Last week, I was invited to a Bloggers Night at the newest Japanese Restaurant in Alabang called KESSAKU.
Kessaku, according to a Japanese dictionary, means "masterpiece" or "great work," and that’s exactly what they serve at the restaurant. Each dish that was presented to us was like an art: artistically arranged and beautifully plated.
Look at how nicely they present their Amuse Bouche, these are bite-size Kani Salad that did an amazing job in exciting our tastebuds!
Their Salmon Sashimii, I swear, is one of the freshest I’ve had!
These is not your usual California Maki Roll. Check out those flying fish roes on top - yum!
Maguro Tempura Maki
Ushi Ebi Sunburst Salad. This is a light and refreshing salad that is an excellent accompaniment to the maki rolls. The prawns were huge and cooked just right, very tender, I love it!
Look at my plate, so ma-art-y!
The Tenderloin Teppan was really flavorful but it was cooked medium-rare so I didn’t like it that much. I prefer my meat well-done.
Aptly called a "Symphony" because this dish has a medley of sweet, savory and spicy flavors!
It is composed of layered fried sushi rice (bottom), spicy salmon (3rd layer) spicy tuna (2nd layer) and kani salad on top then garnished with red and black fish roe and katsuobushi shavings.
For Spicy Tuna Salad lovers like me, this is an over the top version that I’m sure you’ll like!
The Kakeage Teppan or deep-fried battered oysters are too briny for my liking. I like fresh or baked oysters better!
Sukiyaki is a substantial meal in itself: it has meat, veggies, noodles and broth so it’s very filling.
Kessaku’s version has thick noodles that were cooked al dente. The beef was soft and the portion was just right. The broth, however, was a tad too sweet. It kinda tasted like their tempura sauce actually, and definitely lacking depth in flavor which is unfortunate because the broth is the soul of a Sukiyaki. It was quite disappointing! :(
Kessaku claims their Ebi Tempura to be one of the best and is actually one of their best-sellers. They are huge and not because of the Panko breading but because the prawns that they use are really huge. Usually, Japanese restaurants make daya with the coating to make the Tempura look big. That’s not the case with Kessaku, they really give you your money’s worth!
Unfortunately though, I wasn’t happy with my piece of Tempura - it was a little overcooked. The coating had a nice crunch to it but the prawn was bit tough, almost rubbery. It didn’t have the nice, tender bite that I was looking for. I had high-hopes pa naman because they’re raving about their Tempura, and I liked how perfectly cooked the prawns were in their Sunburst Salad so I assumed the Tempura would be superb. In any case, the rest of the bloggers were pretty happy with theirs so probably mine was an isolated case.
When I go back, and I definitely will, I plan to give the Sukiyaki and Ebi Tempura another try before I completely cross them off my book! Moreso, Kessaku is worth coming back to as they have more than a lot of excellent dishes being offered. In fact, the following dishes are why you should be dining at Kessaku right now!
Foie Gras. On top of Unagii. In a roll. Need I say more?
Look and drool. It’s utterly divine, believe me!
I never really cared about Chicken Yakitori. In fact, for the hundred times I’ve dined in different Japanese restaurants, I never once ordered it! Kessaku, however, made quite an introduction, they served me one of the best chicken barbeque that I’ve ever had! Ohhh..just thinking about those tender and juicy skewered chicken pieces that were perfectly basted then grilled makes me salivate right now!
Soft Shell Crab Tempura. This delicious thing compensated for my disappointment with the Ebi Tempura, and in fairness, bawing-bawi! Perfectly deep-fried, battered soft shell crab that is so crunchy and well-seasoned…heavenly!
Angus Prime Chahan is another meal in itself. It’s so flavorful, dito lang solved ka na! But, if you’re feeling indulgent, it’s really good to pair it with the Ebi or Soft Shell Crab Tempura with a glass of ice-cold Coke on the side. BOOM BABY!
Mixed Kamameshi is not just an ordinary one-pot rice meal. It is composed of a delightful mix of well-seasoned veggies, meat, seafood and sticky rice that is definitely one of the tastiest rice meal that I’ve had!
Overall, Kessaku in my book, is a place worth frequenting. Aside from having good food, the place also has a pleasant ambiance (which unfortunately I was not able to take pictures of) that is suitable for dates and/or any celebration.
Thank you Kessaku and Kathy Kenny Ngo of Life is Kulayful for a wonderful time!
Kessaku is located at the GF, Commercenter Building, Filinvest Avenue, Filinvest Alabang, 1781 Muntinlupa City and is open daily at 11:00 am - 2:30 pm for lunch and 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm for dinner.
For reservations, you may call: (02) 403 3445.
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