Turning Japanese part 2 (GENJI M at Makati City)

Japanese cuisine has always been close to my stomach for one reason or another.  It could be the nostalgia it brings or maybe it is the admiration I have for a culture that is so rooted that it has retained its integrity for centuries.  As with most things related to Japanese culture,  making Sushi is an art form.  It has been for a long time.  There is simply a “how”, a “why” and a “what” that goes along with making sushi. 

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For the most part it seems straightforward.  Line a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) with a layer of Japanese rice that is laced with vinegar, layer it with fish or meat and roll it into perfect cylinder and slice it into thick coin pieces.  If you prefer sushi from the rolls, then pack a sizeable amount of Japanese rice then fillet a thin slice of premium seafood like salmon or tuna, loop a strip of nori around it and you are good to go.  Seems so simple, but it isn't.

To date, sushi masters are still trying to perfect the art of making these delectable bite-size works of art, not just in appearance but in flavor.  In Japan, it can take up to a decade before you are considered a sushi master (think about that for a second).  There is just as much emphasis on how it looks as to how it tastes.

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In this second part of my Japanese cuisine adventure, I give you my take on another Japanese staple, the sushi.  In this feast I looked into the Japanese-Korean restaurant GENJI M that has recently created a buzz online for the discount coupons that you can print out and present to them when you dine in, as part of promoting their restaurant and of course their eat-all-you-can sushi deal. 

I always have concerns when dining in restaurants that serve buffets, notwithstanding, I do have top restaurants that give a great spread but most of which are found in starred hotels around the Metro (besides that for another time and post). I love eating as much as the next guy/girl, but it goes without saying that in a dining set up such as a buffet chances are you will not get the same quality or culinary experience as you would if you had ordered it Ala carte.

As a disclaimer, and to be absolutely fair to this establishment, I experienced their product dining in buffet style, so whatever standards or consistency issue they might have is probably on a case to case basis. 

Is the sushi great? I would not say so.  Is it worth the trip? Well, of course (If you love sushi and you could have an unlimited order of it, wouldn't you?). 

"Chef's Recommendation" Plattter
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When you settle in they offer you and start you off with a sushi platter to begin your dining experience, and they call it the “Chef’s recommendation”, this is just to give you an idea as to what you might or might not want to re-order.   Their sushi comprises of your usual suspects and some of your unusual ones as well.   

Personally, I love anything that has to do with salmon.  Being a very fatty fish it yields a whole lot of flavor without having to add anything to it.  Having said this, you can tell when the salmon is of good quality or not.   GENJI M serves salmon sushi but I’m sure you will agree there have been better ones that you have tried. 

Salmon, Mackerel, Tofu Sushi
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Some of the other selections on that platter is the Mackerel sushi (that before this, I had never had a chance to try).  It wasn't too bad. It was slightly gamy or chewy than salmon or tuna.  Speaking of chewy, their octopus sushi was just like chewing on a rubber band (not good stuff). 

Those things you will experience for yourself. 

And while you can eat all the sushi you desire, I’m pretty sure you’ll end up re-ordering only a select few.  To name a few of my favorites on their menu that I found myself spending the whole night eating is their Tofu Roll.  The tofu was marinated in this sweet  and salty sauce that was absorbed into it, so much so that as soon as you take a bit into the tofu the flavors just burst into your mouth, sweet and salty altogether just enough so that you can taste the tofu that is wrapped around the rice.  

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Another favorite of mine was the Samgyupsal Roll.  A piece of cooked out, Korean-style pork that was crisp and crunchy placed on top of the rice roll tied together by a strip of nori.  How can you go wrong with Korean-style pork, or any pork with rice for that matter?  The downside is the consistency was off, some orders were lightly torched and cooked just right that you can taste the sweetness of the pork, and other times it was over-done that, while it was crisp, all the flavor from the pork was practically burned away.

Roll Platter
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My major issue with their sushi is the addition of spam, which in fact is not even real Spam.  Often times I have heard that if you place it on your menu make sure that it is exactly what is on your dish otherwise its false advertising on your part.  The “spam” they use on their sushi is too pungent that it a little of it overpowers the roll making it the only flavor that you will taste. Mind you some of their rolls are laced with this stuff, which just throws off your palette. My suggestion, take it off the menu and off the sushi rolls, besides, it is not exactly Spam.

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All in all my sushi experience was good.  Again, it is as much as you would expect from an eat-all-you-can dining set up.  Like I said, the demand will most often than not crash the standards and consistency of the dishes they will put out.

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As for décor and ambiance, well it isn’t exactly what you would call homey or even rustic in feel.  Its façade may mislead you. It really has that fast-food-chain look going for it.  The lighting is too in the dining area, not to mention uneven lighting from the lobby to the dining are and more lighting as you go into the back of the house.  

 The front of the house was very cordial and accommodating.  The service of the food from kitchen to table was substantial, considering the amount of orders they were pushing.  There are problems with organization but not too bad compared to other reviews before my visit. My take on it is, just keep your expectations at a minimum. 

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While GENJI M is gaining quite the publicity with its discount coupon scheme,  they have a long way to go in creating quality of their product, both, in terms of flavor and presentation that will help maintain the influx of patrons that have been dining in their quaint sushi bar and establish themselves as one of the “go-to” places for sushi.