More and more restaurants have been opening their doors lately for dine-in customers, but there are those who still prefer to enjoy their meals in the safety and privacy of their homes. I do find myself occasionally dining out at my favorite restaurants, but most of the time I still have to stay at home during this community quarantine period. That is why I was happy to find out that Nanka Japanese Steakhouse recently launched their new Nanka Burgers which are really fitting for the pandemic. Now we can satisfy our meaty and guilty pleasures at home with just a simple message or call for delivery.
Nanka Japanese Steakhouse is a popular steak and dining destination located in Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City. I dined here almost exactly a year ago when it introduced its elegant Angus and Wagyu steaks (Read: Nanka Japanese Steakhouse Features Wagyu-Angus Crossbred Steaks). I also remember dining here way before when it used to be called Moomba. Now, with the community quarantine still in place, Nanka continues to offer a relaxing venue for intimate gatherings as it is open daily for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
I actually had a safe and socially-distant lunch with my friends twice this month at Nanka Japanese Restaurant. The restaurant adheres to all necessary health and safety protocols including proper spacing for diners, with sanitizers and alcohol readily available.
Face masks are required upon entering with temperature checks to ensure that all guests are examined. I felt totally safe the entire time, especially with the restaurant’s spacious dining hall.
Executive Chef Mike Santos continues to innovate at Nanka and even has some new items on the menu. We started with some Salmon Croquettas (P420) for appetizers. These crispy bite-sized croquettas are served with a special aioli sauce. It’s a lovely way to start our steak and burger adventure.
We also got reacquainted with Nanka’s signature starters and bar chows like the Oyster Rockefeller (P385) with its succulent oysters baked with butter and herbs.
The Gambas (P405) is another popular appetizer with its big pieces of juicy shrimp accompanied by bite-sized chorizo. There’s also the Glazed Chicken Wings (P285) which are similar to Korean double-fried chicken, but this one actually pops with more flavors.
Their pasta selection is also noteworthy with the Shiitake Pasta (P335) offering a unique and healthy alternative. You can also try the Chicken Pasta (P335) with tender cuts of chicken breast combined with broccolli on top of your pasta.
Chef Mike then presents to us the superstar lineup of premium steaks at Nanka Japanese Restaurant. Diners can choose from among the different cuts of premium steak that will be laid out on the table. These steaks will be cooked fresh off the grill and served according to the diners’ preferred doneness. The Black Onyx is a highly marbled, 100% pure Angus beef that really packs the flavors. This is the steak experience that I really miss and you really need to have these for dine-in to get the best quality for your steak.
The Black Onyx Tomahawk (P495 per 100g) is truly love at first sight. This monster steak can go up to 1 kilo and will definitely be the centerpiece of any intimate gathering. It can serve 3-4 guests but I really want this all for myself!
It’s been so long since I have had real premium high-quality steak so I am so happy to be devouring this at Nanka Japanese Restaurant. The beef is really tender and bursts with flavors. I have had a few steak deliveries at home during the quarantine, but nothing really compares to having them hot off the kitchen.
The Black Onyx Tomahawk also comes with sides including Mashed Potato, Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Potato Parmesan.
Another specialty at Nanka Japanese Restaurant is their crossbred Wagyu-Angus steaks. WX by Rangers Valley is a Wagyu cattle cross bred with the very best genetics to create something rare and exclusive. You get the best of both worlds with these steak combinations.
The WX Striploin 400g (P600 per 100g) has that unique marbling that you get from Wagyu, but at the same time, it packs that meaty punch that you get from Angus beef. It’s a great balance between the two best steak breeds in the world so it is really such a magnificent experience. Chimichurri and Japanese steak sauce are also served together with the steaks.
During another visit to the Nanka, I was introduced to their new set of burgers. Nanka Japanese Steakhouse understands that its diners may not always be able to go to the restaurant to satisfy their beefy appetites, so they decided to let the beef and the burgers go to them instead. The Nanka Burgers are available for delivery every day at very affordable prices. Nanka even has their own in-house delivery riders to ensure that their orders get there in the best condition.
Let’s try these exciting new burgers! First is the Nanka Ebi Burger (P300-1pc / P575-2pcs) which is what I ordered for myself. I love prawns and ebi tempura so this was an easy decision. The ebi burgers come with deep fried and breaded prawns, shredded lettuce, grilled onions, tomato and cucumber. This is all doused in a house made wasabi aioli and sandwiched between their homemade brioche buns.
What makes this special is that the ebi patty is made with real whole deep fried prawns, unlike other ebi burgers I have tried that come with a minced shrimp patty. That really makes a big difference and this is arguably the best quality ebi burger I have ever eaten.
They also have the Nanka Fried Chicken Burger (P250-1pc / P445-2pcs). Similar to the ebi burger, this is a 100% pure chicken breast fillet that is seasoned and breaded before being deep fried. It sits on a bed of shredded lettuce and cucumber then is topped with grilled onions and tomatoes.
This chicken burger is given a little spicy kick with some pickled jalapeños and their special spiced aioli. All the burgers come with a side of fresh cut fries to accompany your meal.
But what really took my breath away was this humongous monster burger, the Double Patty Nanka Premium Angus Burger (P385-1pc / P735-2pcs). Each patty is a quarter pound of pure Angus beefy goodness, so I’m sure this will be more than enough to satisfy anyone’s meaty cravings.
Each double patty burger comes with two thick pieces of house ground 100% pure Angus beef patty, grilled onions, tomatoes and cucumber. It is doused in Japanese mayo and Sriracha mayo with pickled japapeños, then sandwiched between two grilled homemade brioche buns. The beef is absolutely juicy and full of flavors. Chef Mike uses only pure Angus beef in every patty without any extenders whatsoever.
My hubby is a big burger lover so he really met his match with the Nanka Premium Angus Burger. It is also available as a Single Patty Burger (P285-1pc / P545-2pcs) which is also served with fresh cut fries. Another thing that makes these burgers fantastic is the brioche bun itself. Each bread is specifically chosen and used to complement the burger patties. They are soft and buttery but don’t get soggy, so everything really fits together.
When you order these burgers for delivery, each box even comes with a personalized message from the staff. This is their own little way of sharing some good cheer during these trying times. It’s a nice personal touch that makes these burgers even more meaningful. You also know that you are helping out an industry that has been greatly affected by the pandemic. So next time you are having some beefy cravings, head over to Nanka Japanese Restaurant for their steaks, or give them a call or send them a message though Facebook or Viber to order their Nanka Burgers!
Nanka Japanese Steakhouse
1810 Mother Ignacia Ave. corner Roces Ave., Quezon City
(0977) 621-8472 / (02) 8921-6772
www.facebook.com/NankaPH