When tonkatsu craze hit Manila the past years, Ginza Bairin which first Philippines branch is located at Glorietta 2 in Makati City was one of the restaurants that offer what Manila food enthusiasts craved for. Since it opened last year, Ginza Bairin remained to be one of the Tonkatsu Restaurants with glairing positive reviews. Now with another branch located at UP Town Center, Ginza Bairin step up a notch higher on its league by introducing new items on their menu.
Weeks ago, I got to visit Ginza Bairin at Glorietta 2 with some friends to try some of these new additions. The fact that they are considered as the Home of The Number 1 Donburi in Japan plus the positive reviews I have read, I kind of have high expectation as to what we are going to feast on that afternoon.
Our lunch started with a big bowl of Kanikama Mango Salad (Php180/regular, Php345/large). This combination of crab stick, mixed greens, fresh tomato, ripe mango, and ebiko (prawn roe) with Japanese mayo was a refreshing salad that introduce us to the medley of flavors we are about to indulge in.
The Chawan Mushi (Php100/ala carte, add Php75 to any Ginza Bairin Teishoku) at Ginza bairin, I must say was the best one I have tried out there. This savory egg custard featured robust and hearty seafood flavor. Although lacking the aesthetic flair in terms of appearance (as shown in photo), the flavor was enough for me to keep it in mind for my next visit.
One of the mains we tried was the Premium Seafood Set Teishoku (Php575) which features Black Tiger Prawn, Hiroshima Oyster, Jumbo US Sea Scallop, Kani Cream Korokke. As with any other sets, this premium comes with unlimited premium Japanese Koshihikari rice, fresh cabbage salad with dressings, miso soup, seasonal trukemono, and genmaicha.
Personally, I thought this set was perfect for seafood lovers such as myself (Yes, please buy EATS2014 Book published by Hinge Inquirer, I wrote the Seafood Delights Section of that book). I specifically love the Jumbo US Sea Scallop because it was huge and perfectly cooked. The Kani Cream Korokke which I believe you could purchase ala carte was also delightful in its crisp-creamy glory. The Tiger Prawn during our visit was a tad too small for my liking but I heard from a friend who visited recently that the prawns they were served with were big enough. So I guess it was just one of those days. All in all, I adore this set and I would surely want to have this again on my next visit.
Another main dish we tried was the Menchi Katsu with Cheese Curry Set (Php380). A dish made of premium ground pork katsu filled with creamy cheddar cheese served with spice-filled curry sauce and rice. What I love about this dish was the fact that you can taste the combination of pork and cheese amidst the equally flavorful curry sauce. Only few restaurants can pull off a curry dish I actually enjoy. I am particular with the fine balance between the curry spice and all the other ingredients it was incorporated with. Ginza Bairin got it right for me.
Ginza Bairin’s Vegetable Kushi Katsu (Php195) is perfect for those who want to keep it light and simple. It is essentially a combination of vegetables such as eggplant, green capsicum, pumpkin, sweet onion, and quail eggs on skewers fried katsu style. Had I not been so caught up with my Premium Seafood Set Teishoku, I could probably finish this Vegetable Kushi Katsu in no time.
To cap off the hearty meal at Ginza Bairin, we tried two new desserts on their menu. The Coffee Jelly with Vanilla Ice Cream (Php90) reminds me of the coffee jelly I adore at UCC Coffee Shops. The coffee possessed the strong flavor tempered by the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream.
The Matcha Vanilla Panna Cotta (Php95) was also good but it wasn’t the kind that creams match in your face (something I prefer). It leans on the creamy side of the spectrum which can be a good thing because not many people actually appreciates strong matcha flavor for its grassy taste.
We have also feasted on other items on the menu but those are the old time Ginza Bairin favorites. I would just reserve those for my future Ginza Bairin blog post because I will certainly come back to try more dishes. The new additions on their already impressive menu did not disappoint. I specifically love the Seafood Set and that alone grant me a solid reason to come back for more.
Ginza Bairin Glorietta
Ground Floor, Glorietta 2,
Palm Drive, Ayala Center,
Makati City
Contact No.: (02) 553-7350
Ginza Bairin UP Town Center
Ground Floor, U.P. Town Center,
Katipunan Ave., Quezon City
Contact No.: 0917-871-0041
Website: www.ginzabairin.com
Facebook Page: /GinzaBairinPH
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