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| Banzai Mall of Asia |
Last December 2015, Our company celebrated our Company Christmas dinner in BANZAI. I did not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to them as it is one of the Japanese Food Buffet Haven I know in Manila!
Banzai is located at SM Mall of Asia By The Bay and it is considered to be the biggest Japanese restaurant in the Philippines. It has a capacity of 500 seats so it is ideal for big groups and batches. This is my second time here and I can not wait to show what they offer.
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| Poster Outside -Smoking Area |
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| BANZAI DISCOUNTS |
This is the reception area. I suggest you call for reservations especially if you are coming in a large groups. They are usually fully booked on holidays and weekends despite having a large seating capacity it still gets full so better call first to be sure you get a seat.
What I love about this place is that you will not get bored at all. They have a lot of crazy Japanese wall art which you can take with photo ops with plus a bonus Art Gallery inside!
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| Banzai Art Gallery Entrance |
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| Photo Op with SUMO Painting |
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| Sushi Love! |
While waiting for our other officemates I roamed around the area and took a lot of photos. I really enjoyed it haha! Sobrang vain lang, sulit na sulit sakin yung mini-gallery!
Inside the murals guests are allowed to wear costumes! They have Kimonos and even the Sumo Costume! I've never worn a Kimono so I got really excited when I got to wear it.
Inside the murals guests are allowed to wear costumes! They have Kimonos and even the Sumo Costume! I've never worn a Kimono so I got really excited when I got to wear it.
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| Geisha for a day |
They have a few costumes which you can wear and the staff will happily assist you in wearing them. Aggh! I took many selfies here, good thing we're the only ones roaming around the gallery. Not all people discover this area cause it's hidden. It looks like a storage room from the outside so some don't even bother going in.
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| Yaaaaah-ha! |
The interior has a very Japanese vibe with all the red lanterns and textiles and wooden tables. They even have an autumn themed tree to add the Japanese feel to it. The temperature of the restaurant is nice and not too cold that will freeze your food. I like how it is not "Amoy Ulam" despite the food being almost everywhere and the center of the venue. The chefs are also very active and accommodating.
The food stations are located in the middle area which is divided into 5 sections.
One on the right part of the photo is the Tepanyaki Section wherein you can choose your toppings and type of rice and the chefs will cook it for you. I personally like the Beef Tepanyaki, it tastes like bacon! Together in this area is the Yakitori Roast Section wherein you can find the roasted pork and duck. There is always a chef assigned here and they'll personally chop the meat for you and deliver the food to your table once ready!
Beside it is the Sushi, Sashimi & Roll Section - they have all kinds of sushi there plus the different condiments and soy sauce. I am not a fan of sushi but there are just too many kinds of rolls and I was not able to resist it. Japan is famous for sushi and sashimi, so it's a must for you not to miss this.
On the left is the Dessert bar - which I find quite disappointing cause their desserts are just typical and does not even tastes like any Japanese at all. I wish they had more desserts inspired from Japan. They serve the typical ice creams, Filipino pastries and cold dessert like Halo-halo, and some cakes. Yikes. They also have the Pizza and Pasta Section which I find very interesting.
Lastly, the Tempura and Ramen Bar here you can choose different types of ramen such as Tantanmen, Miso Ramen, etc. It's hot and freshly cooked for you. Of course I did not forget my ultimate fave, miso soup!
I forgot that they also have a drinking station which I'm happy about because they have iced green tea, chilled chocolate and coffee drink, even cocktails and alcoholic beverages.
After having a full stomach and endless BUUUUURPS! (Oops!) We took the time to exchange gifts. This is really a perfect place for spontaneous celebrations or dinners with your officemates. I remember we're sitting directly beside another group from another company and they were exchanging gifts too!
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| Strike a Pose! |
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| Happy or Unhappy? |
Overall, I really enjoyed the dinner we had here. I remember having 6 plates back and forth. SULIT!
I just wish they'll offer a wider range of Japanese food which are harder to find and not just serve the typical food which we can be ordered in other Japanese restaurants. I also hope they will improve their dessert bar and drinking station.
Overall rating: 4/5
