Hamaru: Little Spunky Plates of Great Detail
OYSTER MOTOYAKI (P195)
Newcomers in the restaurant industry seem to favor starting up their concepts in food parks. Not only are these parks mushrooming all over the Metro, the initial investment is definitely friendlier for these startup concepts.
BLACK OYSTER TEMPURA (P200)
Personally though, I’m not a really a fan of these food parks. The access to a plethora of interesting and quirky concepts is truly appealing; however, the lack of ventilation and air-conditioning tend to be a deal-breaker for me. Fortunately, Hamaru was able to find a way around my petty problem. Despite being situated inside a food park, it maintains its own enclosed (and air-conditioned) restaurant!
BUTABARA (P90)
There’s no shortage on interesting items on its menu, so the small serving sizes allow you to sample as many items as you can! If you’re a fan of oysters, the Oyster Motoyaki and the Black Oyster Tempura will not disappoint! The former uses a bright orange chili mayonnaise as a topping, while the latter coats the oysters in a light squid ink batter. Both are visually appealing, and immensely satisfying to eat!
NEGIMA (P65/pc)
It also puts its own twist on its yakitori selection. The Butabara stick was well-marinated and featured juicy slices of pork. However Hamaru goes a bit further by serving this on a bed of sweet potato puree. On the other hand, the Saikoro Steak Gyu Kushi (P175) features melt-in-your-mouth beef cubes generously topped with fried garlic bits and fresh mushrooms. If you want something meatier, you can opt for the US Beef Short Ribs (P200).
Out of all the sticks I’ve tried, the Negima seems to be the least decorated among the bunch. However, it definitely delivers on taste owing to the beautifully charred scallions that come with it.
WAGYU ABURI SUSHI (P350)
The wagyu used in the Wagyu Aburi Sushi was on the gummy side. It actually tasted good, especially as the sushi came with smoky mushrooms and roe. I just wished that the meat was a little less chewy. Hamaru also served what they coined as ‘New Style Sashimi’. We opted for the Shake (P290) variant. This ‘new style’ is actually comparable with Nikkei’s Causa and Tiraditos, as it uses a reagent such as vinegar to 'cook; the raw fish. With this comparison in mind though, you'd easily go for Nikkei's.
RYUJIN DRAGON GOD OF THE SEA ROLL (P480)
Hamaru’s rolls are one of the few items on its menu that’s ideal for sharing as each order comes with a platter of stuffed rolls. Sounding like something straight out of an anime, the Ryujin Dragon God of the Sea Roll features rolls stuffed with tempura battered tiger prawns, served with avocado slices and topped with a spicy salmon and tuna salad. This was a bit mediocre for me. It may be partly because it’s not as exciting or interesting as the other dishes we’ve tried alongside it.
SALMON ABURI PHILLY ROLL (P330)
I wasn’t a fan of their Salmon Aburi Philly Roll either as each roll was wrapped by basil. I actually like basil; however, you have to remember that these rolls are torched… and burnt basil doesn’t really have a pleasant taste to it.
SALMON CHAHAN (P130) AND GYU CHAHAN (P150)
If you’re looking for meal fillers, I’d rather go with the Salmon Chahan or the Gyu Chahan. Both have tinges of sourness due to the use of pickles; but if this doesn’t bother you, these rice bowls will satisfy you more than their rolls (they’re cheaper too)! Pair them with Nino’s Chicken Poppers (P195), crunchy sweet soy-glazed bite-sized chicken pieces or the Black Sakura (P195), which would definitely be your latest guilty pleasure.
TOFU CHEESECAKE (P140)
I’ve used Booky Prime to book for my two visits to Hamaru. In both instances, the free dessert served was their Tofu Cheesecake. To be honest, I was a bit worried about how this dessert would taste like as I found it a bit too bizarre for my liking. However, one bite into this cheesecake, and you’d wonder why you didn’t try this earlier. I love that it simply came with a drizzle of strawberry coulis as it allows you to appreciate the subtle creaminess of the cake. It has a similar texture with the typical Japanese cheesecake; albeit, a tad bit rougher. Overall though, I actually don’t mind ordering and paying for this dessert!
Droolworthy Dishes: Oyster Motoyaki, Black Oyster Tempura, Butabara, Saikoro Steak Gyu Kushi, Negima, Nino’s Chicken Poppers, Black Sakura, and Tofu Cheesecake
Hamaru Yakitori and Sushi
The Food Hive Food Park, #80 Visayas Ave., Vasra, Quezon City
Dates of Visit: April 1, 2017 with Lily Chua; April 29, 2017 with Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
