Wednesday, January 16, 2019

First Bite: Minami Saki

I rarely go out on January 1st as I'm usually sleep deprived from all the jumping and eating the night before. But last year's festivities ended early and I went to sleep right after I welcomed 2019. Thinking that most would be lazy to go out due to the long night prior, I thought most would stay in to catch some sleep before greeting reality the next day. But I guess everyone was itching to go out for lunch as I couldn't secure seats in any of R's parents' favorite restaurants. Luckily, Minami Saki offered to save us seats at Astoria's cafe lounge and that we could still order its dishes from there. 

Hello, Minami Saki.
I've heard of Minami Saki from some foodie friends and they kept raving about its sushi. I've been eying to visit this gem along Escriva Drive but the traffic and R's unpredictable schedule always keep us away from dining here. I wasn't supposed to go for lunch here with R's parents as I just had breakfast then. But the curious foodie in me was itching to take a bite of Minami Saki's offerings. Needless to say, I joined last minute.
Astoria was packed with guests when we arrived a bit past 12 noon. Minami Saki, occupying a small portion of the hotel's ground floor, was half full as well with the empty tables topped with reserved sign. Luckily, a table became available and we didn't have to go to the cafe to dine.

We originally wanted to get the Aburi 5 Kinds which is Minami Saki's bestseller. However, we were not so fond of the choices that time so we opted to go with Sake Sashimi (PHP390) and Uni Maki (PHP180) instead. Auntie C and Uncle H also went with Chawan Mushi (PHP250) and Hamachi Kama Shioyaki (PHP250/100g) while I went with Cha Soba (PHP250).
Service was prompt and we were given house tea right after placing our orders and our sushi and maki were served within 10 minutes.
Salmon Sashimi was served first and the cut wasn't very neat. It was also a bit too thick. Taste-wise, it had delicate flavor yet I found the texture to be slightly off.
I loved Minami Saki's Uni Maki. The sea urchin was undeniably fresh with its sweet taste. It was beautifully balanced by Japanese rice. And for just PHP180, I find this dish bang for the buck!
Auntie C shared some of her Chawan Mushi with me and it was lovely. 
The steaming hot egg custard has this divine silky texture and its light flavors went well with the lightly salted Hamachi Jaw.
My green tea soba on the other hand is an excellent choice on hot days. This refreshing dish is quite filling yet not too overwhelming on the palate. 

One thing we noticed with Minami Saki is that we were not given complimentary appetizer which we usually get from other Japanese restaurants of the same level. Overall, it was still a pleasant dining experience. I wouldn't mind going back to try its bestsellers. 

Minami Saki is located at Ground Floor, Astoria Plaza, Jose Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City.

Minami Saki by Astoria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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