A new world for food lovers — this is what’s in store at Araneta City’s new lifestyle offering, the Gateway Mall 2. With its expanded gastronomic selection, Gateway Mall 2 will be the latest place that you can add to your food adventure. And the first on our list is Botejyu!
The 63rd branch of Botejyu is the first restaurant chain to open at the Restaurant Collection of Gateway Mall 2 last April 9. It is strategically near the Red Gate of Smart Araneta Coliseum and has 2 entrances (one inside the mall and one facing General Araneta Avenue), making it easier for customers to access the restaurant.
The restaurant’s interior is in a modern Japanese style. It is complemented with a warm yet bright lighting setup, white painted walls, and wood elements, which are pleasing to the eyes. Its walls are glass-covered, so you’ll be able to see the happenings at the lobby of Gateway Mall 2, and the facade of the Farmers Market.
Like the other branches, Botejyu in Gateway Mall 2 also features an open kitchen where you can see the okonomiyaki, okosoba, and teppanyaki being cooked and prepared by the chef.
Founded in 1946, Botejyu takes its pride and 70 years of tradition from Osaka, Japan’s sauce and flour food culture, making them the first restaurant to flavor okonomiyaki with mayonnaise, as well as inventing the okosoba by wrapping traditional stir-fried noodles in the okonomiyaki batter.
What’s with the name? According to Viva International Food & Restaurants Inc. (the distributor of Botejyu in the Philippines), the restaurant name was derived from the cooking sound of okonomiyaki. “Bote” came from the flipping sound of the okonomiyaki, and “Jyu” represents the sizzling sound it produces when being cooked on the teppan grill.
As Botejyu continues to expand its business, the renowned Japanese restaurant chain now offers modern-yaki, teppanyaki, donburi rice bowls, ramen, and their newest offering the bento box.
With their wide range of sumptuous food selections, we’re pretty sure that you’ll find it difficult to choose a food to try. You might want to have their best-selling Pork Tonkotsu Ramen and their renowned okonomiyaki.
For those who are looking for a heavy meal, consider having Botejyu’s bento box. They have the Sakura Bento Box (stewed beef Osaka style, BBQ pork rib Hokkaido style, and tempura), Sumo Bento Box (diced beef garlic steak, BBQ pork rib Hokkaido style, salmon teriyaki steak, and California maki), Matsuri Bento Box (stewed beef Osaka style, chicken karaage with spicy tartar sauce, and salmon teriyaki steak), Fuji Bento Box (chicken teriyaki steak, tempura, sashimi, and California maki), and Tokyo Bento Box (stewed beef Osaka style, BBQ pork rib Hokkaido style, and tempura).
For drinks, Botejyu is offering fruit shakes and juices, soda, iced teas, and beers. A must-try on their menu is the Osaka Mixed Fruit Juice which is made of mikan orange, banana, apple, pineapple, and peach all blended together with milk in a mixer; and feel refreshed with Hiyashiame (cold candy drink), Japan’s traditional sweet drink that is made from malt syrup and ginger.
To complete your Japanese dining experience at Botejyu, have their Kobe Warabimochi for dessert. This popular summer sweet treat in Japan is a sticky, fluffy, and transparent cube-shaped mocha that is breaded with authentic Bracken powder (nutty soybean powder) and drizzled with kuromitsu syrup (Japanese sugar syrup).
All of their food offerings will truly appease your taste buds and will take you on a short trip to the Land of the Rising Sun as their ingredients are directly imported from Osaka, where Botejyu originated.
Ready to explore the flavors of Osaka? Visit Botejyu on the Ground Floor of Gateway Mall 2!
