Geisha
Bonifacio High Street Central, Global City
Taguig
Tel. No. 0917-569-2181
Open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Up for some posh Japanese dining? Click for more.
(SPOT.ph) Arthur Golden vividly characterized the geisha by their resolute poise and elegance; the famously magnetic charm that's careful, welcoming yet shrouded with a captivating mystery.
That brand of grace is translated in an eponymous restaurant at Bonifacio High Street Central. Geisha is helmed by the same people behind restaurant chain Red Kimono. “We wanted (a name) that was Japanese but still understandable to the market,” relates owner Michael Dargani. Like the Japanese artisans it is named after, Geisha is dripping with class right down to the last detail.
A palette of plum and soft metallic adds a touch of intimacy to the posh setting designed by Japanese designer Hisako Hirayama of Design HQ. Mirrored walls broaden the otherwise narrow space; and on one side, a set of booths is adorned with a row of unassuming gray curtains. Upon closer inspection, however, one will realize that they are made up of fine, lightweight chain mail—an example of the "special little touches" that Dargani proudly speaks of. Tokyo-trained designer Kim Gan also created custom kimonos for the servers.
The same level of sophistication is seen in the menu developed by British Chef Tom Hines and Chef Ramon Antonio. Cooking with only the freshest and best ingredients, Geisha, for instance, uses Kurobuta pork for their Gyoza (P285); Kurobuta is the pork equivalent to Angus beef. The Prawn Sushi (P150-P270), on the other hand, is an exquisite painting of colors, textures, and flavors, while the Tuna Sashimi (P140-P250), a dish literally glowing, served over a bowl of ice, is a feast for the senses.
Another testament to Geisha’s meticulous attention to detail is the Skewered Pork 72 (P370): similar to the local lechon kawali, this dish takes 72 hours to complete. And our problem the US Angus Beef Teppanyaki (P895)? We just can't have enough of the plate of juicy, savory beef. Other standouts include the Butter Wasabi Oysters (P220), Geisha Carpaccio (P295), and the Spider Roll (P330).
For dessert, Geisha offers Tempura Brulee (P150), Chocolate Truffle Torte with Sesame-Sake Sauce (P190), and Green Tea Cheesecake (P165).
Photos by Christian Matias of the Red Kimono Group
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There was nothing to complain about Geisha's food as it was delicious, tasty and impressively presented.
the only gripe about this place is their so called Citibank tasting buffet costing 700 php (supposedly half price already).
The buffet system goes like this - diners have the option to choose 1 main entree, and unlimited other dishes such as ramen, tonkatsu, tempura etc. It is an order as you go affair.
Sounds good right? as one does not have to pile loads of food on their plate like normal buffet and one would get to savor each item rather than gorge everything at once.
the sad news is that subsequent orders take terribly terribly terribly sloooooooooooooow to arrive, and diners have to constantly follow up on their orders. it took more than 30 minutes for any additional order to be served. it's an exasperating wait for nothing.
okay so it was a holiday and the place was full but not overflowing with diners lining up outside to get a seat... it was a poor excuse to say that there were many customers being served. it only shows that they couldn't handle the situation, and if they couldn't handle a buffet situation then they should have not offered it in the first place.
we arrived at 1130 am for lunch and left at 2:30 pm ish because we decided we couldn't handle the slowness of the service any longer - we only had two rounds of food (and to think we only ordered a few dishes per round) and we were still hungry... (plus the fact that if we lingered any longer, our lunch could have stretched out to dinner...seriously).
geisha claims no left overs allowed - so the dilemma to diners face was this - does one order everything on the menu they wish to eat in one go (knowing that you may end up with left overs) or order as you go and suffer the agonizing wait for the food to show up?
my verdict is don't go for the buffet, it is overpriced and definitely not worth the price and hassle and hunger.
ps. it does not help too that the place was dimly lit.. I can't tell whether it was a nightclub or a restaurant.