Katsu and Shabu-Shabu Days at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant

From Tokyo and now in Manila, Fumizen Japanese Restaurant brings their popular katsu and other Japanese specialties including shabu-shabu to the local dining scene with their spacious branch in Quezon City. And it's been updated conforming to the mandatory health and safety protocols of the new normal. For those days when sudden cravings for katsu and shabu-shabu strikes, Fumizen Japanese Restaurant is ready to welcome you...

Located at the heart of Quezon City along Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Fumizen Japanese Restaurant is an international franchise established in Chiyoda, Tokyo with over forty years of culinary experience behind their specialty Tonkatsu. The popular Japanese restaurant's very first branch in Manila opened early last year, but just like many businesses, had to suspend dining operations during the quarantine. Following the latest health and safety protocols, Fumizen Japanese Restaurant is more than ready for the new normal. A stand-alone restaurant without the usual crowds of mall-based locations, diners can now indulge in their katsu and shabu-shabu cravings with proper social distancing in Quezon City at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant.  

Inside, the seating layout is reconfigured for proper social distancing. Fumizen Japanese Restaurant has private function rooms in the upper floors for families and small groups for more privacy. Ample parking space is also provided for your convenience. 

After a quick temperature scan and filling up the contact tracing form, diners are then led to the spaced tables following social distancing protocols. Your dining experience at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant begins with tasty starters like creamy Japanese style potato salad, fresh seaweed and sweet watermelon wedges. It's the little details like this that make dining at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant special. 

A sampling portion of Fumizen Japanese Restaurant's popular sushi and sashimi selections were then served featuring a variety of tasty bites...

...like Crunchy Tuna Crackers (P 225) with diced sashimi-grade tuna topped with tobiko on crisp crackers with its inventive play on flavors and textures...

...the Cheese Salmon Aburi Maki Roll (P 295) with torched salmon on rolled sushi rice with cream cheese, unagi, kani and Japanese mayo...

...Salmon Sashimi (P 175), thick and rich fatty slabs from premium Norwegian salmon...

...and the Fumizen Special California Maki Roll (P 245), an intricate roll with your choice of fresh salmon or tuna wrapped in sticky sushi rice and topped with sweet mango and tobiko to open up the palate for the katsu and shabu-shabu feast still to be served. Light and clean flavors from the finest and freshest ingredients linger, but that's just for starters.

A platter of garden fresh and crisp greens with a medley of mushrooms was then laid on the table for Fumizen Japanese Restaurant's signature Shabu-Shabu (P 899 good for two but check out the cool P 599 deal further down the post), the traditional hot pot dish with vegetables and thinly sliced meats prepared right on your table. The recent rains and seeming isolation of the new normal calls for a comforting bowl of soothing broth, and the Shabu-Shabu at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant satisfies your craving with the very first sip all the way to the last.

Three kinds of mushrooms like enoki, shimeji and shiitake along with fresh lettuce and carrots add layers of flavors to the broth, enriched by a selection of meats...

...like thinly sliced pork with its delicate and mildly sweet nutty notes...

...and perfectly marbled slices of beef for a savory finish to your shabu-shabu. As the different components of the dish are set on the table, one can't help but be impressed with the freshness and quality of the ingredients. It's the ingredients, after all, that makes or breaks your shabu-shabu. 

A trio of sauces complete your Shabu-Shabu experience. Here's an insider tip, add the fresh minced garlic and spring onions to the white creamy sauce for a burst of sharp notes to complement the savory flavors of the tender pork and beef. 

Fumizen Japanese Restaurant offers two kinds of soothing shabu-shabu broth, a spicy blend and a light, clear yet refreshing dashi-based broth served in a special pot with dividers. Both bring unique flavors to the palate to complement the vegetables and meats. Your shabu-shabu is prepared by the server, adding the mushrooms and carrots to the simmering broth.  

It just takes a few minutes before a fragrant aroma tempts your palate. A dish prepared right in front of you becomes a sensory experience, and slowly, the simmering broth is transformed with the addition of fresh ingredients. The server adds the beef and pork, infusing the broth with rich savory notes. The crisp lettuce is then added for the final layer of flavor and it's ready to serve. 

The spicy broth delivers bold upfront flavors tempered by the sweetness of the vegetables and earthy hints of mushrooms for balanced notes. The robust notes with a mild soothing heat are just what you need for another cloudy day in the new normal. But it's the clear dashi broth with its simple, uncomplicated flavors that lets you experience the pure and natural notes of the fresh ingredients. 

The subtle salty notes of the dashi broth brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and mushrooms while highlighting the richness of the pork and beef. Each sip soothes the palate like a comforting hug with its gentle and nuanced flavors. 

