BANZAI! Either a war cry or a cheer, it
didn’t matter anymore. All at once, did both as I was excited to try this with
my game-face on.
Banzai: The Great Teppankayi Theater evokes the feeling
of being in the Land of the Rising Sun. Japanese lanterns, dancing geishas,
samurai warriors roaming, sumo wrestlers in photos, Japanese greetings by the
staff, it was a perfect setting.
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| Lights on for Banzai |
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| What they offer |
The cream of the crop, of course, was
the authentic buffet. Everything Japanese was in Banzai!
Interestingly, the 1,200 m2
area was sub-divided into several dining areas with different themes:
- Dotonbori
Area
- Castle
Area
- Old
Japan Area
- Nautilus
Area
- Sumo Arena
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| Japanese lanterns above |
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| Japanese art |
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| As seen in chairs, too |
Not surprisingly, my friends and I
were assigned in the Sumo Arena. And just like a sumo, I can just say in jest, “Bring
it on!”
The great teppanyaki theater has the
ff stations (the major and minor ones):
- Tempura
and Tonkatsu Station
- Yakitori
and Grill Station
- Gohan,
Noodles and Ramen station
- Takoyaki
and Kaniyaki station
- Pizza
Station
- Roast
Station
- Anti-
pasti station
- Hot
station
- Mongolian
BBQ station
- Sushi,
Sashimi and Rolls station
- Teppanyaki
Station
- Beverage
station
- Dessert
station
- Salad
station
As my general rule every buffet, I
start with salad. They have several greens, toppings and dressings to choose
from. Their mango dressing was good. If it was cold enough, I could’ve mistaken
it for my favorite mango shake.
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| Salad station |
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| Salad dressings |
Then went for hot with ramen. Lately, there’s a thing with me
and tonkotsu so I chose this as the base. Well, it didn’t taste like the top
ramen raves but the toppings was worthy to mention (it has Naruto)!
The chasu serving was thick, too.
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| Ramen station |
In the pizza station, I tried Chicken
Teriyaki. First time here and it’s good. I love the added mango cubes. Crust was
soft and chewy, too. Paired it with their kanikayi (crab meat inside) which was
yummy I came back for another. I like it better than the bacon okonomikayki.
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| Pizza Station |
Their tempura and tonkatsu
were okay. Better with the sauces, actually as the tonkatsu was oily. The
teppanyakis that I tried were flavorful especially the beef misono. But what can get wrong with a misono, anyway?
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| Tonkatsu |
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| Teppanyaki station |
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| Roast station |
I also love their gyoza. More veggies, more fun.
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| Gyoza |
Hands up to Wagyu Roast Beef in rare, plus its sauce.
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| Wagyu Beef |
For their desserts, cakes were so-so
but I enjoyed their mango crepe. Topped it with Nestle ice cream in strawberry,
vanilla and mango flavors for a sweeter effect. They also had snow cones where
flavors can be chosen and mixed, fruit salads and DIY halo-halo. Went back here
several times. Favorite station. I just hope that soon they’d have Japanese
desserts, too.
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| Crepe with Nestle ice creams |
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| Wood cake? |
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| This one is good |
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| Fruit salad |
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| Halo halo DIY |
What I wasn’t able to try were the
Filipino dishes, some yakitori in skewers and any sushi.
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| Sushi station |
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| Mongolian BBQ station |
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Pasta station
|
Banzai has an entertainment value,
too. Apart from the play of the geisha and samurai warriors along the ‘theater’,
I had fun watching the chefs skillfully displaying the art of throwing knifes
and etc.
.JPG)
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| Chefs' part in the entertainment |
Then after there are went aflame for a few seconds. It’s an added
fanfare together with the art gallery where Japanese’s love for the arts was
showcased.
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| Art gallery |
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| Costumes available :) |
It’s almost as expensive as Vikings:The Luxury Buffet where the food variety’s great. But what I think the
strengths of Banzai were:
- Focused
theme. Again, I would’ve loved it better if the desserts were Japanese, too.
Mochi ice cream, please.
- The
ramen station! I didn’t expect it.
- Some
foods cooked on the spot. Hot!
- The showcase
of Japanese artistry.
Overall, it was a great experience. I
truly felt that I was in Japan. And hopefully, so.
Banzai Rates:
- P699
for Monday to Friday lunch
- P899
for Monday to Friday dinner
- P1,088
for Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.
Rating: 4.0
Banzai is located at:
Building J, SM by the Bay,
Seaside Blvd., MOA,
Pasay City
Banzai is located at:
Building J, SM by the Bay,
Seaside Blvd., MOA,
Pasay City
