Kitsho Japanese Cuisine

Happiness in every bite
By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Traders Hotel Manila (THM) opened its new dining outlet Kitsho, an authentic Japanese restaurant offering traditional dishes with very contemporary twists. This new Japanese stopover, which also features a sake bar, is destined to be the home of Japanese cuisine in Manila's bay area.
“Kitsho is a modern and stylish outlet with authentic traditional Fukuoka fare developed for the Philippine market. We bring to the 21st century the best of Japanese culinary traditions in style,” apprized executive chef Masahiro Mizumoto.
A chip of the old block, Chef Misumoto's father is a sushi chef who owns and operates the Nodasho Japanese restaurant in Pasong Tamo, Makati City. A man of very few words, he'd rather let you taste his dishes than talk about how he prepared them.
Kitsho, which means “happiness” in Nippongo, offers authentic Japanese cuisine with a wide range of sushi, sashimi, tempura, teppanyaki and a whole ot more. Sake lovers will likewise enjoy its cozy bar that features an extensive option of sake selections. The list includes 10 house-special cocktails and 7 so-chu concoctions. Even on lunch hours, their spiked smoothies are tops! Try their Kitsho Sunrise, an invigorating drink with mango, orange juice, so-chu, grenadine syrup and dollops of sake.
“Aside from the giant aquarium at the sushi bar, Kitsho's open, theater-type kitchen is one of the main attractions in the dining area,” shared general manager Gordon Aeria, during an intimate media luncheon.
The dining room, swathed in the perfectly contrasting tones of alabaster and burgundy, highlight contemporary design with booth and lounge seats that can accommodate a maximum of 92 covers.
Discover new heights in Japanese cuisine as executive chef Masahiro Mizumoto prepares signature dishes like Kaibashira Butter Shoyuyaki Uni Sauce, sauteed Japanese scallops with uni sauce; Salmon Tartaryaki, sauteed salmon with tartar sauce; and Kitsuba, a red bean cake.
Must-tries include the sashimi platter, Moriawase, with delectable slices of squid, maguro (tuna), Norwegian salmon, and the mouth-watering shimesaba (marinated mackerel). Even for just the delectable morsels of mackerel, a trip to Kitsho is worth the effort. Not to miss, too, is Chawanmushi, an appetizing steamed egg concoction with bits of seafood. Yummy! And after all the sampling, cap your meal with their locally sourced brown rice tea to settle your tummy.
The four private dens have collapsible walls that easily convert the entire space from an intimate small group to a larger area that's ideal for mid-sized gatherings that can easily seat 20 persons.
“The food is always served fresh. Chef Mizumoto goes to the wet market everyday. One of my favorites is the Mutaka kone, that's pork belly cooked for 6-8 hours, marinated and then cooked again for another 3-4 hours. It's sumptuous! Dishes are great and prized just right. It's true value for your money,” GM Aeria added.
Kitsho is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesdays through Sundays and dinnertime on Mondays. For inquiries and advance reservations, simply call 523-7011 extensions 2912 and 2913.
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 72 hotels under the Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders labels, with a room inventory of over 30,000. Traders Hotels are designed to satisfy the needs of the fast growing mid-market travel segment by offering a wide range of facilities, and efficient, practical and friendly hospitality, at competitive prices.
“Kitsho was`designed to meet today's contemporary standards by delivering a very good product. Preparations started Easter of last year 'til mid-September this year. Details have been fine-tuned to better cater to the market needs. It will raise the ante of Japanese dining in the Manila Bay area further, in keeping with the standards that Traders has been known for,” intoned GM Aeria at the end of our colloquy.
Traders Hotels are located in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Changzhou, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Male, Penang, Shenyang, Singapore, Yangon and Manila; with scheduled openings in Chennai and Iskandar. The group has a substantial development scheme in the pipeline with upcoming projects in Canada, mainland China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. For more information, simply access their Web site at www.tradershotels.com.