Washoku Musashi-Tei’s Authentic Japanese Dining in BGC
Who would have thought that a place as fantastic as Musashi-Tei will just be a few walks away from our new office in The Finance Center? It was actually one of our bosses who discovered this place. He's an expat, and I feel slightly ashamed since it would be cooler to be the other way around (i.e. me recommending this place to him). Anyway, we really enjoyed our dining experience here in the restaurant, so in just 4 days, we came back. This time, I brought my camera with me.
An underrated/overshadowed restaurant tucked in BGC
Musashi-Tei for me is an underrated Japanese restaurant tucked within a rather unpopular location (i.e. 2nd floor of The Forum), and shadowed by a Korean restaurant that offers unlimited samgyupsal. I guess people are easily swayed by the "popular" and tend to miss out the wallflowers. Despite the tone, please don't misconstrue this as a bitter-speech against Samgyupsalamat. I love that brand. What I'm pointing out is that, we really need to explore sometimes and derail ourselves from the mainstream.
Authentic Japanese concept and ambiance
The moment you the restaurant, you'll immediately feel the authenticity of Japanese ambiance. Servers will greet you with warmth, and the interior has semblance of what you'll find in the country itself. In fact, it made me reminisce the moments I dined in several restaurants in Japan. If you feel like taking a peak of my memory, feel free to browse my travel journal here.
Wide-selection of Japanese favorites
Musashi-Tei offers a wide range of selection. There is a separate menu for Katsu and similar dishes; and another one for the ramen collection together with interesting add-ons. For this experience, we focused on the lunch menu featuring the katsu with side order of Gyoza.
The Gyoza (P400 for 15 pcs) was glorious -- one of the finest I had. The wrapper was appropriately thin which allowed it to have an exciting crisp texture. As you bite through the piece, the juicy meaty flavor bursts out with balanced goodness. This is great for sharing!
The Teppan Teryaki Chicken (P320) was a visual wonder. It came in a sizzling plate and the aroma wafted in the air as it was served. The taste was not your ordinary teriyaki as the sugar in the sauce caramelized in the process. The meat was also tender allowing the taste to really seep in.
You can turn this into a meal by adding P100 -- high-quality Japanese rice and Tonjuri (miso-like soup). During lunch, you can have the Set Meal at P380 which shall save your P40.
The Ton-Katsu Lunch Set (P380) was superb evidenced by the crunch every time I took a bite of the katsu. The meat was also juicy and tender allowing each piece to be a mouthful of experience. Plus, it came with a sauce (which we enjoyed preparing) that really gave more life to the katsu.
If you'll ask me if this is better than Yabu, well, I'll give you a vague response. It's difficult to choose. Yabu's katsu is crunchier and tastier even, while here in Mushashi-Tei, the katsu is less greasy, balanced that borrows goodness from the tangy sweet-savory sauce. In other words, both are amazing!
We were handed this bowl containing sesame seeds, and much to our surprise, the seeds were easily ground even with slight effort. Either the seeds were magical, or the bowl's design was "smarter".
The Teppan Miso Katsu Lunch Set (P380) was another visual spectacle, and there was a bit of a show when the sauce was slowly poured over the teppan. It had the tenderness and juiciness of the regular Ton-Katsu but with added goodness from the sour-and-savory sauce infused. Of course, there was also a hint of "smokiness" from the sizzles.
By the way, Sabrina, one of my colleagues at work, had her last day and we chose to have a farewell lunch here in Musashi-Tei. It was slightly emotional but was drowned out by our enjoyment over the food and our conversations.
Washoku Musashi-Tei - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★★★
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: at least P400 each for a personal meal (e.g. ramen, donburi, katsu meals)
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 1 || Date of last visit - October 10, 2018
Musashi-Tei is a paradise waiting to be discovered. There was an air of authenticity in almost every element found here in the restaurant -- the ambiance, the warmth of service and of course the food. Dishes may seem pricier than 'contemporaries' but somehow you'll understand why. Still, I highly advise that you take advantage of the lunch promos. The meals will allow you to save at least P40 each.
Top recommended dish: Gyoza, Ton-Katsu and the Nama Salmon Don add-on when you order ramen (note that you can only have the Nama Salmon Don when you order a ramen
Washoku Musashi-Tei
Location: 2/F The Forum corner 7th Ave. and Federacion Drive, Bonficio Global City, Taguig
Contact No.: (02) 429 8998
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
