Kenshin Japanese Izakaya in Starmall Las Piñas
Starmall Las Piñas is starting to show glimmer of hope when it comes to its restaurant lineup. Before, fast food was the only option, so if you plan to have finer dining experience, you have to go elsewhere. However, that is slowly changing -- beginning with the rise of Friday's followed by Kenshin Japanese Izakaya.
The first time I visited this restaurant, I wasn't able to bring my camera. Since we enjoyed our experience, we decided to do a repeat some weeks after.
Japanese Izakaya para masaya
Kenshin has a comfortable ambiance that is made interesting with several Japanese elements. The modernization in the design may have lessened the authenticity of the Japanese vibe, but you'll still feel it when you immerse yourself with the surrounding.
The Izakaya food choices
Given that Kenshin is an Izakaya, you can expect to have a wide array of drinks and dishes that go well with those drinks. The menu is also buffed up with your typical favorites such as ramen, sushi, sashimi, doburi and etc. Hence, with this wide food choices, Kenshin is a versatile venue great for family occasions, friendly catch ups and even casual dates.
The French Fries Curry (P149) was something quite familiar with a little variation coming from the powder flavoring. It may be expensive for the lukewarm experience.
The Big Mug Green Tea (P259) was a little different from the last time we had it as the matcha was distractingly more potent. Still, if you are a matcha lover, you will appreciate this drink!
The Salmon Sashimi (P249) was considerably fresh but may have lacked the zest I was looking for, but it still passed my personal standard.
The Tamago Yaki (P109) was a cause of disappointment because of the inconsistency with the taste. The first time we had this -- we were blown away with the great balance in taste, but for this, it was rather salty and a lackluster.
The Beef Teppanyaki (P219) was an eye candy with the diversity in colors, it was also rightly seasoned with its savory sauce. Goes well with a gohan (plain rice) to further balance the taste.
The Mt. Fuji Chahan (P229) was perhaps the dish that I enjoyed the most in this recent dining experience. I just loved how there was an influx of harmonized meaty flavors (i.e. pork + seafood) in each spoonful.
Kenshin Japanese Izakaya - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★★
Taste ★★★☆
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★☆
Budget: at least P350 each for a moderate sharing type of dining experience for a group of at least 4
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 2 || Date of last visit - August 5, 2017
Kenshin definitely adds great variety to the food choices in Starmall. Notably, there is a great room of improvement when it comes to being consistent with the quality of the dishes, since we enjoyed our first visit more than this one. Although such is the case, we were still convinced of the potential of Kenshin. I guess the warmth in service did the trick as well.
Kenshin Japanese Izakaya
Location: Ground Floor, Starmall Las Piñas, CV Starr Ave. Pamplona
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
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