Although the Japanese restaurant Magosaburo is known for their hedonistic (in the nicest way possible!) degustations and extravagant lava stone steak dinners, the restaurant also has filling lunch sets that not everyone is aware of. The ideal place to enjoy long, lazy lunches or executive business meals, Magosaburo's lunches aim to impress and fill you up without having to break the bank.
Sit down to a ladies lunch with the girls, treat your family out before heading out to do some shopping, or hold a business meeting on the third floor while sitting down to a big meal. The interiors at Magosaburo are clean, using lots of stone and natural wood that's gives the place a nice zen feel. That, plus the comfort of knowing their wine dispenser is just a few steps away really makes me feel super zen!
Each lunch set comes with a small salad of greens, a broccoli sprout, and a fresh tomato-based dressing; small appetizers like a tuna salad, a carpaccio dish with bean sprouts, and a cream cheese tofu dish; chawanmushi, which is a savory egg custard; a meat and potato stew; kimchi and two other forms of banchan; as well as a bowl of steamed rice and miso soup.
This is what the Hamburger Steak Lunch Set (P620) looks like in all it's glory! To be honest, this can probably be split between two people. I was curious about why the Japanese have a thing for just eating the hamburger patties, and now I know why. The hamburger was a bit sweet, but left me quite full after only a few bites. I think the salad itself already filled me up. I didn't even touch the rice.
Swap out the hamburger in the middle for this and you have the Tempura Lunch Set (P480). The assorted tempura is comprised of vegetables, prawns, and fish, dipped into a cold batter and fried 'til light yellow. I picked at the prawns and the Shiitake mushroom cap, dipping them into the light dashi sauce before popping them into my gob, one by one.
Another lunch set that comes with all the trimmings is the Tomato Sukiyaki Lunch Set (P720). The thinly sliced beef is the star of the show, surrounded by cabbage and fresh tomato slices. After the sukiyaki is cooked through, dip the thin beef slices into the whisked frothy egg that comes with it for a creamy sukiyaki experience.
I will probably come back to Magosaburo for their Yakiniku Lunch Set (P720). The assorted yakiniku that comes with it consists of a Wagyu Chuck Roll, Wagyu Hanging Tender, and Kurobuta Loin. This is all served with the restaurant's special dipping sauces of steak sauce, a soy sauce foam, and Himalayan mountain salt.
The yakiniku is cooked on special lava stone plates that were made with a specific thickness that makes it perfect for grilling premium meats at low heat. The servers at Magosaburo are so anal about getting the temperature just right that they use an infrared scanner to monitor the temperature to stay at a constant 180 Celsius. Toasty.
This is probably the first time I've seen pork kurobuta that isn't covered in panko and deep-fried. The meat is lean, white, with just enough bite to distinguish it for being porcine in origin. This went nicely with the dipping sauces, with the soy sauce foam melting on top of the hot kurobuta slice and the Himalayan mountain salt bringing out the flavor nicely.
The outside skirt was so good, I didn't get to take a picture of it before it disappeared into my tummy. I did manage to rustle up a little bit of self restraint long enough to take a picture of the Chuck Roll, though. This was phenomenal, with just the right balance of tender beef and fat.
To wind things down, get the Lunch Dessert Platter (P380) that consists of three random desserts, depending on what they have fresh that day. Luckily, I got to try six! We had an Earl Grey Crème Brûlée, which was my favorite dessert; a Rare Cheese Tart, that I promptly forgot as the other options just tasted better; a Japanese Cheese Cake that was okay, but also forgettable; Flourless Chocolate Cake, which was dense and gooey, and delicious with a strawberry on top for additional flavor; Coconut Blancmange, that was creamy and nutty; and a sour and tart Fresh Grapefruit Jelly.
Magosaburo proves to be very flexible with their price points, and have sets that cater to those who plan to impress as well as for those who want to enjoy a hearty meal on a budget. Instead of heading to your go-to fast food joint, treat yourself to a glass of wine and one of their lunch sets.
When mucking around BGC and looking for a place to enjoy a healthy, delicious, classy lunch, head on over to Magosaburo. I probably won't be far behind!
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Magosaburo
+63 2 856 1808
Fort Pointe Bldg, 28th St
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Open Daily: 11am - 10pm
