Red Kimono

Unit 1A GF, Fort Strip, Fort Bonifacio,
Taguig City, Metro Manila

The Bait: All the Japanese food you can eat
The Line: "Get the best of both worlds -- buffet quantity and a la carte quality."
The Hook: Value for money, or rather, volume for money
The Sinker: Carb fest, not in a good way
The Catch: P535 per person exclusive of drinks and other ala carte items

I just learned about the term "volume for money" in Claude Tayag's book Food Tour. He attributes the phrase to Chef Myrna Segismundo. It refers to the Pinoy's predilection to stuff their faces and load their stomach in buffet lines. Volume a priority, taste only secondary.

Red Kimono's Better than Buffet helped me understand the concept.

It was the second time we went for the 534 peso all-you-can-eat promo. The first time was for dinner some months back. We arrived hungry and joined a group of more than a dozen people. And I enjoyed stuffing my face as well as the camaraderie of playing 1-2-3 pass with all the dishes being passed around the table.

A couple of days ago we went back for lunch, and it was not as enjoyable as the first time.

I need to explain the promo. It is buffet with a twist. And they say it is better than buffet. I disagree. Buffet is a simple concept of lining up the dishes on the buffet table, and the diner is free to strategize what to pick and how much of each.

I tend to go value for money focusing my attention on the starters, which feature high value dishes like sashimis, oysters, and carpaccios; then I skip the main dishes, the pastas, and the rice; and home in on the desserts. In a buffet one can control the quantity per dish. One can enjoy a mere tablespoonful of an item and be satisfied.

In Red Kimono's Better than Buffet concept, there is no buffet table. Instead, they bring the buffet to you. You pick items on a printed menu. You can get as many orders as you like. Then they bring the dishes to you already plated in family style quantities.

Plus there are conditions. They have the usual conditions of no leftovers, no take-home. I can agree with those rules because they minimize wastage. (Yes, we need to remember the starving people in China) The problem is you don't have control over the quantity per order. So you don't get to sample as many dish varieties as you would in a regular buffet.

There is also a condition about a minimum order of rice. The worst thing is they serve only sushis; no sashimis. So imagine how carb-laden you are by the end of the meal, even if you have managed to artfully and deceptively distribute your leftover rice among the plates and under them so it won't be too obvious that you actually had leftover food. Gag me with a sako of rice!

The other reason why this is not better than buffet is that there is no buffet table to walk to. I actually like walking from my table to the buffet table. And back. I can delude myself into thinking that I am exercising in between bites. Walking while carrying the weight of the loaded plate. At Red Kimono, you are deprived of that brisk-walking workout. Unless you need to go to the wash or take a biological break -- for that you need to go take a stub from the servers and walk outside the restaurant to the common rest rooms.

Carbs plus no-exercise -- not the best post-meal sensation. All your body systems focused on digesting all that starch. I was surprised that I was able to stave the lethargy and drive home before having the mother of all siestas. Take note: I am not a siesta person.

But after having said all that, I would still recommend this promo if (one) you are very hungry, (two) you are dining with a big group so you can share dishes, and (three) if you're a member of the extra-rice confederation.

I don't know if there was a change in chef, but the food seemed to be better the first time. Or maybe we were just hungrier. Back then, I loved the crabstick rolls with wasabi mayonnaise, the shitake mushroom teppanyaki, the chicken teriyaki, the grilled miso chicken, and the layered spinach & tofu. The beef kamameshi also seemed beefier then.

On our second visit, I enjoyed the california crunch and the salmon & cream cheese maki. The pork teriyaki is tender and tasty, but make sure you coordinate your orders. We also had teriyaki chicken, and I felt there was just way too much teriyaki in the world.

Of course, dessert is part of the better than buffet menu. If your stomach is not at bursting level, you may have the buko pandan jelly with vanilla ice cream. The green tea ice cream was too overwhelmingly tea-tasting, so I didn't like it. You can also try the chocolate balls.

