First-Ever Maisen Bar Opens At Shangri-La At The Fort Bring On The Katsus And Kampais

An ice-cold Suntory Premium beer on a hot night is as delicious as Lee Ritenour’s guitar intro in Dolphin Dreams, frothing up out of the silence. But sometimes you need something edgier: a riff of vodka or Suntory whisky, perhaps, with a passing note of lime or ginger. Basically a kiss of good spirits.

At the recent opening of Maisen Bar at Shangri-La at The Fort in Bonifacio Global City (the only Maisen in the world to have its own bar and restaurant), the night belonged to a drink called the Original Moscow Mule. But the ginger-infused vodka with ginger ale and lime was just the welcome drink, an intro. What followed would be a symphony of Gin Sonics, Saketinis (a twist to the classic Martini) and Japanese Kakuhais — all Maisen signature cocktails. But there were more concoctions coming out of the bar piloted by guest mixologist Oda Takao, the owner and bartender of Bar Oda in Osaka, Japan.

First to be quaffed was Iemon (pronounced “Yemon”), which is composed of Suntory Kakubin, Hermes Green Tea and fresh lemon juice. A designer cocktail for the ages, I must say. Glasses of Kankitsu were sent next by Oda. It is a mixture of Suntory Kakubin, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice. My girlfriend Avee’s favorite is the Suika, a medley of vodka, fresh watermelon, watermelon liqueur and watermelon syrup — the most sweet and summery among Oda’s cocktails that evening.

And those Oda Takao creations went so well with whatever’s simmering at the Maisen kitchen. Just like the sticks of kushi katsus (with a selection of meat, seafood and veggies) that are perfect for bar chow and conversations about how Netflix’s Iron Fist series was not at all a doomed endeavor.

When Suyen Corporation brought Maisen to Manila under its Katsucuisine Inc. division in 2015, foodies were able to sample what is touted as the perfect katsu. “Soft tonkatsu you can cut with chopsticks,” so goes the slogan.

Maisen — founded by a housewife, Chiyoko Koide, in the ’60s — is one of the best tonkatsu houses in Japan. The first Maisen was put up in Hibiya in 1965; more restaurants and kiosks followed.

Dig this: in the ’60s, the Japanese generally didn’t eat meat (just fish and vegetables), pork and beef were expensive, and tonkatsu was considered a dish for special occasions. Koide was one of the persons who popularized tonkatsu in the mid-’60s as the Japanese economy started booming.

A couple of years back, we were fortunate enough to visit Maisen’s flagship store in Aoyama, Japan, to taste different types of pork: Amaiyuuwaku (Sweet Temptation), Okita Kurobuta (black pork) and Chamiton (from tea leaf-fed pig), paired with three different sauces: Amakuch sauce (sweet), Karakuch sauce (tangy) and Kurobuta sauce (a bevy of flavors that goes well with the denser black pork).

In the Philippines, what are always being ordered are the Kurobuta Tenderloin Katsu Set (its signature golden panko breadcrumbs enhance the flavor of the meat) as well as the Katsumabushi Set featuring bite-size tenderloin katsu chops, ideal for quaffing down with a tall glass straight from the bar of Master Oda. 

At Maisen, drink some more, we must.

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Maisen Bar is at Shangri-La at The Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City.