Manila's appetite for Japanese cuisine never seems to wane and Boteyju's milestone 50th branch is proof of that hankering.

Botejyu's newest restaurant opened to a full house at the Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley, Taguig City.

Botejyu was established by Eikichi Nishino in Tamada, Osaka in 1946. The 76-year-old restaurant found its way in the Philippines in 2016 at SM Mall of Asia through Viva International Food and Restaurants — a division of entertainment mogul Vic del Rosario's Viva Group.

"We are inspired, now more than ever, to continuously bring safe, quality, and healthy Japanese comfort food as far as we can," shared Vicente Raphael "VR" del Rosario IV, senior vice-president for VIFR.

The division itself has been in the food and beverage industry for two decades and boasts of a diverse list of brands like Pepi Cubano, Yogorino, and Paper Moon.

At the opening, guests enjoyed Botejyu signature dishes like salmon sashimi, sushi, chicken karaage, and its famous Japanese caesar salad.

As in any Viva Foods restaurant opening, Viva celebrities also satisfied the crowd's celebrity fix with the likes of Marco Gallo and Wilbert Ross as event hosts, Katya Santos, Andrea del Rosario, Patricia Javier, Ara Mina, Lara Morena, Andre Yllana, Debbie Garcia, Fros Sandoval, Phoebe Walker, McCoy de Leon Lyca Gairanod and more.

Botejyu will open five more branches at SM Lucena, SM Daet, SM San Pablo, Market Market and Robinsons San Pablo before the year ends.