My Little Experience at Little Nonki

Japanese food almost always excites me because freshness in the preparation is always a priority. And Japanese people are keen on protecting their names when it comes to quality and service. Imagine your sashimi when served too late. Or your sushi.

When the owner of the printing press I used to hang around invited me to lunch at Little Nonki at SM City Cebu, I readily accepted. I haven’t been there, although I always pass by that restaurant.

The place is austere as I assume Japanese restaurants are. A little bit cramped. Maybe that was why they are naming the restaurant Little Nonki. The requisite plates on the tables are made out of plastic. Hmmmm. Am I expecting too much?

The comfort room (I usually go there first to see if they are really comfortable) is cluttered with tissues and not quite clean but not smelly though. That would pass.

I ordered Special Donburi. My hosts ordered the bento boxes. When our orders came, we hungrily devoured them of course. But wait. The complimentary miso soup is quite salty. Okay that would pass. I attacked the generous serving of donburi which was also salty. Let me check- are Japanese food really that salty? Or my taste has gone awry?

I asked the luncheon host why she was not eating the soup and some of the food in the bento box. She told me they were salty too. Well-

I am glad I ordered a cold kalamansi juice. It was refreshing and its sourness quickly downed my donburi to where it should belong- my hungry stomach.

We went out after the meal with that frying smell evident in claustrophobic restaurants sticking in our shirts.

Generalization- Nonki is a nice place.

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