Last night, we had dinner in Japanese restaurant Tatami, in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio. I chose to eat there for one reason and one reason only—their menu said they had the all-too-rare Grilled Hamachi (Yellowfin Tuna) Head for only Php450.

That’s just USD10.

Normally, Japanese restaurants would charge anything from Php900-Php1300 for a serving of half a Hamachi Head. But Tataki had it for 450 Philippine smackers. And they had all the usual accoutrements with it too—shaved radishes, slices of lemon, and teriyaki sauce.

So I ordered it, wondering in the back of mind if there were going to be any trade-offs when it came to freshness or cooking quality.

There was none.

The meat was perfectly grilled, the bones were almost milky with Hamachi oil, and the cartilage, brains, and eyeballs were to die for.

As you can imagine, my dinner table was a mess afterwards. My girlfriend took a video of me licking and sucking what remained of the fish to utter delight. I’d post it on here, but I want to keep this site PG.

It blew my mind that such a rare, high-quality dish only cost 450 pesos. And if you’re anything like me (a foodie an eatie that loves eating well, but loves it more on the cheap), chances are it’d blow your mind too.

Tatami is located in Serendra, at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. You can reach them at +63 (2) 901-1870