A PhP122.50 buffet at Maki Japanese Restaurant

The tag seems too good to be true but Maki Japanese Restaurant’s Bento Bento buffet is back – bigger, bolder and better. This whole month of October Chef Pauline Gorriceta Banusing’s Japanese specialty restaurant give its diners a “full on food at half the price” treat. From Mondays to Fridays during lunch time (11am to 2pm) avail of their promo bento bento meal buffet for only PhP122.50 (from the regular price of PhP 245).

I got the chance to relive the experience I had years ago when I had lunch at Maki today. On each table, one finds a list of Japanese specialties that will make up your bento box meal. After filling up necessary items and getting the basic reminders, one is now faced with the delicious dilemma of choosing what will make his meal and usually the first one is often the hardest.

The bento meal has five categories; Soup, Sushi and Sashimi, Misono, Fried/Steamed and Grill. You will have to choose one from each category in order to make your own bento meal. Juts mark your choices in each and give it to your food server and wait around five minutes and enjoy a meal you made your own.

From the Soup Kettle one can choose fromMiso soup, Vegetable Ramen soup and Soba noodles to which I chose the specialty miso soup. It was a “refreshing”, not too heavy on the stomach yet full of flavour.

The Sushi and Sashimi set has the most choices and one can rally get lost in Japanese gastronomy with California Maki, Avocado and Tuna Maki, Spam and Cheese Maki, Crazy Maki (tuna cucumber and tamago), Tamago Maki (sweetened egg) Spicy Tuna Maki, Kani Maki (crabstick) and Dragon Maki (tempura).

I played safe so I got the California Maki then also had the Dragon maki afterwards. I then realized that I never got rice (which comes free) but these specialties already have rice. From the Misono table one can have Beef Teriyaki, Pork Sukiyaki Teppanyaki, Beef Gyudon - my first order but it wasn’t available that time, so I got Pork Tonkatsu (looks like a thick strip of bacon) which I really enjoyed (sans the fat)

The Flash from the Pan choices had sio mai both pork and beef, pan fried Gyoza, fried spring rolls and shrimp tempura. I had the sio mais first then opted for spring rolls which I really enjoyed during the Amazing Appetite buffet weeks ago.

Finally, “Hot off the grill” were beef, pork tenderloin and fish plus vegetable yakitoris. They usually come in last and separate from the bento box for they are still grilled in the kitchen upon order. I really had a blast with the pork tenderloin that it was always the same order for each bento meal.

And here's how the bento bento buffet list looks like.

All in all, I had four bento box plates and each time it came, I had favorites that often make it to my next plate. It’s more on the thrill of a new experience but the food itself is worth the wait and its tag. A relatively new concept (introduced years ago) for the Ilonggo foodies that brings buffet into a whole new level. But just like any buffets, everybody seems to make it worthwhile and try to have a taste of everything on the menu.

And definitely it’s all worth craving (more pork tenderloin yakitori please.) and raving also sharing the experience – all in the name of good food!

Promo period is from Oct. 3 to Oct 30, 2011 at Maki Japanese Restaurant in Smallville. For more inquiries, please call (033) 321 3885.

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