Ginza: Continuing the Marufuku Legacy
I was a big fan of Marufuku, so I was pretty devastated when I heard about its closure a couple of years ago. Fortunately, things turned out for the best as it reincarnated to Ginza. As a sign of its unstoppable strength, it has now expanded to three branches in Metro Manila – Ortigas, Makati and BGC!
Upon entering the restaurant, you’re immediately invited by the mouthwatering aroma of its busy kitchen that makes it difficult to narrow down what to order from its wide menu selection as you'd end up wanting to order everything. As it was just my mom and me during my first visit to Ginza, we agreed on getting a main dish each and split one appetizer between the both of us.
TOFU TEPPANYAKI (P320)
We started with the Tofu Teppanyaki – which boasted of firm tofu cubes dressed in a gorgeous dark brown teppanyaki sauce and paired with mushrooms and asparagus. This easily wins over Kimpura’s Tofu Steak (a family staple) which has become inconsistent in terms of taste and quality over the years across its branches. Ginza’s version outshines in terms of flavor, quality and value-for-money – hope they can maintain this!
CHIRASHI DON (REGULAR – P1100)
My main dish of choice would be the Chirashi Don (regular) and it was absolutely perfect. Everything was of top-notch quality and freshness – and yes, it is quite pricey especially when compared to other restaurants such as Ogawa – but you really can taste the difference! Assortment was top-notch as well! Definitely dreaming to eat this again!
NABEYAKI UDON (P680)
Mom opted for her comfort food go-to, a warm bowl of Nabeyaki Udon filled with a light broth topped with crunchy vegetables, mushrooms and al dente noodles. It comes with perfectly fried plump shrimp tempura as well! Definitely, a perfect rainy weather food!
EBI YASAI KAKIAGE (P500)
Since we thoroughly enjoyed its shrimp tempura during our first visit, we excitedly ordered its Ebi Yasai Kakiage for our second visit – wherein they toss in plump tiger prawn pieces with mixed vegetables. It was fried well – but ultimately, it was just okay for us. It was a nice filling side dish though!
SPICY SALMON (P480)
We also decided to try its Spicy Salmon – which boasted of a generous serving of raw salmon clothed in a spicy mayo-based sauce. I love that apart from tempura batter bits, you’d really be served with pure salmon – no fillers here unlike how it’s done in other restaurants. Unfortunately, the salmon cuts were on the chewy side – and weren’t as fresh as I’d like them to be. Spice level of the sauce is hotter than what is typically served so do watch out if you have a low tolerance for heat!
We also got an order of their Butadon – which served hefty slices of pork glazed in a sweet sauce atop a bowl of rice. It wasn’t as tender as I’d like the pork to be – but the perfect char on the pork was undeniable.
SUMIYAKI UDON (P850)
I was happy to find out that my favorite dish from Marufuku still made it to its menu in Ginza – its Sumiyaki Udon. Yes, the price can be quite shockingly electric for a single-serve noodle plate – but its immensely flavorful charcoal noodles topped with unagi, shrimp, scallops and squid will definitely be a delight to your taste buds. It’s topped with mentaiko, tobiko, and garnish to lend more color and flavor to the dish.
CAPPUCCINO
I was planning on getting a cup of coffee from a nearby branch of Toby’s Estate, but I couldn’t resist ordering a cup of coffee from Ginza once I smelled how good it was as their barista was preparing another customer’s order. I opted for a cup of cappuccino and boy, was it extra velvety and foamy! Definitely, a perfect way to end your meal!
Ginza Japanese Restaurant
GF Augustin 1, F. Ortigas, Jr. Road, San Antonio, Pasig City
Dates of Visit: November 19, 2022 and April 6, 2023 with Lily Chua and Jared Chua
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