The "Goddess of Food", Ogetsu Hime is offering their Best of Japan selection for a Special Half Price until the 16th of November 2014. Ogetsu Hime is found at the Skypark of SM Aura Premier. It's hard not to miss its warm cozy interiors and the sushi bar easily seen by the entrance. Upon entering, the restaurant is spacious with teppanyaki stations at the center while the sukiyaki-ready tables on the sides. Happyfoodies got to sample the selection of half-priced offerings and more.
Sushi
Jen: I have a confession to make. Before Ferdz's invitation to Ogetsu Hime, I had never tried sushi before. It was a conscious avoidance because I'm not really a fan of raw food, or preparing my dishes to be cooked. So the platter of sushi to start off the meal also marked a milestone of sorts for me my first time to try sushi. The platter consisted of 4 kinds of sushi: Otoro (Bluefin Tuna Belly reg at P900/ half-price P450), Engawa (Japanese Halibut reg at P350/ half-price P175), Anago (Saltwater Eel reg at P380/ half-price P190), and Ameabi (Hokkaido Sweet Shrimps reg at P380/ half-price P190 ). I particularly liked the Engawa, but the Anago was my favorite. Perhaps it was the way it practically melted in my mouth, the texture smooth and delicate. The plate was thinly blanketed with tempura sauce, and maybe that's part of the reason why my initiation to sushi was surprisingly pleasant.
Ironwulf: Among the sushi samplers the only three really made an impression. I really enjoyed the shrimp of the Ameabi with a hint of smokey flavor. I like the slight sourness on the Engawa and its interesting texture. The Anago was buttery soft it was so pleasant to eat.
Sashimi
Ironwulf: We were also served a couple of sashimi: The Hamachi (Japanese Yellow Tail at reg P850/ half-price P425) and Hotategai (Hokkaido Japanese Scallops at reg P850/ half-price P425). The Hamachi taste really fresh and good but I really enjoyed the stronger flavor of the Hotategai more.
Tempura
Jen: Next to be served was tempura. There were 2: Ebi Shiitake Tempura (Shiitake Mushroom with Seasoned Black Tiger Prawns) and Uni Tempura (Sea Urchin Wrapped in Nori). I found that the first was an interesting safe bet I like mushrooms and that the latter had a nice twist to it; the filling was succulent and tasty. Both had 'seafood' spelled on them.
Ironwulf: Being a mushroom lover, I was sure I would enjoy the Ebi Shiitake most. Yes, it was good in all its deep-fried goodness but the Uni Tempura has such a rich seafood flavor from the urchin. It's so different it's refreshingly good that I enjoyed it very much.
Main Dishes
Jen: The main course consisted of a generous and hearty line-up of meat and fish invigoratingly flavored with egg, soup, and vegetables, resulting in plates fused with flavor. First was the Gindara Terikayi (Broiled Japanese Silver Cod). The fish was almost impossibly soft, but what made it even better was that it was also delectably sweet.
Next was the Matsusaka Teppanyaki, made from the famous beef of Japan. It was juicy and tender and was sliced thin enough to be delicately bite-sized. The Matsusaka Sukiyaki (reg at P3,900/half-price P1,950), as the name clearly suggests, was also made from the same beef. It was actually quite surprising that the fresh egg naturalized the sweetness of the sukiyaki. I found that very interesting as I took spoonful after spoonful. The main course was finished off with Chajan Moriawase (Mixed Fried Rice) which, for me, can be a meal in itself. The fried rice was tossed with eggs, vegetables, and meat. It was tasty and complemented the other dishes very well.
Ironwulf: Yes the Gindara Terikayi was incredibly soft and tasty making it another favorite on the table. The Mutsusaka Sukiyaki was fun to watch being prepared. The Mutsusaka Beef was first prepared and served in a bowl to taste. The meat itself was tender and sweet but tampered down by the fresh egg. The rest of the ingredients were then prepared from the veggies noodles and soup. The end product was really good. The sweetness was there but blended with a pleasant smokey taste.
We didn't get to see the Mutsusaka Tepanyaki (reg at P3,900/ half-price P1,950) prepared which I thought would be interesting as well. I like the cuts, it was also really tender and done medium rare which I preferred.
Ogetsu Hime was a wonderful dining experience. The Best of Japan offerings were all good but my personal favorites were the sushis, gindara, tempura, and the sukiyaki. With currently half the price ongoing, it's a good time to try Ogetsu Hime's Best of Japan.
Ogetsu Hime
Level 5, Skypark, SM Aura Premier,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Contact: 519.9740, 519.9840 or +63917.809.6585
