Being an absolute fan of anything Japanese, I've been wanting to check out Kozui Green Tea, situated in Tomas Morato, for a very long time. I finally had the chance just last weekend and it was definitely well-worth the trip.
Kozui Green Tea is actually a quaint Japanese cafe and I love the interior of the store! It just really shouts out and captures the characteristics of the modern Japanese culture. When I entered the store, the whole left side of the wall was covered with shades of green, bamboo, and Japanese characters. The chairs and tables were arranged in such a way that friends and family can just sit back, relax, and chat with one another for hours on end. On the 1st and 2nd floor, they even have this couch that just makes you want to stay for as long as possible, just enjoying a nice cup of green tea latte. Everything about the interior of the cafe was just so appealing and charming to me.
The left side of the wall and view from the 2nd floor (looking down)
Do not expect the usual sushi, sashimi and teriyaki kind of menu. Their entrees are unique and different, nothing like what most Japanese restaurants have to offer. Like the name suggests, their menu specializes in the concept of "green tea." They have various kinds of drinks from the usual green tea latte to green tea blended ice drinks. I really wanted to order one of their drinks but I was there for lunch that day and I wanted to make room for food and dessert.
Just one glance at their menu, and I knew what I wanted.
I ordered one of their signature dishes, the
Takoyaki PHP98.00 It's a common street food in Japan and I was ecstatic to see it on their menu cuz it reminded me of my last trip to Japan. Ever since I came back from that trip, I've been trying to find a restaurant that offers Takoyaki but to no avail until now. It just brought back so many memories and I couldn't help but reminisce. To my enjoyment, their Takoyaki was pretty good. It was stuffed with squid and leeks and topped with nori seaweed, Japanese mayo, and bonito flakes just like the vendors in Japan.
I also ordered the
Korokke Mix PHP98.00
. It's deep-fried potato balls with creamed spinach.
Syoti was with me so I was required to order
Tempura, which is his absolute, most favorite dish.
For dessert, I ordered the
Green Tea Anmitsu PHP148.00. It's a combination of shaved ice topped with green tea jelly, chewy dango balls, choice of fruit, sweet azuki bean, taro jam, and choice of ice cream ( green tea, vanilla, strawberry, mango). Tastewise, I enjoyed the dessert immensely, not too sweet with textures of all sorts. My kids, on the other hand, disagreed with me. I should have known better than to order the green tea flavor since it's not the usual kind of dessert that kids expect but they did like the chewy dango balls and the taro jam. Next time, I'll order the Strawberry Anmitsu so that the kids can enjoy it too.
There were so many other things that I wanted to order on their menu like their Chicken Karagge Salad and Wrap. Their cold soba salad also looked really appetizing and just thinking about it makes me drool. I also want to try their drinks. There's just too many entrees that I want to try so Kozui will definitely be seeing me again =)
