They say "a good pair of shoes will take you to good places", but I just can't leave everything behind with abandon and fly to Japan to bask under the beauty of Sakura trees, not yet anyway. So I resort to other options available at my disposal, from devouring a tower of travel books to devouring good Japanese food. It feels like I get one step closer to where I want to go, like I'm already halfway there.
Why, don't you know that good food can transport you places?
It certainly felt like I was transported to the land of the rising sun upon entry. I loved the interiors that made my visit feel like the real deal. I'm a fan of black and white so it's no wonder that I approve of their arresting concept and style.
The air carried a certain kind of calm and privacy as I walked down a wood paneled corridor, kind of felt like a ninja could be lurking around the corner. Kindly pardon my childish daydreaming :P
APPETIZERS
Ebi Mayo 210.00PHP or 4.67USD. I was first greeted by this orange beauty. All it took was one bite to completely blow me away. I freaking loved this! The Japanese mayo coated exterior tickles the taste-buds ever so lightly eventually yielding to a melt in your mouth interior. See, you can't blame me that I had to get more!
Agedashi Tofu 180.00PHP or 4.01USD. Cubed silken firm tofu, fried to golden brown perfection and resting on a bed of fragrant broth. It was a perfect appetite whetter and was a good omen of things to come.
Pre - Main Event
All katsu sets come with free flowing, unlimited cabbage salad. Fun fact, did you know that cabbage salad is intended to help with your digestion and cut through the oily taste? Well, now you know. Actually, I wouldn't take credit for it as Mr. David Guevarra just relayed it to me. :D
Following the yin-yang concept, Kimukatsu offers both shoyu based sauce (rightmost) and roasted sesame sauce (2nd from the right) which you can happily drizzle on your cabbage salad to your heart's desire. Same goes with their tonkatsu sauces, you can opt for their ponzu sauce (best paired with the likes of their Yuzu Pepper katsu) or their tonkatsu sauce for a thicker, sweeter medley of flavors.
A custom I have grown fond of whenever dining in a katsu restaurant is grinding my own roasted sesame seeds. It's a great stress buster rather than blurting out expletives or clearing my wallet clean from impulse shopping. This goes well, mixed with their tonkatsu sauce.
Koshihikari Rice. Kimukatsu takes pride in their rice, as they have went through great measures of making the cooked grains shiny, fluffy and pearly white all in under 15 minutes, if my memory serves me right. Mr. Guevarra also proudly shared that since the cooking time is sped up, every order of katsu comes with freshly cooked rice. Gotta admire their passion for serving with nothing short of best for their customers!
The Katsu Flavors
Black Pepper. Literally black pepper coated tonkatsu. The pepper gives the pork an added edge and brings out the pork flavor more, but does not give off any hint of spiciness.
Cheese. Melted cheddar cheese nestled in between the katsu layers that proves to be one of the best selling katsu flavors in Japan and here in the Philippines.
Plain. Tender, juicy and no pretensions, it's katsu at its simplest form. Best paired with the tonkatsu sauce or lightly dipped in Himalayan salt.
Garlic. You get a subtle garlic flavor with each bite, not too strong nor too light. Just right for the typical garlic loving pinoy.
Yuzu Pepper. Not for the faint of heart, this katsu packs a deep punch of spiciness that builds up slowly. Best paired with their ponzu sauce to cut through the spice.
Aside from the unlimited cabbage salad, each katsu set also comes with pickled veggies and your choice of light or heavy variety of miso soup.
Kimukatsu Assorted Set Pricing:
- 3 Flavors – 1,200.00PHP or 26.68USD (includes 2 rice set)
- 4 Flavors – 1,500.00PHP or 33.36USD (includes 3 rice set)
- 5 Flavors – 1,800.00PHP or 40.03USD (includes 4 rice set)
- 6 Flavors – 2,100.00PHP or 46.70USD (includes 5 rice set)
- 7 Flavors – 2,400.00PHP or 53.37USD (includes 6 rice set)
Palate Cleansers
Kurogoma Pudding 110.00PHP or 2.45USD. Nutty, creamy and subtly sweet, this black sesame paste covered dessert is a perfectly light way to end a hearty and heavy katsu dinner.
Soy Cotta 180.00PHP or 4.00USD. This no-frills, simple dessert is another must-try and perfect palate cleanser.
Setting the Bar High
Their are a lot of Katsu restaurants sprouting like wild mushrooms throughout the metro, but based on first hand experience, Kimukatsu has definitely raised the bar. From the perfectly crisp panko coated exterior, adapting the mille-feuille approach with 25 layers of the highest grade pork cutlet with minimal fat, to the added flavors. You know you're getting nothing but the best. I will never look at katsu the same way, ever again.
Thank you, Kimukatsu PH Marketing for the dinner invitation and special thanks to Mr. David Guevarra, Kimukatsu's Operation Manager for the superb dinner and being a top notch and generous host. Though my wanderlust still prevails, I'm happy that I need not go far to enjoy authentic Japanese tonkatsu. I look forward to many more Kimukatsu trips in the future, see you on my next pig out session!
Kimukatsu
Locations:
Kimukatsu
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
5/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Shaw Blvd cor EDSA
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(02) 727-0333
Kimukatsu
Century City Mall
3/F Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave
Poblacion, Makati
(02) 812-0333
Facebook: Kimukatsu PH
Website: Kimukatsu PH
Estimated Budget: 500.00PHP to 1000.00PHP/ 11.00USD to 22USD approx.
Payment Methods: Cash/Credit Card
Business Hours: Mall hours
Your pig out buddy,
Madz
