I
have been dying to visit this tempura place at The Grove for months but it gets
cancelled every single time. I blame the lazy weekend bug! There was one time though
when we finally braved the Saturday traffic and we were greeted by… a closed
sign. I heard my heart break and my tummy whine the moment I saw the glass door
signage. But the Year of the Monkey seems to be my year as when R and I visited
The Grove during Chinese New Year for dinner, the place I have been eying for
months was open. OPEN! *insert creepy mega giant smile here*
Hello, Asakusa!
The foodie in me
found it so surreal that I finally managed to get inside the “home of
tempura”. It was a long wait and I hope that it won’t disappoint.
Famished, we
ordered Salmon Salad (PHP208), Emperor Tempura Set (PHP578) and Gyudon (PHP288). For beverage, we settled
with the complimentary house tea.
Service was quick
as it was not even past the 5 minute mark when the salmon salad was served.
I loved it! The
fresh salmon cuts drizzled with what seemed to be teriyaki sauce went really
well with the crisp veggies and tempura flakes. The contrast between the soft
and crunchy textures was delightful as well. Though flavor was a tad strong as
appetizer, it was still a great starter!
Gyudon was served
next and we were perplexed with its appearance. It did not look like the gyudon
we know. The meat looked a bit too dark. Tastewise, the flavor was
overpowering. It was too sweet for gyudon.
