After a few weeks of stay here in Manila, I realized that in every mall, you will notice the following choices - Japanese ramen, Japanese tonkatsu, a traditional Filipino restaurant, an Italian (or European or Mediterranean) restaurant then an occasional Chinese or shabu-shabu place. Most times, I'll notice that either the Filipino place or the ramen place will be packed. Strangely enough, it's quite obvious that the food scene in Manila has changed so much. People in Manila have grown to love Japanese and Korean food. They may not eat in on a daily basis but they have adapted quite well to the J/K tastes.Aside from restaurants, Manila also has a pretty crazy malling culture. People here - if not at home or at work, are at the malls. Any malls. Where there is a bit of land, rest assured that there will be a shopping mall built there in the next few years.
But let's get back to the topic at hand - tonkatsu. Remembering my first tonkatsu experience in Hong Kong, I was pretty sure nothing will compare to it - until we dined at Maisen. In a nutshell, we enjoyed our experience here, even though my family and I had a few observations about the fried pork. We found that the pork was a bit thinner and the crust was darker but it did not lack in flavor or tenderness of the meat. I thought it was done quite well and I would happily come back for another set meal.
Tenderloin Katsu Set (Php 370 for 80g), Katsumabushi Set (Php 390) and Pork Sukiyaki Set (Php 520). For a unique experience, try the Katsumabushi Set. I was surprised that I liked the wasabi and sesame seed combination in my rice. It was flavorful and had a really nice kick!
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