So, is it better than buffet? Nah. But go ahead and stuff yourself when the time and conditions are right. Read more!

Omakase

Unit 207 Intrepid Plaza E. Rodriguez Ave.,Libis, Quezon City

Don't you hate it when you try out a restaurant, like it, come back after a few months and find that the servings are slightly smaller, and then come back after a few more months, and the quality has deteriorated? Such is such a familiar story in the country's restaurant industry.

That is NOT the story of this entry.

What I love about Omakase is the consistency. It is consistently good even if your visits are months apart. The other great thing is the price. If you come as a group, you get scrumptious Japanese for pretty reasonable prices. It can get expensive if there are only two of you trying several dishes.

With novelty makis like Jurassic (ebi, tempura, kani, ebiko, salmon), Dynamite (unagi, tempura, scallop), American Dream (deep fried sushi, salmon, kani, cream cheese), and Gyu Chisu (cheese wrapped in beef), Omakase might not satisfy the authentic Japanese food purists. But for those easier to please like me, the unique twists are what make this restaurant's take on Japanese food so interesting and enjoyable. Try their Tofu Steak, which is also different from the usual; instead of mixing chopped beef with cubed tofu, this one wraps the tofu in beef. There is nothing unusual about my favorite -- the grilled unagi; I guess when you're having eel, keeping it familiar lessens the apprehension for the first time eel eater. Don't worry, it takes like fish; very tasty and tender fish.

The only thing that ruined an otherwise perfect lunch was that their American Express machine was down that day we went, and has been down for 3 days they said.

Parking could be a problem on some weekends. But that Saturday, we were able to find spots in the basement.

The other sweet perk is being able to visit Booktopia while digesting and burping the satisfying meal.

A Japanese restaurant worth going back to. Predictably good every visit. Read more!

Suzukin

Kamagong corner Sampaloc Sts., San Antonio Village, Makati City

I hate giving an all-time favorite such a low score. If it were based on our collective experiences there, they would get 4 stars, and if we had to rate based on value for your money, this would get a whopping 5-stars. But our last visit a couple of weeks ago scared us a little that as this joint gears up for franchising, the hole-in-the-wall appeal and the let's-just-talk-about-the-food purity will disappear.

We have to take part of the blame, too. We got there late and they were already out of our usual favorites -- the oyster butter itame, the ika butter itame, and the breaded tofu. So, we settled for the bento meal. You really can't complain. For just 123 pesos, you get a sample of ebi tempura, tuna steak, chicken furai, tai kimiyaki, squid balls, pork kushiyaki, rice, and miso soup. Sounds like a lot, huh? Well, it fills the stomachs, but does not give the usual Suzukin satisfaction. Moral lesson: next time come early for the sushis, and the oyster butter.

I hope our next visit will cause us to add more stars to that rating. Read more!

Seryna

2277 Chino Roces Ave. Makati City

Little Tokyo is a wonderful surprise in an area better known (or notorious) for pirated DVDs. It's nice to walk around the courtyard to choose the Japanese restaurant that will be to your liking and within your budget. Tucked away in there are a number of Japanese restaurants all frequented by Japanese expats, so you know they're good and authentic. But if budget's not an issue, then you don't even need to enter the courtyard. Fronting the deeveedee deeveedee den is Seryna. Ambience is cozy, with a low ceiling and interesting decor of rich wood and slate. The food's excellent. I've never met a sashimi I didn't like so it's a given that their sashimi platters would be delightful. The sukiyaki uses fresh top-grade ingredients. The uni (sea urchin) tempura is melt-in-your mouth, eyeballs-roll-up good. Service is tops! The server even discouraged us from ordering a second order of Sukiyaki unless we're sure we could finish the generous serving of the first one. She said she didn't want to see good food go to waste. The only negative point is the unisex washroom. It's quite clean, but I have a personal aversion to unisex restrooms. But that's just me. Overall, this is one of the city's best Japanese restaurants. I'm going back for the uni! Read more!