Mai Mai is an "underdog" Japanese stall in Enterprise Tower
I'm starting to re-explore Makati given my new job, and I'm getting surprised each day as I discover more options which I just "ignored" before. Now, would you beliee there is a decent Japanese food (not to mention relatively "affordable") in the food court of Enterprise Tower. This concessionaire goes by the name Mai Mai.
Now why did it become special?
Well, first off it's Japanese, and it's not the "commercialized" and "substandard" kind of fast Japanese wherein quality is sacrificed. No. In fact, the dishes here are restaurant-quality (except maybe for one I previously had).
I know I said this was relatively affordable, but prices may range of P110 to P195 for a personal meal. This is why I qualified it by adding the word "relative". But hey, trust me. It's way more reasonable!
The first dish I was able to try here was the Gyudon (P165), and I was deeply impressed by its sweet-savory goodness. The meat was also tender, and the egg was just lightly cooked (i.e. malasado) -- the way I wanted it. I mixed up the egg with the rest, and this gave the beef a creamy touch and more character.
Now, I wasn't supposed to discover this, but thanks to my colleagues, I discovered "gold". I'm telling you, this one is a steal (and yes, the thief here is you) -- Special Tempura Roll only at P125.
Hands down for this roll with its restaurant-like quality. Normally, a similar dish would cost us not less than P250, but this one is just half that price. It's just beautiful because this roll is prepared with craft as it is torched for its final finish giving the dish that "golden caramelized" flavor that blends well with the tempura, cheese, fish roe, mayo, Japanese rice and nori. Yum-azing!
My recent find was this Tofu Steak (P80). It's so affordable that I couldn't keep my eye off it. Since it may not be enough to cover my appetite for lunch, I added Fried Rice (P30) to make it a meal.
The tofu was perfectly fried as it was able to preserve the silkiness of the tofu yet had this external crunch. Although the sauce may be sweeter than necessary, it still had this satisfyingly savory tang that went well with the fried tofu. Now, since I am a huge fan of tofu, I instantly fell in love with this dish!
There are other dishes available such as donburi (rice bowls), ramen and udon. Snacks are available as well such as this Gyoza (P105) which by the way did not fall short in terms of quality. It was really impressive!
Mai Mai - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Taste ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★★
Budget: at least P110 each for a personal meal if you are going for something light, but P150 each for something moderate to heavy
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 4 || Date of last visit - May 9, 2018
With my experience with Mai Mai, I realized that I should never underestimate stalls. Who would have thought that this will be at par with other casual Japanese restaurants (perhaps even exceed them)?
Lastly, you should really try the Special Tempura Roll! It's our favorite, and it instantly became our comfort food whenever we feel all stressed out in work.
Mai Mai
Location: Food Court, Level 3, Enterprise Tower corner Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Service Charge: NONE
