Banzai The Great Teppanyaki Theater: My Authentic Japanese Buffet Experience (Updated)
Last Monday, I was invited to try the dishes at the Banzai The Great Teppanyaki Theater in San Miguel by the Bay at SM Mall of Asia. It's between Buffet 101 and The Eye of MOA. Unlike other buffets, this is specialized with Japanese cuisine. It also has a the Great Teppanyaki Theater.
Upon entry, I was immediately impressed with it's creative Japanese interiors. The wooden tables with matching well-designed wooden chairs gave a warm and cozy feel. The dinning areas had different themes. This side had a Tokyo City lights on its wall. It will probably be lively at night.
These area looks like a sumo ring. The portion on the far end is the modern Japanese area.
Trick Art Gallery
My friends: Pretty Japanese doll Hana and golden boy Justin
For those who are waiting in line or finished dining, you can entertain yourselves with their Trick Art Gallery. They have a lot of costumes like Kimonos, Ninja Suits, Sumo Suits and Sumo Wigs available. My friends and I had a lot of fun matching out costumes with their bicycle props and wall paintings.
The Great Teppanyaki Show
Another plus for Banzaiis that they have long lunch and dinner hours. The lunch time is from 10 am to 3 pm and the dinner time is from 5 pm to 10 pm. And, every 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, there is the Great Teppanyaki Show! Check my videos to see some of their performance. But of course, watching it live is better. =)
Update (April 30, 2014): The family dined here and we were told that the official grand opening is on May 14, 2014. This middle section for the Teppanyaki Theatre will be filled with more dishes.
Food I dedicate this tour to my friend Con, who is more foodie than I am and has been more than eager to see what's in store before he visits it next week. Teppanyaki Station
I'll start with the Teppanyaki Station which is the highlight ofBanzai.
As you can see, they use fresh ingredients and authentic Japanese sauces. When you order, they will give you a number and they will deliver it on your table. The only problem with this system is that it's difficult for the waiters to see which of the many tables has the number with no number holders...
The Teppanyaki Station is divided into different sections serving various dishes such as: Meat (Beef Misono,Beef Teppan,Chicken Teppan),Okonomiyaki (Bacon Okomiyakiand Squid Okonomiyaki), Noodles, Rice and Vegetables (Yakisoba,Yakiudon,Vegetables,Yasai Itameand Fried Rice)and Seafood (Ebi Teppan,Salmon Teppan,Dory Teppan,Tuna Teppan, Oysters andIka Teppan)
Seafood Teppanyaki Station
You can check the freshness because their showcased on ice.
♥ Ebi Teppan and ♥ Salmon Teppan
♥ Oyster and ♥ Ika Teppan
The Ebi,Salmon, Oyster and Ika Teppan were delicious as expected from their expert chefs who made use of the freshest ingredients. The Ika was soft and tender! Be careful in ordering too much though. This plate is only one order of each but look at how many they are!
Okonomiyaki Station
Squid Okonomiyaki
I tried both the Bacon and Squid Okonomiyaki which looked exactly the same. Since I couldn't taste the bacon flavor in the former, I prefer the classic Squid Okonomiyaki.
Noodles, Rice and Vegetables
Yasai Itame
The Yasai Itame is really crunchy and bursting with sweet natural flavors.
Fried Rice
Beyond Teppanyaki
Yes, they have more than teppanyaki to offer.
Salad Station
Spicy Tuna Salad, Cold Beansprout Salad with Sesame, Seaweed Salad, Japanese Potato Salad and Chicken Teriyaki Salad
They have a lot of Japanese salad varieties! Everything looked good! I would recommend smaller cuts on the Japanese Potato Salad though. I wanted to try it but the potatoes are as big as ice cubes and eggs were sliced only in halves.
Big Salad Station
They have an even wider selection for their Big Salad Station which is their version of the classic make-your-own salad bar. The toppings (all properly labelled) are: carrots, white onions, leeks, fried wanton wrapper, peanut, mango, orange, sweet corn, mixed goma (black and plain sesame), radish, lettuce and more. The Japanese dressings available are: Akira Kyuru Dressing, Spicy Mayo Dressing, Miso Dressing and Sesame Dressing. Japanese Caesar Salad StationNext to the Big Salad Station is the Japanese Caesar Salad Station with bacon, croutons, crunchy kani, parmesan cheese, lettuce and caesar dressing. Roll Station
I like their system of limiting their rolls in display because they have chefs on standby for restocking anyway. This assures the freshness of their rolls. But, some labels on these would be more helpful.
