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Japanese food lovers will have a gastronomic feast at the country's biggest (500 seating capacity), all-unlimited Great Authentic Japanese Buffet, Banzai!
My kids and I had a complete Japanese dining experience at Banzai in SM Mall of Asia. We were transported to Japan with Banzai's wide range of authentic Japanese food, all-out Japanese interiors plus a grand theatrical dance parade of performers garbed in stunning geisha, shogun, samurai and maiko costumes.
Authentic Japanese Buffet
"Banzai, where only the water is local and only the ice cream is frozen," so goes the joke of former actor-turned-restopreneur, Marvin Agustin. Banzai lives up to its Authenticity by offering only ingredients imported from Japan. They also hired 3 Japanese chefs to lord over the 3 main areas of Banzai: sushi; ramen and teppanyaki. Yum!
My personal fave is their Teppanyaki. The beef is tender and delicately flavored. Paired with Japanese fried rice, it has destroyed my diet.
I didn't have enough room to try their Ramen but my son said it was good. They offer Miso, Shoyu, Chasyu, Tan-tan Men and Tonkotsu Ramen. They said the broth is slow-cooked for a minimum of 24 hours to ensure maximum flavor.
The Tempura is good. The batter seasoned well and the shrimp is still firm inside. Oddly though, in my 2 visits to Japan, Tempura cooked our style is a rarity. The Tonkatusu was a little bit tough.
What I ate in Banzai. Diet na 'to ng lagay na yan. I enjoyed their sashimi although I think the salmon sashimi should be a bit more firm. Their roasted pork belly melts in your mouth. They also have a few Western dishes and every quarter they feature a specific international cuisine to add to the buffet. When I went it was Chinese. Menu is 90% Japanese and 10% international cuisine.
They have a wide selection of desserts and my kids loved the snow cone station. I got two servings of their creme brulee. Drinks, including the popular iced Milo, are included in the buffet.
The Great Teppanyaki Theater
Banzai ups the Japanese dining experience to a higher level by providing "A Festival of Japan," a grand theater production inspired by different Japanese performance artforms such as kabuki and noh.
The performers, donned in stunning Japanese costumes, moved with grace and intensity - it is very theatrical!
The production is directed by renowned director Floy Quintos. The performers danced to Japanese music and moved around the main buffet area. Best seats to get are near the main buffet so you get the best view of the show while seated. My kids were enthralled by the performance.
The "Festival of Japan" show culminates with The Banzai Teppanyaki Show. It features 4 chefs simulating teppanyaki cooking in motion to Japanese music and drum beat. They juggle, flip - utensils or food - to the delight of guests. The shows are available from Fridays to Sundays at 12:30pm, 7:30pm and 8:30pm.
Guests posed with the performers. When I went to Japan, I squealed in delight when I saw a Japanese geisha, I almost tripped trying to get a better glimpse of her. The intricate detail of her dress etc. The geishas and maikos here are fantastically dressed!
Banzai also has a small Trick Art Gallery featuring paintings of Japanese scenes. Wigs, like the one I wore in the pic, are also available. Strike a pose!
My son gamely posed as a Ninja.
And I gamely posed as Marvin's girlfriend, pwede! Haha peace husbandry:-) Marvin and his partner Ricky Laudico and Raymund Magdaluyo are the proud owners of Banzai. They know their expertise is Japanese and they have once again brought another wonderful dining experience to Japanese-food loving Filipinos with Banzai.*
Banzai!**
*Marvin Agustin, Ricky Laudico and Raymund Magdaluyo owns Sumo Sam, John and Yoko etc. 46 restaurants to date!
**Banzai is a Japanese greeting that means ten thousand years of life.
Rates:
Monday-Friday (lunch) P 699 (dinner) P 899
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays P 1,088
Children below 4.5 feet Php 499; Children beow 3.5 feet are free.
Left over price P 1,288.
Rates above are inclusive of service charge and unlimited drinks.
Address: Banzai, SM Mall of Asia by the Bay, Pasay City (beside the Ferris Wheel).
Contact Numbers: 0916-377-5357; 552-7368
Disclosure: Thanks to Banzai for inviting my kids and I to the media launch.