This Hidden Makati Spot's P1,500 Tasting Menu Features Japanese Flavors Gone Vivid
There's an option to get sake with it, too.
(SPOT.ph) Creativity is part and parcel of the appeal of tasting menus. It's in these multicourse affairs that the lines blur between cuisines and genres, giving the chefs behind them more free reign to bring their own personalities to the table. Under-the-radar Poblacion hangout Kosumosu, for one, is known for steering Japanese fare toward the more modern (even mischievous) direction, and they've recently launched their own Feed Me set menu that marries Japanese flavors, global elements, and in-vogue formats. Doesn't hurt that it's on the fairly wallet-friendly side—and you can get sake to go with it, too.
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Here's the deal on Kosumosu's new tasting menu in Poblacion:
Much like Kosumosu's regular fare, the Feed Me tasting menu (P1,500/head) leans heavily on Japanese ingredients and other elements, but goes hip in interpretation, reworking their overall form and incorporating influences from other cuisines here and there. Think izakaya fare, gone vivid in impact—and the resulting flavors are as vibrant as the neon lights illuminating their space.
Izakaya plates are always better with drinks, and you also have the option to get the sake pairing (P1,450) add-on for three kinds of sake, carefully selected by the folks of wine distributor Philippine Wine Merchants. Do it. Sake, being generally of the sweet-yeasty flavor profile, pairs easily with food—Japanese food in particular. You can also order additional cocktails from Kosumosu's regular menu anytime.
On to the tasting menu. Bread and Butter opens your meal, as it does many meals—except this is no plain-Jane baguette and butter with a Pleasing Personality. Kosumosu brings out their savory dinner rolls, which are pillowy as you'd expect yet subtly umami thanks to the addition of red miso. The butter part of the equation comes by way of two house-made spreads: a deeply savory butter with mushroom duxelle and black garlic, and its sweeter cousin that's tinged with honey and scented with truffle.
Three Amuse bites—"amuse" taking from the term amuse-bouche—follow, each showcasing a distinct personality. Classic apps are given the Kosumosu treatment: Korokke or breaded pork meatballs get a punchy upgrade with black garlic and togarashi in its aioli topping; Deviled Eggs go even more devilish with caramel toyo and chili threads; and Indian, Middle Eastern, and Japanese worlds unite in the crisp-creamy, vegetal-umami Black Garlic Eggplant Babaganoush Pani Puri.
Gekkeikan Traditional Junmai Shy—a relatively light, mineral-driven sake with just enough acidity to stand up to the heat of the korokke and deviled eggs, but also an underlying earthiness that pairs well with the eggplant in the pani puri—keeps these bites company if you get the sake pairing option. It also goes beautifully with the next course: Kosumosu's Miso Apple Salad, where a miso-sesame dressing gives Japanese-style personality to a Waldorf-esque mix of seasonal greens, caramelized apples and walnuts, and smoked kesong puti.
Gnocchi also gets a fun Kosumosu remix. Here, the classic Italian potato dumplings are paired with chicken karaage for a power tandem of chewy and crisp before everything's tossed in a toasty-umami mix of brown butter, hondashi, and aonori. With it comes Dassai Junmai Daiginjo 45; quick primer, daiginjo is considered the highest grade of sake thanks to its high ratio of polished rice. With a 45% rice polishing ratio (i.e., 45% stays unpolished 55% and is polished away), this specific sake delivers a good amount of body and sweetness to match the buttery richness of the gnocchi.
Moving on to the main event: Chicken Teriyaki. Here, the clasically broiled or grilled dish is interpreted as a roulade of smoked, sous-vide cooked poultry that's stuffed with a duxelle of shiitake mushrooms, and served with a soy-dominant teriyaki sauce to match. For its sake partner, Kosumosu brings out the Chiyomusubi Junmai Tokubetsu Junmai 55%. Junmai refers to "pure" sake, or sake where no extra brewer's alcohol is added as it's made—and this bottle from Tottori-based brewery Chiyomusubi is a relatively heavyweight champ with a tropical tinge and dry finish. Sealing the deal for dessert is a remixed Chocolate Mousse—one that goes the savory-sweet direction with the addition of truffle genmaicha ice cream and smoked salt.
Kosumosu admittedly is rather hidden, being in a low-key area in Poblacion that can get rather dark at night—pro tip: look for UNWND Flats, distinct from its boutique hotel counterpart; Kosumosu occupies their first two floors. But there's a distinct charm to stumbling upon great food in unexpected places, and seeing progressive flavors unfold in the process.
Kosumosu is at 5421 General Luna, Poblacion, Makati City. For reservations, contact 0977-026-8010. For more information, check out Kosumosu's Instagram page.
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