The pork and beef just melts in your mouth releasing even more flavor. Dab some of the creamy sauce with minced garlic and spring onions on the fork-tender beef and pork and prepare for a burst of vibrant richness. Enjoy a second bowl of Shabu-Shabu, and another, and warm up both your palate and body in another day of the new normal.

And it gets better. Enjoy Unlimited Shabu-Shabu on Weekdays from 6:00 - 9:00 pm and Weekends from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant for only P 599. Fumizen Japanese Restaurant also offers more bang for the buck with their P 299 Lunchtime Deals on Rosu Katsu, Tori Katsu, Hire Katsudon, Pork Shogayaki and Gyudon on Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (check out their FB Page here at https://www.facebook.com/fumizenph for more updates). 

But make room for Fumizen Japanese Restaurant's specialty tonkatsu, the dish behind the success of one of Tokyo's popular restaurants. The signature deep-fried pork cutlet with its juicy pork coated in a lightly crisp layer of breading has been a favorite of the establishment for over forty years. The use of quality pork and beef coupled by masterful execution perfected by its long years of experience results in a consistent quality enjoyed with every visit. That day, we tried the Iberico Tonkatsu with Rice Set (P 475) from their Rosu Pork Loin Katsu Selection. 

The premium pork delivers a whisper of sweet and nutty notes followed by a clean yet juicy finish. And everything just comes together with each big bite capped by the light crunchy texture of the panko-like breading. A gentle dip in the dark sauce adds just the right level of sharpness to temper the savory richness of the pork. Paired with rice and shredded cabbage, it's a complete meal guaranteed to satisfy your katsu cravings. Each order is served with Japanese rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage and seasonal fruits. Other options from their Rosu Katsu Sets include the Loin Tonkotsu with Rice Set (P 375) and Kurobuta Tonkatsu with Rice Set (P 575). If you prefer a leaner cut of pork, the Hire Pork Tenderloin Katsu Set (P 405) is an ideal choice. 

If its beef you're after, Fumizen Japanese Restaurant has that covered too. The Wagyu Beef Katsu with Rice Set (P 995) brings the buttery-soft richness of wagyu beef with a perfectly crisp finish for another sumptuous katsu experience. The premium beef adds deeper, richer and rounder savory notes with each bite, and is great as is. But a dip in the special Truffle Salt just takes the Wagyu Beef Katsu to a whole different level. The layer of crisp breading adds both texture and flavor without cluttering the flavors of the beef, and you'll probably want some extra rice and cabbage with this meal.  

The use of Wagyu beef adds a whole new dimension to the usual katsu experience for even more options for your sudden katsu cravings. And just like their specialty deep-fried pork cutlets, the Wagyu Beef Katsu is perfectly executed remaining tender and juicy with a lightly crisp layer.  

One bite and you know they take katsu matters quite seriously at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant. After all, that's over forty years of experience behind each dish. And Fumizen Japanese Restaurant knows their katsu well. 

Looking for that delectable katsu crunch with other options? The Prawn Katsu with Rice Set (P 475) is a refreshing seafood alternative with large and plump tiger prawns draped in the crisp panko-crusted katsu breading for that familiar crunchy texture. The fresh briny sweetness of the succulent prawns come through with each bite with a fresh snap followed by the finishing crunch of the breading. Served with a rich and creamy tartar sauce, it's a different take on katsu that works just as well. And just like all their katsu creations, the delicate notes of the tiger prawns are not masked by the layer of breading. It's also a complete meal with rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup and seasonal fruits.

Other Katsu options include the Tori Chicken Katsu with Rice Set (P 365), Menchi Minced Pork Katsu Set with Rice (P 350), Cheese Menchi Katsu Set with Rice (P 375), Assorted Katsu with Rice Set (P 750), Assorted Seafood Katsu with Rice Set (P 600) and Salmon Katsu with Rice Set (P 550). You'll also find rice bowls like Prawn Katsudon (P 500), Salmon Katsudon (P 575) and Gyudon topped with egg (P 375) as well as Curry bowls, Bento sets, Chicken Karaage Fried Chicken with Rice Set (P 255), Unaju Grilled Eel Set Meals (P 525-P 850) and Grilled Gindara Set Meals (P 495). Katsu, shabu-shabu and any other Japanese food craving, satisfied at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant.

A scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with crisp panko breading bits and chocolate syrup caps a sumptuous lunch at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant. Quality and value for money combine for a dining experience that's hard to beat. With over forty years of history and tradition, katsu and shabu-shabu and more at Fumizen Japanese Restaurant are just what you need for those days when cravings for Japanese hits in the new normal...