It was one of those nights after a long and tiring day at work. Two hours sitting in a bus and getting crammed into a tiny tin can of a jeep during rush hour is not a pleasant night cap. I needed something to give me some good vibes before sleeping. I felt like treating myself out to dinner so I walked over to Kapitolyo for a quick food trip.
Location
I stumbled across Nori by accident. I wanted to check out Kanto Freestyle Breakfast since its been on my bucket list for a while now. Both restaurants are located within walking distance from Shaw Boulevard but you can definitely take a car here if you have one. Kanto Freestyle Breakfast place was packed and full of those rowdy after office types, smoking and drinking up the place like it’s a Friday night. I didn’t want to deal with that kind of ambiance. I saw Nori was right across the street in a tiny space with obscure signage from my vantage point. So I walk over and see the signboard, which reads “sushi burritos and yakitori”
– WAIT, what? SUSHI burritos? This I gotta try!
Ambience
Nori didn’t have much people inside it. After I stepped into the restaurant, a party of four stood up and left, which was good because I needed the space and quiet to relax and unwind. The interiors are fairly cozy as long as it doesn’t get packed. There are no bar seats for one, but they have tables for two that seated me and my dear backpack comfortably. It was rather chill with music that wasn’t really blaring out of the speakers – just enough to hear yourself think. There was an option to sit on the second floor where there is a veranda for spillovers from the first floor or perhaps a cozier dining experience for groups. But it was closed and I didn’t want the staff to open up a section just for me. The whole place really strikes me as a chill and hang out kind of place. There are no wall sockets so it’s definitely not a place where you can work outside of home.
Service
As I’m picking what to eat, I notice the waiters are just standing within earshot behind the cashier’s booth because the restaurant is really tiny. Sometimes I could feel their glances landing on me and overhear some of their conversations, which isn’t necessarily bad but just enough to make me feel aware that I was eating alone. On the plus side, having the waiters within reach made for really quick service. Or maybe because I was the only one in the restaurant at the time…
Food
I was a little skeptical at first because fusion food tends to straddle a thin line between “unimaginably delicious” and “disappointingly pilit (forced)”. Tex-Mex burritos and Japanese sushi are two of my favorite foods but putting both together didn’t cross my mind as a terribly good idea. However, at the affordable price of P159 for an Umami Chicken sushi burrito, I decided to set aside my reservations and give it a try.
After a few minutes of waiting, the waiter serves a cream colored roll made of a soy-based wrapper around a layer of rice and chicken, much like how many Japanese restaurants wrap sushi in nori (or seaweed). It’s served with some potato chips that are a bit soggy but I really didn’t mind. My initial reaction about the meal was that the servings looked small. A roll can just fit in my palm and it didn’t look like there was much wrapped inside. But taking the first bite convinces me that it’s a decent dish that goes beyond appearances. There’s a lot of tenderly cooked chicken inside – not one of those rolls that are more balat than laman.
As I’m going through the first roll, the waiter suggests that I try it with some Sriracha sauce. I try it and it’s even better! I finish the dish rather quickly and find myself very stuffed for some reason. Later on, the waiter tells me that it’s actually a dish for two. Wew.
Bigat sa tiyan (Filling)? Definitely. Sulit sa wallet (Affordable)? The thought of splitting P159 with another person and still being full just makes me tear up in joy and disbelief. As I leave the restaurant, I feel better about my night and sign off feeling a slight buzz that’s enough to get me to sleep. I might visit this place again soon to try the other offerings. I recommend it if you’re alone and looking for a chill place to unwind on your own in the evening.
Nori – Sushi Burrito x Yakitori
1st Street, Bro Building, Brgy. Kapitolyo
Mobile No. +63 9175161153
For the menu, check out their Zomato page here:
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