(Chef Ariel Gutierrez on his passion for sushi making and Irobeshi.)
ANGELES CITY – Somewhere hidden in a busy suburban area here where most students reside sits a good ramen and sushi bar that is now slowly gaining popularity.
Irobeshi ramen and sushi bar is the newest craze in town. Located at the Altaclaro food park in Barangay Claro M. Recto here, it is the perfect place to experience Japanese cuisine.
Irobeshi is playfully coined from the phrase, “I love sushi,” by owners Philip Gutierrez and chef Ariel Gutierrez.
“We wanted to have a place that serves real good ramen with a kick of umami by using authentic ingredients combined with our love for Japanese food,” said Ariel who studied culinary arts at the Clark Education City.
He used to work in a 7-star hotel in Dubai which steered him to discover his passion for Japanese cuisine and the art of sushi making by honing his skills through his practice abroad.
Their menu consists of a variety of ramen selections with special broths and toppings and a wide range of Japanese maki rolls.
Irobeshi serves Hosomaki which is a form of sushi that is rolled with rice and nori as the outside layer.
Crazy Maki is their best seller. Uramaki is the one with two or more fillings with the nori rolled inside while Nigiri is the famous form of sushi that is rolled like a ball smeared with wasabi and topped with raw fish or other seafood.
Sashimi, as we know, are the small pieces of raw fish that we dip in soy sauce and wasabi.
They also serve Temaki which is the cone-shaped type of sushi and the Gunkan sushi which holds its main ingredient on top of the rice like a boat as its vessel.
Tempura and gyoza are also in the menu. Dragon maki, volcano maki, caterpillar, and hot Christine are some of the must-try maki specialties.
Irobeshi is located at Altaclaro Food Park behind Security Bank along McArthur Highway near the Angeles University Foundation.