Photos by Rex Perzeus F. Sardinia
Restaurants offering foreign cuisines here in the Philippines usually adjust the taste of the dishes they serve to the Filipino palate to accommodate what we are used to eat, in hopes of attracting more customers.
But Chef Mizumoto “Hiro” Masahiro didn’t think twice about serving the dishes of his country, Japan, the way they are meant to be served.
“Our restaurant offers really authentic Japanese taste. If you go to Japan and taste Japanese food there, [we have] almost the same taste,” Chef Hiro told Manila Standard.
If the words of the founder and co-owner of Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar, located on the ground floor of Hotel Jen Manila in Pasay City, are not enough, guests and dignitaries of the Japanese Embassy—who are Japanese like Chef Hiro—can attest to the authenticity of the dishes offered as they frequently dine in his restaurant instead of other Japanese restaurants scattered around the area.
Chef Hiro doesn’t mess around with his promise of serving authentic Japanese fare as, he said, whenever there is any difference in the taste of the dishes his Filipino cooks prepare in the kitchen, he adjusts it back to the original.
Although wasn’t trained in a culinary school, the 53-year-old chef learned everything he had to learn in preparing and cooking Japanese food from his father who was a chef in Tokyo, Japan before he moved to the Philippines, from his colleagues and bosses, and from more than three decades of practice.
Practice did make Chef Hiro sharp as a knife in preparing and cooking Japanese food. In fact it was also practice, he said, that helped him speak Filipino pretty well; in his own words, “Practice lang talaga.” He’s been in the Philippines for about 10 years now.
Chef Hiro is hands-on in the kitchen to ensure the quality of the food items they offer.
“In the morning I go to the market by myself to buy all the ingredients, then after that I come back to the restaurant. After the last call for lunch at 2:30 p.m., I take a rest, and then I come back at dinner service,” he shared. “I’m here almost every day; I have no day off.”
Chef Hiro also trains his staff. This way, he said, guests can be assured that every dish that comes out of the kitchen tastes authentic.
When it comes to Japanese food, Chef Hiro believes the most important factor is the ingredients used—from the sourcing to the handling. Hence for Kitsho, the chef said most of the ingredients are sourced from Japan, are handled properly, and are prepared and cooked the right way.
Kitsho diners are offered a wide variety of Japanese fare, 280 dishes to be exact.
Some of the items in Kitsho’s menu include sashimi options such as Hamachi (yellowtail), Maguro (tuna), Uni (sea urchin), Ika/Ikasomen (cuttlefish), Tako (octopus), Aji (horse mackerel), Hotate (scallops), Shimesaba (marinated mackerel), Tai (sea bream), fresh king/Norwegian salmon, as well as live lapu-lapu and lobster specials.
Sushi staples are Matsu/Take, Nigiri, Unagi/Anago (freshwater/sea eel), Ebi (shrimp), Geso (cuttlefish head), Kohada (gizzard shad), Tamago (egg omelet), Ikura (salmon roe), as well as sushi sampler plates.
Rolled sushi, on the other hand, comes in many varieties like Kappa (cucumber), Oshinko (pickled radish), Kanpyo (dried gourd shavings), Negitoro (ground tuna and spring onion), Inari (sweet bean curd), and the popular California Maki with mango, crabstick, and cucumber wrapped in sushi rice and flying fish roe.
Appetizers include Buta kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly), Ika shiokara (pickled squid with salt), Chawanmushi (steamed egg with seafood), and Itawasa (sliced fish cake) among many others.
Tempura offerings are Enoki (golden needle mushroom), Kaki (oyster), Kanikama (crabstick), Tamanegi (white onion), Kakiage (assorted sliced vegetables with dried shrimp), and Ebi.
Yakimono (grilled) dishes include Miso Yaki (beef tongue in miso), Enishake Shioyaki (red Japanese salmon), Tori (chicken), and Gindara teriyaki (black cod). Teppanyaki options in the menu include Waton (organic pork), Yakisoba (sautéed egg noodles with vegetables and pork), Okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake), as well as US and Wagyu beef sirloin and tenderloin options.
Shabu-shabu specials and Bento Boxes are also available.
Kitsho also serves fugu (tiger puffer fish), which is prepared by Chef Hiro who is licensed to prepare this rather deadly delicacy.
Endings are sweet at Kitsho with its homemade ice cream flavors like Matcha green tea, black sesame, and the intriguing wasabi ice cream, which features a slightly sweet taste and that distinct wasabi sting at the end of each scoop. In addition, there’s smooth Japanese cheesecake topped with soft-serve Vanilla ice cream.
Aside from the regular menu, there are also Chef Recommendations and Seasonal menus, which change according to the season.
For instance, this summer—although summer in Japan starts in July—Kitsho serves kakigori, a Japanese-style halo halo, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetable items like eggplants and grapes, and dishes made of sea bass, among others.
Every weekend, Kitsho opens its buffet station, which offers appetizers, sushi, sashimi, and desserts. Main dishes like Shrimp Tempura, Beef Teppan, and Yakisoba are not displayed and are only cooked upon ordering from the ala carte buffet menu to maintain freshness and taste.
Lunch buffet is priced at P1,232 (VAT inclusive), while dinner buffet is at P1,400 (VAT inclusive). Diners may opt to avail a drink-all-you-can package for an additional fee.
Chef Hiro doesn’t make empty promises. His dishes are as fresh as they are sumptuous, with each bite transporting you to the Land of the Rising Sun—and only sticking to how a particular cuisine is made can make that possible; no compromises, no adjustments.
“If people want authentic Japanese taste, they must come here,” declared Chef Hiro.
Call (02) 795-8888 local 2312 or log on to www.kitsho.com.ph for inquiries and reservations.