[OK na Food Trip] Maisen

Exposition:

Maisen

Being just opened August this year, Maisen in Greenbelt is one of the new restaurants to enter the recent katsu boom in the metro. We personally think it's a bit late since most of the more popular franchises have already developed their solid following but that only fueled our curiosity to check how this restaurant can differentiate themselves from their competitions.

Sinubukan namin ito one lunch time with friends from work.

info page

Turning Point:
What we ordered...

• Mixed Katsu Set
• Katsumabushi Set
• Tenderloin Katsu Set

The mixed katsu set is mini tenderloin (about 2 bite-sized slices), prawn (1 piece), and potato croquette (2 medium sized roll) served with rice, cabbage, set of pickled veggies (just a few bits), some slices of fruits, and miso soup. Refillable yung rice, soup, at cabbage which is similar to most katsu places.

mixed katsu set

Malambot yung pork and slides off with a gentle slice. Juicy yung loob pero in such a way na hindi sobra ang mantika. Crispy ang breading pero nakakapalan kami ng bahagya. The meat piece is lean, wala kami halos makitang taba. The croquette is tasty but can get messy to eat dahil madaming mumu na naglalaglagan pag kinagat. The prawn piece is big pero bitin pa din ang isang serving. Sana ginawa nilang dalawa man lang. Sakto lang ang luto nito. Malambot sa kagat pero may laban pa din ng kaunti (hindi outright soft na parang overcooked).

katsumabushi set

The katsumabushi set is tenderloin katsu sliced into bite-sized pieces served with slow-cooked egg and miso stock. May paandar sila sa set na ito. One of the suggested way of consuming it (that we did) is to douse the miso broth into the rice bowl then mix the soft-boiled egg into the concoction. Parang katsudon ang itsura, less the stringy fried egg. Matabang yung miso soup. Parang wala itong effect sa mix kundi gawin itong soggy. Mas nagka flavor pa ito dahil sa egg pero generally it's just like eating katsu with soggy rice.

Yung complimentary iced rice tea ay literal na pinalamig na tsaa. Yung tsaa na hindi commercial kundi yung lasang roasted na kahoy at damo. 

tenderloin katsu

Conflict:

Prices range from P400 to P500. This is almost the same with the more popular competitors. We can't say that's expensive for what they offer with barely noticeable differences in terms of food quality. So us being casual diners (in contrast to legit katsu connoisseurs), we think the price is just right.

Expensive, yes, but just right for the overall dining experience.

busy choosing her food

Climax:

Maliit yung lugar sa loob. It probably can only seat 8 to 10 groups of diners at a time. It can get noisy when the place is full. At sobrang lapit ng mga customers sa isa't isa na pwede na mag tinginan ng order ang mga magkakatabing lamesa.

The interiors is quaint. Modern ang design na may Japanese touches at may malalaking glass panels overlooking their al fresco dining area and their own kitchen.

Service is good and it should be. Sa liit ng lugar, looking after all the patrons should not be that difficult. May kasamang wet towel for each paying customers as additional eklat.

menu

The tonkatsu sauce tastes good. Manamis-namis pero hindi overpowering yung katamisan. I personally liked the sesame dressing. Kaya nakarami kami ng cabbage refill.

They used Black Berkshire pork variant for their meat and that should guarantee quality according to some.

Denouement: 

For us, they are behind Yabu but ahead of Ginza Bairin and Tonkatsu by Terazawa with everything considered. Pero sa Crazy Katsu pa din kami kung sa pa-sulitan sa binabayad. 

katsumabushi and friends

 
Rating: 
4.5 out of 7




[obi.Sept.16]