Who: The Head Chef is Kimito Katagiri, the former chef of Inagiku, Ginza, Midas Hotel among others. Restaurant 0wned by the Astoria Hotels group

What: Japanese Restaurant with both classic and modern fusion dishes

When: Open for Lunch 11am to 2:30 pm and Dinner 6 pm to 10:30 pm

Where: Ground floor of Astoria Plaza, J. Escriva Drive Pasig City. Parking slots available in front and some at the hotel basement as well. Website is minamisaki.com

How: Service is solid. Waiters are attentive and they can give a few recommendations from the menu.

Most interesting dishes I liked:

Scallops with Tamago Sauce

Scallops were nicely cooked which I must say is not as easy as people think (think Hell’s Kitchen). I love the egg sauce. Chef says it’s reminiscent of a loose mayonnaise with no vinegar. It’s definitely a decadent dish good for sharing.

Papaya Kaki (Oyseters baked on a half papaya)

I like the combination of papaya and scallops, but this time with oysters, it’s pretty nice too. It’s baked with a creamy sauce and then gratinated so it’s also a pretty rich dish.

Secret Menu Alert!

Kushiyaki with Mushrooms

Thinly-sliced beef rolls stuffed with sauteed mushrooms. The beef is seared nicely and the mushrooms were nicely cooked as well. The onion sauce that is served with this a favorite of mine but it is a bit salty if you’re not used to salty tastes.

Why: Both the food and the service are pretty good. Their fusion dishes are interesting, very rich flavored, and there are plenty of classics for those that don’t really like fusion. It’s one of the few restaurants that serve Akagai (Arc shell clam) Sashimi too, so that is a plus factor for me. I like it here and I will be back.

Deets: I visited the place 2 times, once anonymously (which I paid for) and the second time by the restaurant’s invitation (which was courtesy of the restaurant).