Ninyo Fusion Cuisine: A Refuge Behind Katipunan's Busy Streets

Katipunan is known for its busy streets every morning and every afternoon with the volume of students from Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College. However, behind all this "busy-ness" is Esteban Abada's best kept secret - Ninyo Fusion Cuisine. 


Ninyo, or formerly known as Inyo, is a great restaurant if you're looking for a quiet hideaway from everyday life stress. Its Zen garden provides a very relaxing ambiance. It also has a homey feel since the place looks like an old house converted into a dining area.

For those who are looking for candle lights, white flowing sheets, rustic wooden chairs, cobbled stones, sounds of flowing water with koi fishes and luscious green garden view, I suggest the best place to dine is outside. This setting is simply romantic and perfect for couples. 


The only drawback is that it can get pretty warm, although there are electric fans. I would advice eating outside during those Ber months. The crisp chilly weather on those months would be perfect for a night in Ninyo. 

My boyfriend and I ate here for our anniversary as a personal request. We decided to eat inside on their second floor since we wanted an even more quiet and cooler setting. 

The second floor is newly renovated with artistically woven chairs, soft lights and empty bottles of wine that beautifully casts off multi-colored glass lights. This floor is their wine lounge which houses international wines from Spain, Portugal and Germany to even up to Chile, South African and Argentina. 

This is a picture of their first floor. By evening time,  all their tables are mostly occupied even on weekdays. It's advisable to make a reservation for dinner. 


The restaurant is a personal favorite since it serves dishes that will simply make your eyes close and your mouth chew slowly just to enjoy every last drop of flavor. Every bite is a great dining adventure! Their meals are a bit pricey. Expect to pay around Php1000-2000/person; however, you are bound to return to this place once you have tried their dishes. 

This is a definite must try in the menu: Wasabi Fried Oysters (Php225) with citrus mayo dressing and topped with lumpish caviar. This is one of Chef Nino Laus' classic dishes. It oozes with delightful flavors once you bite into it slightly crunchy exterior. The mayo tops it off wonderfully to give a perfect ending to each bite. 

The US Hanging Tender Steak (Php465) is another crowd favorite. It is served in red wine sauce with buttered vegetables and mushroom risotto. The meat is very soft, moist and bursting with delectable juices. The risotto is a perfect complement to the steak. Its mushy texture is really perfect. I remember saying "yum" after each slice of this dish. I really fell in love with it.

This is a new dish in the Ninyo menu - the Baked Pili Crusted Unagi topped with Pan Seared Foie Gras (Php 840). It is very unique with its sweet taste from the butter scotch cotton candy garnish. It's definitely a bold statement from Chef Nino since using sweet flavors with eel is quite unusual. I must say I enjoyed its savory blend of tastes and it's certainly the first time I encountered a dish like this. 

To top off the memorable dining experience from Ninyo, we ended with Chocolate! Chocolate! Cake (Php270). This is a Valhrona chocolate pudding filled with molten chocolate truffle with tropical fruits. It is a very comforting dish that brings you back to your childhood. :)


Ninyo Fusion Cuisine is definitely a restaurant that I will come back to. I enjoyed everything about this place, from its lovely ambiance, friendly service, no traffic location, customers and most especially, their signature dishes. It's a perfect venue to end a busy day with your special someone. 


More information on Ninyo:
Address: 66 Esteban Abada St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines, 1108
Phone: +6324260301/+639175385813
Mon: 6:00 pm - 12:00 am
Tues-Sat 11:00 am-2pm, 6:00pm-12:00am
Sun: 11 am-2:00pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm

~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~

I do not own the pictures here. I wanted to use my own pictures but I had a bad camera back then. 
Thank you to the following sites for their pictures:
http://rogue.ph
http://allanko.net (one of my favorite bloggers! I wish he would blog again. Most pictures of his)
http://luxedining.com
http://asuntarufino.blogspot.com