Photos by Star Sabroso
“There are many dishes here that stay true to what traditional Japanese cuisine is all about, but there are also a nice mix of dishes that introduce a modern twist.”
This is how Astoria Hotels and Resorts business development executive Jacqueline Ng describes Japanese restaurant Minami Saki which is located in Astoria’s Ortigas property.
Minami Saki opened in 2014 when Ng’s father met executive chef Kimito Katagiri, who was then nearing retirement after working at different hotels and restaurants in the Philippines.
“Thankfully, we managed to convince him not to fully retire and we gave him creative freedom over the entire menu, including conceptualizing the interior and the ambiance [of Minami Saki],” shares Ng.
Ng says the Japanese chef wanted Minami Saki to have an intimate feel, hence the dim lighting. But on top of the look and feel, chef Katagiri has the overall control on the food being served. “Focus is very much on the food,” emphasizes Ng.
Armed with decades of food and beverage experience, chef Katagiri brings guests “a delicately constructed indulgence” as he employs his signature take on authentic and modern Japanese cuisine marked by a bold mix of appetizing flavors.
According to Ng, the chef is careful with his instructions on his team of Filipino sous chefs and kitchen staff in perfecting the art of authentic Japanese gastronomy which discerning diners will appreciate.
“This year, we went back to our roots and rediscovered what it meant to deliver authentic fine Japanese dining,” says Ng.
But to stay relevant in the ever evolving culinary scene, as well as to offer something that other Japanese restaurants don’t have, chef Katagiri employs modern and innovative culinary techniques.
Chef Katagiri uses a blowtorch in most of the dishes served in the restaurant to enhance their natural flavors. The torch-searing technique adds depth to the dishes, which are then drizzled with his special aburi sauce whose ingredients only chef Katagiri knows.
“Even I don’t know what’s in it,” discloses Ng. “And I think that’s what makes it very special.”
The said sauce has the same consistency as mayonnaise, but looks more like cheese spread.
For instance, the Aburi 5 Kinds is a serving of five sushi made of fresh tuna, salmon, eel, hamachi and lapu-lapu, which are torch-seared to enhance the natural flavor of both the sashimi and the drizzled aburi sauce. The aburi sushi is then garnished with salty fly-fish roe and a small piece of sweet fruit to create a unique Japanese-Filipino fusion sushi experience.
The aburi sauce in Kaki Papaya Yaki, meanwhile, is responsible for fusing together the contrasting taste and texture of Japanese oysters and papaya in the dish.
Minami Saki also offers Take Sashimi (tuna, salmon, lapu-lapu, squid and mackerel sashimi), Maguro Pepper Steak (seared dice chunks of tuna drizzled with rich pepper sauce), Scallops with Tamago Sauce (pan-seared scallops enveloped in creamy Japanese-style egg yolk sauce), Usuyaki Steak with Mushrooms (a trio of shiitake, enoki and shimeji mushrooms rolled into thinly sliced US sirloin), Cha Soba (cold green tea noodles served with fried tempura) and the “spectacle dessert” Coffee Jelly (premium brewed coffee gelatin paired with homemade salted caramel ice cream that has a whimsically dramatic presentation).
“Here at Minami Saki, the food is at premium quality but at a price point that is reachable for different markets around the area,” says Ng.
Minami Saki is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and is located on the ground floor of Astoria Plaza, 15 J. Escriva Drive, Ortigas Business District, Pasig City. For table reservations, call (02) 687-1111.