Saturday, May 10, 2014

Restaurant Discovery: Ogetsu Hime

I’m so thankful that some of my friends decided to stay in Manila this Holy Week so I was able to drag a few friends for a food trip over the weekend. Our plan was to visit four stops in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) but I guess we were no longer used to eating a lot as we just managed for stop by three restaurants.

It was one hot Saturday when M, T and I went to SM Aura. Our plan is to stop by Ramen Nagi first but the line was crazy at 11:30 a.m.! So we decided to just have our names listed for reservation and looked for another restaurant to have a quick meal to appease our grumpy tummies.
We thought of going to Magnum Bar first but the place was packed as well and it was just too hot to wait outside. So we opted to go to the restaurant beside it, Ogetsu Hime.
Ogetsu Hime was about half full so it w asn’t that hard for us to get a table. And since this was our first stop, we opted for only a few dishes: Oyako Shake Roll (PHP240), Rainbow Batera (PHP240), Gyoza (PHP165), Goma Ebi Tempura Roll (PHP205), Enoki Bacon Kushi Yaki (PHP190) and Momo Teri Maki (PHP205).
Given that we only have an hour to eat and rush back to Ramen Nagi, we were in a hurry and Ogetsu Hime did not fail us with its quick service.
First served was my Oyako Shake Roll and it was divine. Thinking that the right and polite way to eat Japanese food is eating it whole, I stuffed the whole maki inside my mouth. And yes, I choked a bit while doing so. Why do makis have to be humongous anyway?
The salmon was fresh and there was a slight tangy taste from the cream cheese. There was also an interesting play of different textures brought by the smooth salmon and the slightly crispy salmon skin. I wasn’t able to taste the avocado and the wasabi mustard that much though.
The Rainbow Batera was indeed colorful. Putting together tuna, salmon, ika, kani, shime saba, ebi flavor and Ogetsu sauces resulted in a delightful sushi roll. Visually appealing and palate approved.
I find Momo Teri Maki quite unique. I never had maki that was served inside an aluminum foil. It was also interesting that it was topped with warm mozzarella cheese and teriyaki sauce. The chicken was tender and juicy and the asparagus and ebiko added a bit of crunch.
M’s Goma Ebi Tempura Roll was quite huge too. Covered in sesame seeds and crispy tempura bits, it was like eating a ebi tempura rice topping.
My favorite though was the Enoki Bacon Kushi Yaki. I just recently discovered my passion for enoki. Wrapping enoki with bacon was just too irresistible. I love the subtle crunch of the enoki and the bacon’s delectable taste added flavor to the dish. Drizzling it with teriyaki sauce gave it an interesting balance of sweet and salty tastes.
The gyoza was your usual kind. It was flavorful and it wasn’t oily so I could say that it was at par with Kichitora.

Overall, it was a pleasant lunch #1 experience and I will definitely be back for their main course dishes.

Ogetsu Hime is located at 5th Floor, SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

1 comment:

Comments or other recommendations? :)