Kiwami reopens with new concepts

KIWAMI: JAPANESE MASTER Kitchens in Alabang Town Center (ATC) is back after a touch-up and expansion.

The renovation has transformed the food hall’s interiors into those of a traditional Japanese house, complete with an autumnal tree by the entrance, wooden frames and furniture, and warmly lit lanterns. Most importantly, they’ve added concepts that are new to the Alabang branch of Kiwami — contemporary sushi handrolls by Koyo and meals for sharing called Hibachi Large Plates.

“This is a culmination of all our learnings from customers the last three years. We realized there were gaps in our menu. We didn’t have sushi and we didn’t have large plates,” said Nicole Concepcion, product manager for The Standard Hospitality Group (SHG), which brings in Japanese specialties to the Philippines.

“People want the ambiance. They want to dine together as a family and share dishes. That’s why we created Koyo, the perfect appetizer, and Hibachi, providing meals for sharing,” Ms. Concepcion explained.

The Koyo sushi handroll concept was developed by New York-based chef Mark Manaloto. At the reopening of Kiwami ATC on April 21, we got to try two newly developed handheld roll flavors. The unagi tamago (eel with egg) wrap was noticeably fresh and mildly sweet in flavor, winning over those of us who weren’t usually unagi fans. As with all good sushi, the nori seaweed had a crisp and firm texture.

The new chirashi handheld roll is a play on the Japanese-style rice bowl, with raw fish and vegetables scattered on top. Koyo’s take on it contains bits of salmon, tuna, snapper, tamago, salmon roe, and shrimp, with the nori sheet encrusted with sesame seeds. It’s full of color, flavor, and love for seafood, grounded by a delicious kimizu (egg and rice vinegar) sauce.

“I get exposed to things in New York, the mecca of food in the US, then I develop my own stuff and bring it here,” said Mr. Manaloto, on how he comes up with new flavors. “Sometimes it’s a little too advanced, so we [at SHG] collaborate to kinda meet in the middle with the Filipino market, to capture the Filipino palate.”

He added that Koyo sources fish both from Japan and from within the Philippines so that the price range is not too expensive. However, his dream is “to bring New York fishermen’s sustainable methods of processing fish, which they learned from Japan, to the Philippines.”

As for Koyo’s sushi flavors, Mr. Manaloto teased that more items will be introduced at Kiwami’s opening in Mall of Asia (MOA) later this year. “There’s constant development. We’ll have new stuff by the time Kiwami MOA opens.”

The April 21 reopening in ATC also saw a launch of Hibachi Large Plates, this time a partnership between SHG and Sydney-based chefs Max Smith and Douglas Barker. The grilled meat options, ideal for enjoying with friends and family, include charcoal chicken, pork chop, blue marlin, and kampachi (longfin yellowtail).

What was new on the sharing menu was the hanger steak. The medium-well beef slab was an instant hit for the tables that ordered it, the black garlic miso sauce topped with ginger vinaigrette-soaked leeks naturally complementing the Japanese white rice. The protein itself was cooked to perfection.

The concept of Kiwami is to bring various Japanese kitchens, each with its own specialty dish, under one roof. Aside from Koyo and Hibachi, the other offerings are Yabu, known for katsu; Ippudo, serving ramen; Hannosuke, experts at tempura; and Hokkaido Soft Cream, providing soft-serve ice cream for dessert.

On what makes it different from the basic food hall, Ms. Concepcion said, “We try to give customers the best dining experience possible. You can order anything but you don’t have to line up at each kitchen separately like at a food hall. You can sit down and order.”

“It actually all started because my dad was obsessed with this idea of having all the best of Japanese cuisine in one place,” she said. Her father, John Concepcion, known for being the longtime managing director of the Selecta ice cream brand, now leads SHG as its chief executive officer.

“For me, what makes Kiwami so amazing is that it shows our dedication to quality and consistency,” said Ms. Concepcion.

She added that this dedication will continue with the opening of the MOA branch by the middle of 2025. “You can expect another really beautiful space there,” she said.

For now, Kiwami: Japanese Master Kitchens has two branches, in Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City, and in Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig City. — Brontë H. Lacsamana