The Beef Yakitori and Chicken Teriyaki is a must try! But, better find someone to share the
Chicken Teriyaki because look at how big it was! Ramen Station
If only I wasn't stuffed to the limit, I'd try their ramen. My friends kept on raving about it. They have almost all basic types of ramen:Shoyu Ramen,Miso Ramen, Tonkatsu Ramen, Chasyu Ramen and Tantanmen.
For the Tempura, Katsudon, Yakitori and Ramen, you can order freshly cooked ones and they will give you a buzzer so you'll know when it's ready to be claimed. Gyoza Station
Pork Gyoza, Vegetable Gyoza and♥ Chicken Gyoza
Chicken Teriyaki Pizza, Japanese Hawaiian Pizza and ♥ Shrimp and Enoki Pizza
I was really impressed with their Pork Gyoza, Vegetable GyozaandChicken Gyoza. It's at par with those offered ala carte in other authentic Japanese restaurants and probably the best gyoza ever offered in buffets. The crunchy thin crust Shrimp and Enoki Pizza is also a gastronomic delight! Miso Soup and Gohan Station
They also have Miso Soup and Gohan (rice). I skipped this for more interesting options.
Takoyaki and Kaniyaki Station
♥ Takoyaki and Kaniyaki
As a fan of Takoyaki, I'm quite pleased that they offered it. What a fun idea! We tried both Takoyaki and Kaniyaki. It's my first time to try the Kaniyakiso it's a cool experience but my heart still belongs to the classic Takoyaki. Dessert Station
For desserts, they have a lot of cakes and fresh fruits to offer. Aside from this cakes, they have two chillers and six trays full of them. I'm told that they have their own pastry chef. I would appreciate it if they have labels on the cakes though. It's quite bothersome to ask the staffs what each was. They are not even familiar with everything too.
My first dessert plate
My top picks are the♥ Matcha Mousse and ♥ White Matcha Opera Cake. I also picked a candy from their artificial cherry blossom tree display. (The kind waitress tipped me =D)
My second dessert plate: Dessert Maki, Creme Brulee, Strawberry Mousse and Fresh Fruits
The Dessert Maki which is sugar-coated with peach, cherry and pear filling is an innovative idea. The Strawberry Mousse was way too sweet for my taste. The Creme Brulee is one of the crowd favorites. But, I prefer the Matcha Mousse more. To compensate my guilty pleasures, I had a bowl of Fresh Fruits too.
Green Apple Snow Cone
I was giddy over their snow cone! I haven't had one in quite some time. It's so perfect for the summer. They had lots of flavors: Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Orange, Blue Raspberry and Green Apple. Seeing that the Green Apple Snow Cone was almost empty, I chose that. =)) I hope they add Matcha with Red Bean as toppings though. It seems to fit their Japanese theme.
Beverage Station
The Japanese wines are only for display. =p But, they do have unlimited Local Beer! The also have unlimited Red Iced Tea, Iced Tea, Blue Lemonaide and Milo.
I had the ♥ Milo and Blue Lemonaide. I actually thought that the Milo was the Milo Freeze because it was in the Nescafe Freeze dispenser but it wasn't... Nevertheless, the Milo was delicious! The Blue Lemonaide was loved by my companions but too sweet for me.
They also had a Nescafe Alegria machine which serve: Caramel Machiatto, Cappucino,Mocha,lack Coffee andHot Milo.
I chose Iced Mocha but it came out hot so I guess only hot drinks are available. Not a problem though because you can get some ice for it.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict Banzai The Great Teppanyaki Theater offers a one of a kind authentic Japanese buffet experience. The food quality and variety is top-notch! Most stations are interactive and equipped with expert chefs. The staffs are courteous and attentive. Almost all my favorite Japanese dishes are there except for chawan mushi and saba shioyaki. Plus, the Trick Art Gallery and the Great Teppanyaki Show is sure to add some fun. What I tried is only their ordinary buffet, i can't wait to check out what their Premium Buffet is like.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating
Banzai Buffet Pricelist (NET)
Ambiance
★★★★★
Mon-Fri (Lunch): 699 php Mon-Fri (Dinner): 899 php Sat-Sun/Holidays (Lunch/Dinner): 1088 php Buffet for kids: Children below 4.5ft : 499 php Children below 3.5ft – FREE Left over price - 1288 php
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