The Maisen Experience

If 'A' stands for Absence, 'B' stands for Back! In that nutshell, I'm back again for another blog review! This time, we take a look at one of Japan's heavy contender when it comes to Tonkatsu: Maisen! Joining me in this review is my special guest Janella!

Let's start...

Brief History

Maisen started out as a public bath-house dressing room turned restaurant which was considered a new and novel idea at that time. After 50 years, their first restaurant located at Aoyama, Seiyokan is still in operation, serving up one of the best Kurobuta Tonkatsu in Japan! It eventually followed the footsteps of the likes of Yabu and Ginza Bairin here in the Philippines!

Maisen logo

Ambiance and Accommodation

We dine at Maisen Greenbelt 5 branch located at Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City!

Maisen's area is split into two: inside where the space is equally divided even further to the dining and kitchen area. The remaining half is an open dining area, great for smokers and people who prefer the natural breeze.

Dining Area (inside). Don't let the empty seats fool you, it was full of
diners after about 30 minutes (we were obviously early as usual)!

Kitchen Area

The dining area follows a combination of minimalist styling with a touch of cosy vibe. The overall look is complemented by a very big Matte Black Maisen logo!

Inside the dining area where one can see the big Maisen logo!

The open dining area also has a very big Maisen logo!

The staffs were nice and very accommodating! Orders and requests were dealt promptly with a smile! Diners are initially served with (bottomless) cold tea as refreshments and Oshibori (wet hand towel). Each table is also provided with condiments to enhance the already delectable dishes they serve (more on that below).

The Food

We both ordered 80g Pork Tenderloin Katsu Set which costs Php 370.00 at the time of this writing (service charge not included)!

Pork Tenderloin Tonkatsu Set

For simplicity, we'll focus our attention to the Pork Tonkatsu provided that the unlimited side dishes have comparable taste with its Japanese rivals. We'll also compare their dish to Yabu's Tonkatsu; one of its nearest rivals and a personal favourite of mine!

Maisen’s and Yabu’s Pork Tonkatsu looks fairly the same in the looks department. At close inspection though, one can see some subtle contrasts! Maisen's bread crumbs (or Panko) have a finer consistency and darker shade of Brown. I suspect though that the latter is the work of ambient lighting in the dining area!

Tenderloin Pork Tonkatsu at a closer (err blurred) look!

Appearance aside, we both agree that the Pork Tonkatsu was very delicious! It has a lighter flavour but the taste was still a delight! It was also very tender—the Tonkatsu somehow melts in your mouth—I was rather surprised with this!

For the 'Cold Taste Test', the savour was still consistent. The meat also became a bit firm, but on acceptable terms. The only letdown was that our Tonkatsu has minimal or almost no visible fats (its Tenderloin cut after all).

One may either choose from two Tonkatsu sauces: Amakuchi (Sweet) or Karakuchi (Spicy). Though Sweet and Spicy are two different things, both sauces strangely taste pretty much the same—I wonder why. They only vary in terms of consistency where the Amakuchi sauce is thicker than the other.

Both sauces are good but mixing the two is highly discouraged since it makes the Tonkatsu very Sour. It was also the same story when you soak the Tonkatsu with Karakuchi sauce.

Conclusion

Maisen truly lives up to its name as one of the best Tonkatsu houses around! It may have the same face with its equals in terms of presentation and side dishes but Maisen's Tonkatsu definitely tells another story! The lighter taste, oh so succulent meat and even the variety of Tonkatsu sauce is a very welcome alternative!

Of course the whole experience will not be exceptional without the hospitality and quick service of the staff as well as the simple yet warm ambiance! Janella personally took notice of this besides the delicious Tonkatsu dish!

We both recommend Maisen for first time Tonkatsu eaters, foodies and people who are looking for a familiar yet exceptional Tonkatsu experience!

Maisen Philippines

Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center,

Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City, Philippines

(more branches coming soon)

Telephone No.: (+63) 239-0390

Facebook: MaisenPH

Instagram: maisenph

Acknowledgments

Janella and I would like to thank all of Maisen Greenbelt 5 staff for their wonderful service and for the usual picture taking (without consent again—lol)! I would also like to thank my special guest Janella for joining me in this review on a very (very) sudden notice!

Thanks Janella!

Please look forward to my next blog review wherein we sample the Aussie's take on coffee! Ikimashou!