MAISEN: Finest Tonkatsu Restaurant in Tokyo now in Manila! @BenchTM

Related post: 10 Most Awesome New (Franchised) Restaurants in Manila 2015! 

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MAISEN is one of the finest Tonkatsu restaurants in Tokyo founded by a Japanese housewife, Mrs. Koide, in 1965 and later on bought by Suntory Holdings Limited of Yamazaki and Hibiki whisky fame. Its name is a coined word, which means “go for it”.

Check out our feature of the Maisen Aoyoma flagship store in Omotesando, Tokyo early this year:
The MAISEN Tonkatsu Difference: Different Shades of Pork (Soon in Manila!) @BenchTM

Ben Chan’s Group (Suyen Corporation) will finally open the beloved Maisen franchise in Manila!

Here’s what to expect and what to order at Maisen Philippines… 

MAISEN TONKATSU PHILIPPINES
G/f Greenbelt 5 (in the middle of Lorenzo’s Way and Torch)
Facebook: MAISEN

The restaurant has a Japanese minimalist ambiance, with the Maisen logo as highlight. It has a capacity of only 28 seats in the air-conditioned area.

It has an open kitchen setup where you can see the Maisen chefs prepare your katsu.

Maisen Menu: Maisen Tonkatsu Difference | Kurobuta Sets | Katsu Sets | Seafood | Katsu Picks | Donburi | Katsumaburi Set | Pork Sukiyaki Set | Sandwich Sets | Maisen Selections | Sides | Curry | A La Carte | Dessert and Beverages 

Pricing is at par with other Tonkatsu restaurants. All the Katsu sets come with unlimited rice, cabbage, pickle set, fruits, and miso soup.

Note that you can also order the Tonkatsu as a la carte, which is less P150 from the set prices.

★ Suntory Kakubin Highball (P250 +10% service charge)

I love the Highball at Maisen, which is a mix of Suntory Whisky and soda. A good drink to go with the katsu.

Loin Katsu Set (P350 – 80g +10% service charge). Loin katsu served with rice, cabbage, pickle set, fruits, and miso soup.

Even the basic loin tonkatsu is good. I like the Maisen panko, which aims to achieve the level of “kendachi”–where the bread crumbs rise like blossomed flowers.

The tonkatsu comes with the finest sauces that aren’t too thick and so flavorful:

• Amakuchi sweet sauce, which is a blend of fine clear water from Nikko, fresh fruits, vegetables, and freshly ground spice.
• Karakuchi spicy sauce, which is a blend of freshly ground spice with fresh vegetables.

No need for extra crushed sesame seeds or spice to add to the sauce.

You can also add their signature Spice Salt with citrus and turmeric to flavor your tonkatsu.

Best of all is the special Mustard Sauce of Maisen! So good for spicy mustard lovers. 🙂

Start with the generous serving of cabbage with their own signature sesame sauce. 

★ Kurobuta Tenderloin Katsu Set (P630). Kurobuta tenderloin katsu served with rice, cabbage, pickle set, fruits, and miso soup. 

I would recommend the Kurobuta US Black Shire tenderloin, which has more umami taste than the usual pork.

It’s served with a special Kurobuta sweet and spicy sauce made of karakuchi spicy sauce blended with the sweetness of the freshly grated apples.
 
I like to mix the amakuchi, karakuchi, and kurobota sauce with the spicy mustard. Ang sarap!

Seafood Katsu Set (P595 +10% service charge). Cream dory katsu, salmon katsu and prawn katsu served with rice, tartar sauce, cabbage, pickle set, fruits, and miso soup.

You can also order the seafood katsu sampler, but I recommend the Prawn Katsu more. 

Cheese Minced Pork Katsu Set (P390 +10% service charge). Cheese minced pork katsu served with rice cabbage, pickle set, fruits, and miso soup.

For kids, I recommend this minced pork katsu with oozing cheese inside.

★ Katsumabushi Set (P390 +10% service charge). Bite-size Tenderloin Katsu chops served with rice, onsen tamago, and dashi stock.

This is my favorite at Maisen–the special Katsumabushi set–because of the variety of side dishes to enhance your katsu experience. 

How to eat it? First, scoop the Japanese rice with seaweed and tenderloin katsu cuts.

Next, add some fresh wasabi, sesame seeds, and chopped onion leeks. 

Then add the special dashi stock and the onsen tamago egg. 

Chocolate (P65 +10% service charge) and Calamansi Sorbe (P65 +10% service charge). 

Skip the boring ice cream desserts. Best to go to St. Marc’s Cafe in Greenbelt 3 to complete your Japanese experience.

Congratulations to Ben Chan for successfully opening Maisen in Manila!
 
I’m happy that MAISEN decided to expand in Manila aside from Bangkok. 🙂  

I recommend ordering the Kurobuta Tenderloin Katsu set with Suntory Highball, and the special Katsumabushi set. Order the Prawn Katsu and Cheese Minced Pork Katsu for the kids. Budget about P700/head.

All the sauces are so good, but my favorites are the Kurobuta sauce, mustard, and the fresh wasabi. I wish they bottled the sauces so we could take them home.

The restaurant is quite small, with a capacity of just 28 in the air-conditioned area and total of 50 seats including the al fresco seats. Make sure to go early or avoid the peak lunch and dinner times.

Congratulations to Maisen and the Bench group!

MAISEN TONKATSU PHILIPPINES
G/f Greenbelt 5 (in the middle of Lorenzo’s Way and Torch)
Facebook: MAISEN
Hashtag: #MaisenPH

Read Related Blog Post: The MAISEN Tonkatsu Difference: Different Shades of Pork (Soon in Manila!) @BenchTM

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: Our Maisen preview was courtesy of our friend Bryan Lim of the Bench group. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. Takeout Maisen’s Tenderloin Katsu Sando or the Katsu Pocket Sandwich as baon for your kids.