Inspired Japanese Cuisine at Yanagi Japanese Restaurant

A fusion of traditional flavors with innovative and creative twists. Midas Hotel & Casino continues to surprise, with something new at every turn, with the unique dishes at Yanagi Japanese Restaurant. 

Yanagi Japanese Restaurant serves traditional cuisine as well as creative signature dishes for a unique and memorable dining experience. New and different, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the impressive selection at Midas Hotel's Yanagi (for more on Midas Hotel & Casino, check out my previous post here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/03/midas-hotel-casino-something-new-at.html).

Named after a mystical Japanese willow tree, Midas Hotel & Casino's Yanagi Japanese Restaurant casts its spell with its range of authentic Japanese dishes created by Executive Chef Kimito Katagiri. Buffet or a la carte, Yanagi Japanese Restaurant's got something for you.

Kuzu Tataki, a refreshing seafood salad with boiled shrimps, chicken and vegetables covered in a thick and smooth sesame mayonnaise dressing. The delicate, fresh and subtle flavors of the shrimps contrasts with the sweet green bell peppers and perfectly rounded out by the creamy mayo dressing.  Yanagi's Salad Station offers an impressive variety of fresh salad with seafood, including Enoke Wasabi Ae (boiled enoki mushrooms with sliced fishcake), Okura Tofu (steamed egg custard with thinly sliced okra on tofu), Kurage Salad (steamed jellyfish and cucumber salad with sesame dressing), and Wafu Salad (sliced tuna, Japanese Yam and vegetable salad with wasabi goma dressing).

Chef Kimito Katagiri then prepares his signature dishes, including his Aburi Sushi Five Kinds, with hamachi, eel, salmon, tuna, and Lapu-Lapu topped with sliced grapes or strawberries in a creamy sauce. Yanagi offers a wide selection of the freshest sushi and sashimi as well as innovative fusion-inspired creations. And this dish captures Chef Katagiri's creative style, blending layers of different flavors with each sushi.

Aburi Sushi, lightly torched sushi tuna, salmon, eel, hamachi and Lapu-Lapu, topped with fish roe and fruits. Sweet, savory, creamy...different. The subtle flavors of the torched seafood is not overpowered by the other components in a harmonious blend of delicate yet rich flavors.

Tempura Maki, thick and crisp roll with prawn tempura, sliced and topped with fish roe and a creramy sauce, with a side of pickled vegetables. The crispy, deep-fried rolls provide contrasting textures with the creamy sauce and fish roe for another unique blend of flavors.

Kaki Papaya Yaki, grilled Japanese Oysters in papaya served with miso, and yet another of Chef Katagiri's unique dishes. A slice of fresh, sweet papaya is grilled with oysters topped with caramelized Miso mayo sauce, another favorite. Scoop up some sweet papaya with some oysters and the rich and creamy sauce for a distinct blend of flavors. I never imagined papaya and oysters could taste this good. This one's a winner.

Ebi Tempura, deep-fried prawns in light panko breading, a more traditional dish prepared by Chef Katagiri's kitchen. The batter is light and crunchy, not the usual heavy breading, allowing you to taste more of the delicate sweetness and fresh briny prawn and vegetables.

At Yanagi's Sukiyaki Station, each bowl is prepared ala minute, or as you order. And just after a few minutes, your bowl is ready.

Sukiyaki, assorted vegetables and thinly sliced beef cooked in traditional sukiyaki sauce. The flavorful broth  binds the flavors of the rich beef and fresh, crisp vegetables in every spoonful.

At Yanagi's Teppan Station, choose from swordfish, shrimps, squid, or premium tenderloin beef. Or simply go for everything. And the station chef begins to grill your choices in a blur of rapid motions as the aroma lingers. 

My shrimps are prepped with a nob of butter, and the high heat of the grill transforms the shrimps to a bright and vibrant red. For my beef tenderloin, I go for medium rare with a juicy pink center. 

Teppan-Yaki with beef tenderloin, squid and shrimps, served with separate dipping sauces for beef and seafood. The fresh shrimps and quid have that distinct sweetness best enhanced by the soy dipping sauce. The beef tenderloin is great on its own, and the gravy-like dipping sauce balances the bold flavors of the beef. Excellent teppan-yaki, fresh off the grill.

For dessert, Yanagi offers an extensive selection including Coffee Jelly (L) and Zenzai (R), boiled red beans with mochi. other choices include western-style desserts, including indulgent cakes, mousse, fresh fruits and other delectable treats. 

Yanagi's homemade Wasabi Ice Cream, a perfect ending to any meal at Yanagi. Sweet, but with a potent punch from the fresh wasabi for balanced flavors. You can enjoy all these and more with Yanagi's "Misono Days" weekend buffet lunch for only P 1088net per person. Yanagi Japanese Restaurant offers the best of Japanese flavors, with traditional and comforting dishes as well as new and innovative flavors. Buffet or a la carte, there's always something new at Midas Hotel & Casino.

Yanagi Japanese Restaurant is located at the Mezzanine floor of Midas Hotel and Casino, 2702 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City or call 902-0100 or go to www.midashotelandcasino.com for more information.

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