A gabby critic in the valley contends that dining out should be all but homey. Sterility marks the trend, while simple settings and hodgepodge wares are frowned upon. But for this global gourmand, home is an underrated comfort that if tapped into can conjure up salad days when working mothers had the rare occasion to cook for their latchkey kin.

Cafe U in Sanepa hits home with its warm ambience, homespun boutique and Japanese-Filipino preparations since 2003.

I nfused with lemongrass, the complimentary cold tea is a refreshing herbal greeting. For an appetizer, the Lumpia Shanghai is a Filipino twist on the Chinese spring roll: rice noodles and veggies or minced pork rolled into egg washed wraps fried until golden for a crispy treat.

U's lunch sets served bento-style are multilayered care packages presented on an assortment of porcelain. Each set comes with bowls of miso, brown rice, and three vegetable sides: Russian salad, braised spinach tofu and sautéed okra, squash and aubergine.

Among the bento options, highlights include the chicken adobo and the Okinawa Special. Chicken adobo, a Filipino national dish, tenders succulent dark meat and daikon radish simmered in a vinegar, soy reduction and coconut milk laurelled with bay leaves, peppercorns and crushed garlic—a gravy, ladled on rice, that will leave even diehard vegetarians asking for more.

The Okinawa Special stir-fries chopped bitter gourd, tofu and pork into a hearty dish. Veg options like the tempura—basil, carrots, and prawns battered and fried—are equally filling.

Home-sweet homemade Japanese confectionaries like the green-tea chiffon cake and yogurt cake end the nostalgic tour and pair well with a fresh brew of Batangas roast.

Handmade Japanese pottery and imported goods like sake, brown rice and miso are neatly labeled and available for purchase at the counter. For frill-free, comfort food in an atmosphere second to home meet a friend at Cafe U, open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays and serves lunch daily except on Tuesdays.

North of the Nursing College on Milap Rd in Sanepa, look left at the first intersection and find the U.