Isogi in San Antonio Plaza, Makati

Isogi in San Antonio Plaza is a new restaurant I caught a glimpse of as I was going home after my weekly basketball game. It is sandwiched between Purple Oven and Kashmir in the rear area of the complex. The Japanese sounding name already got me curious but what sealed the craving was a post by Jin of Jin Loves to Eat. Irene and I dropped by on a Saturday night, thinking it was safer than a Sunday lunch because of the church goers. We could not find any parking at 6:45 so went to do a little grocery and came back 30 minutes later to a filled restaurant. We were seated at an outside table with the option of transferring inside.

Isogi has a compact menu placed on a clipboard, with lots of new and interesting stuff I wanted to try. I ordered a Pechay Mustard Sesame Salad (P150), beautifully presented in primary hues. Chopped greens, cherry tomatoes, crushed candied walnuts and julienned dried mangoes served with a mustard sesame dressing on the side. Mix it all together for a sweet and tangy starter. I finished the whole serving since it was not Irene’s type.

We also got a Rainbow Roll (P350). Another dish that was a feast for the senses. Sushi rolls topped with different sashimi. We shared equally, the ones with salmon going to me while Irene finished off the ones with tuna.

We also got an appetizer that sounded really interesting, Prawns and Scallop Dynamite (P260). This was a small serving but had a really tasty mayo like sauce. The sauce was so addictive, showing just a hint of spiciness, that Irene dumped here plain rice to roll up the sauce.

For the main course, I got a Isogi Umami Wagyu Burger (P390). It was served with shoe string potatoes, sweet potato fries and a piece of corn tempura with a side of truffle ketchup.

 The patty was medium sized with a nice soft bun. It was seasoned on the sweet side, perfect for my taste buds, with a dollop of mayo on top. Nicely presented with loads of umami flavor.

The Corn Tempura was sweet and crisp. I would have ordered extra (P40 for 3 pcs.) if I still had room in my tummy.

Irene had a Isogi Buta Kakuni and Grilled Tofu Bento (P350). This came with vegetables, plain rice, miso soup and chawanmushi. The buta kakuni was fatty, tender and oh so nice. The grilled tofu on the other had was too charred leaving bitter tastes in almost every bite. The saving grace was the assorted mushrooms and vegetables cooked in a tangy broth, underneath the tofu. The miso soup was run of the mill, while the chawanmushi although lacking in toppings was jiggly good.

I ordered way too much food for the two of us but we miraculously had no leftovers saved for a few pieces of shoestring potatoes. The place is small so either make a reservation or go there early. I also found out that Isogi is from the same owners of Kai, a modern Japanese restaurant in Greenbelt that I have not visited in many years.

The serving at Isogi are pretty small but they are quality stuff. Irene and I were already talking of going back and ordering one prawn and scallop dynamite each and sharing a cup of rice and we’d already be super happy.

Isogi

G/F San Antonio Plaza (bet. Purple Oven and Kashmir)

50 Mckinley Road cor. Palm Drive,

Forbes Park, Makati City

Telephone No.: 0917-892 1332

 

Operating Hours:

Sunday to Thursday – 11am-10pm

Fridays & Saturdays – 11am-2am

Isogi on Facebook

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