LOOK: BGC's Famous Kiwami Is Now Open in Alabang

Kiwami Alabang Town Center
G/F Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiwamifoodhall
Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m, Monday to Sunday

(SPOT.ph) One can’t possibly imagine the joy of a Southie seeing the Kiwami board-up at Alabang Town Center. As much as this store’s dishes are to die for, just the thought of going all the way to Bonifacio Global City during one’s free weekend already sounds too exhausting. Luckily, they chose to open in the south of the Metro.

And after months since its sighting, the waiting game is finally over. Kiwami has finally unveiled what's board-up and opened its second store at Alabang Town Center last September 1.

Also read:
SPOTTED: Japanese Hub Kiwami Is Heading to the South
Southies, You Can Score Free Tempura During Kiwami's Opening Day at Town

Here’s a look at Kiwami Alabang Town Center:

What once was a bookstore, art supply store, and coffee shop rolled into one, is now where Kiwami’s new branch stands. Though smaller than the BGC branch with its seating capacity of 186 (versus BGC's 292), it has the same stores as the Kiwami in BGC—Ippudo, Yabu, Hannosuke, Hachibei, and Hokkaido Soft Serve. The new branch even has the same BGC interiors that use a combination of light wood and deep blue accents.

What to order at Kiwami Alabang Town Center:

If you've ever tried Kiwami, then you're probably already familiar with the menu and how to order. For the uninitiated and the first-timers, we have our recommendations on which dishes you should try on your first visit to this Japanese dining establishment.

For Ippudo, we recommend the tongue-tingling limited edition Kuro Ramen. This mildly spicy ramen uses a tonkotsu broth that gets its heat from peppers. The regular version has koyu oil, aji kikurage, negi, bean sprouts, aka miso, and torched pork belly slices, while the special version has additional tamago and nori sheets.

You can never go wrong with any of Yabu's katsu sets—really, any. Pick whichever meat you prefer: Rosu or pork loin (price starts at P335/80 grams), Hire or pork tenderloin (price starts at P350/80 grams), Chicken (price starts at P315/80 grams), Menchi or minced meat (P365), or Tori Menchi or cheese and ham-stuffed breaded chicken (P375). Take note that, unlike a standalone Yabu store, the Yabu inside Kiwami does not have refillable cabbage, soup, rice, or fruits. 

Hachibei is known for its yakitori which are Japanese grilled skewers. If you want a little bit of everything, order the Chef's Choice A (P670) which includes a stick each of the Buta Bara Tare, Uzura Tamago Buta Bara Roll, Tsukune Tare, Tebaski Shio, and Tri Momo Mentaiko. This platter is served with salted fish roe in Japanese mayonnaise.

As for Hannosuke, we highly recommend their Ebi  Tendon Set (P495)—tendon as in tempura donburi. The set includes three pieces of gigantic shrimp, eggplant, and nori coated in crunch, plus an onsen tamago you mix together with the rice. Don't forget to dip the ebi in the tendon sauce, and take bites of the pickled vegetables and slurps of miso soup in between bites as a palate cleanser.

Hokkaido Soft Serve's soft serve is a no-brainer dessert. Even if you don't like wafer cones or ice cream cones in general, the classic Hokkaido Soft Serve in Lengua de Gato Cone (P135) will be a revelation in the sense that you'll want to eat every crumb of it. A less messy route would be to order the soft serve in a cup, which instead makes use of the sweet cookies as toppings.

Speaking as someone who lives in the South, Kiwami 's second store is a combination of the familiar and new. Town's well-loved Yabu branch that receives long queues—especially on weekends—has moved to its new home inside this store, and alongside it, new Japanese food concepts to discover, and hopefully, receive as much love.

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