Yanagi Cosmopolitan's Japanese Buffet in Midas Hotel
I think it has already been well-established that my most favorite cuisine aside from Filipino is Japanese. This is why I am always enthusiastic to try out restaurants serving the said cuisine. Just last week, I got to try for the second time the Japanese restaurant housed in Midas Hotel. It goes by the name Yanagi.
By the way, I am sharing this blog post with you as part of my Deal Grocer Experience (read more). You can purchase the similar deal by visiting this page: Weekend Japanese Buffet with Unlimited Iced Tea
Yanagi - Sweeter Love the Second Time Around
I was able give Yanagi a try several years back, and I can remember that I wasn't able to appreciate it during that time. I have two possible reasons for this: (1) I was too young to appreciate the "unusual" dishes; (2) maybe the dishes were really not as awesome. Right now, I still can't figure out which one is which, but what I am sure of is that I really enjoyed this recent experience.
Yanagi Restaurant features a cozy laid-back vibe with its dim lighting and wooden finish. I was not able to appreciate this when I was younger, but right now, there was something relaxing and mystical about this type of ambiance.
The buffet spread may not be as expansive as you may imagine, but it got pretty much all the essentials in making your experience considerably worthwhile. The section can be divided into the following: (1) Salad and Appetizers, (2) Sushi and Sashimi, (3) Shrimps and Other Dishes, (4) Beef Teppanyaki and Sukiyaki and (5) Desserts.
Salad and Appetizers
If you'll honestly ask me, nothing much interesting can be found on the salad and appetizer section. Maybe it was just me, but looking at them didn't just hit the right spots to tickle my interesting much more the cravings.
The way the dishes were presented didn't seem appetizing enough. Perhaps, they lack the proper colors to simulate the desire.
It was good that other dishes have interesting names such as this Tori Naruto Maki. Hence, I realized that it is a mixture of intriguing appearance and name that brushes up the curiosity.
This Zaru Soba was something I didn't try not because it didn't seem interesting, but because I was too lazy to figure out how to eat it. Do I eat it on its own? Do I put soup or sauce on it? Nah, I'll jusst skip it.
It was a good thing that not all the appetizers looked not-so-fancy. An example would be this potato salad and the other dishes which name I forgot.
Sushi and Sashimi
This section was more than the redeeming factor for Yanagi. It was the bomb! You can find here the traditional maki, rolls and sushi.
You can also find here the Spicy Sake and Tuna Gongkan which was really bursting with hot flavors.
Of course, the true highlight of the night is the sashimi collection. They have here the salmon, tuna, squid, mackerel and lapu-lapu. All of them were truly heavenly -- soft, fresh and melts in the mouth!
Now, since I really fell in love with these delicate and fresh delights, I filled my plate mostly of them, and admittedly, I returned back here quite a few times.
Shrimps and Other Dishes
To spice up the evening, there were other dishes found on the buffet spread as well. One of them was the tempura sushi which was definitely worth all the praises.
Although not served on the buffet spread, the Tempura is available upon request. Hence, do not forget to ask any of the staff for this.
Another interesting dish would be this Ebi in Tamago Sauce. The taste was something refreshing for my buds because I don't get to eat this a lot.
Beef Teppanyaki and Sukiyaki
Aside from the sushi and sashimi, Yanagi is also famous for its sukiyaki and beef teppanyaki. Flavors may vary depending on who prepares it, but the chef accepts special requests, so just specify how you like your sukiyaki to be.
If you are a meat lover, you will be mostly in this part of the buffet. This is where you can have a serving of teppanyaki. I suggest that you have it cooked medium-well to retain the tenderness of the beef.
Desserts
The desserts that you may find on the buffet table are the usual and ordinary ones, but there is something hidden that you should really try.
There are 4 flavors of ice cream that you may enjoy here in Yanagi, and they are all available upon request. For the sake of sharing them with you, I asked a scoop of all the available flavors: green tea, wasabi, red bean and black sesame.
If you want something different and exciting, go for the wasabi and black sesama. If you are looking for something sweeter go for the red bean and green tea.
This particular visit was something I really appreciated. My mom and I enjoyed so much what the restaurant offered. Let me share with you this photo of us in Yanagi.
Yanagi - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★★
Taste ★★★☆
Service ★★★☆
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: At least P850 each when using a Deal Grocer coupon (which you may learn more about here) and P1,485+ each for the regular rate
Love is truly sweeter the second time around. Yanagi was able to sweep me off my feet with the crazily fresh and delicious collection of sashimi! Without it, the experience could have been mediocre, but since it was there, the experience became superb and memorable. In fact, I may return back just for the sashimi! Other dishes were okay to fine, but the highlight really goes to the sashimi collection. Special mention goes to the teppanyaki and the ice cream selections that featured Japanese flavors.
On the other hand, service may further be improved in order to make the experience solid.
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Yanagi Cosmopolitan Japanese Cuisine
Location: Mezzanine Floor, Midas Hotel, 2702 Roxas Boulevard, Libertad, Pasay City
Operating Hours: 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM (lunch) and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (dinner)
Contact No.: (02) 8467290
