejas, is new to offer lunch sets. These sets, which are available from 11am-5pm, consist of a main dish with miso soup and a scoop of wasabi or ginger ice cream. Come for the chirashi set (PHP595), which in true Nikkei fashion, offers Japanese favorites in non-traditional ways. This chirashi is plated on a slab of slate and includes the day’s freshest seafood such as tuna, salmon, and octopus. For something more substantial, order the donburi set (PHP575) of miso curry or the Nikkei Benedict (PHP480) which consists of a poached egg, prawns, tuna, and Hollandaise sauce on a steamed bun. Rada St, Legazpi Village, Makati; +63 927 2730114, Facebook. Call for operating hours.
 

Seryna

Dinners at Little Tokyo’s award-winning Seryna can add up, so their lunchtime bentos are much welcomed. This menu of 10 lunchtime sets are served on a traditional Japanese tray and include a main dish with a salad, appetizer, miso soup, fruits, and tea. All but one of these bentos are priced at an easy PHP380, while the mixed lunch box, Higawari Gozen, is priced at PHP580. On the menu is something for everyone, including sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, tonkatsu, soba, and udon. 2277 Chino Roces Ave, Makati; +63 2 8943855, Facebook. Call for operating hours.
 

Tenya 

Japanese chain Tenya are specialists in all things tempura, with their deep-fryers and many ingredients coming all the way from Nippon. Available all day are a series of sets, such as the Classic Tempura Teishoku (PHP360) which includes a basket of prawn, squid, kisu, green bean, and sweet potato tempura with Japanese rice, potato salad, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. Or to bump up your meal with a bowl of hot or cold udon or soba, order the Classic Tempura Soba or Udon set (PHP385). 4/L SM Mega Mall A, Edsa, Mandaluyong; +63 2 8375036; Facebook Daily 10am-10pm.
 

Tsukiji 

Chef Toshiro Okajima, who has worked in Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Market, has been at the helm of Tsukiji’s kitchen since 1989. Offered during lunch on Mondays to Friday are seasonal sets (PHP495) such as mixed tempura, miso ramen, and grilled mackerel, served with rice, various pickles, miso soup, tuna sashimi, and fruits. But if price isn’t a concern, order the resplendent Makunouchi Bento Sakura (PHP1,200) which comes with the day’s freshest sashimi, a mix of tempura, grilled fish, various pickles, soup, and seasonal appetizers. 3/F MilkyWay Bldg, 900 Arnaiz Ave, Bgy San Lorenzo, Makati; +63 2 8434285, Facebook. Call for operating hours.

Izakaya Kikufuji

This Little Tokyo eatery has been on the block for quite some time now, with retro interiors that speak of its age. This restaurant, which is the go-to Japanese spot of many in Makati, features a lunch menu which includes a main dish sided with a salad, miso soup, and various appetizers. The Shake and Ikura don (PHP620) is a favorite with delicate slices of salmon sashimi topped with salty, sticky ikura as is the chirashi don (PHP568) which features a myriad of sashimi and chilled seafood such as unagi and prawns. For something with a friendlier price tag, there’s the soba set (PHP225) and the chicken teriyaki don set (PHP255). 2277 Chino Roces Ave, Makati; +63 2 8937319. Call for operating hours.
 

Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant

This Salcedo Village sushi bar offers, on all days of the week, a large menu of lunch bentos. Included in each set is a main course of your choice along with miso soup, rice, a variety of pickles and seasonal sides, chawanmushi and tea. Since this eatery is a sushi bar, their chirashi set (PHP535) is fresh and varied with a patchwork of sashimi artfully arranged in a lacquer bowl. Their sukiyaki set (PHP800), on the other hand, is generously portioned and served with paper-thin slices of beef in a richly flavored stock filled with sweetness and umami. 141 Sedeno St, Salcedo Village, Makati; +63 2 8874848, Facebook. Call for operating hours.