A Zen-timental journey

The love affair between the Cuenca family, Japan and things Japanese go back a long way. When patriarch Rudy Cuenca put up his construction business, it was with Japanese partners, and he cemented this relationship by constantly bringing the whole family to Japan for extended periods. The Tempura-Misono Restaurant that was housed in the building we now know as the Hyatt Regency Manila was their first venture into Japanese-inspired eateries. Furusato, that beacon of fine Japanese dining from the 1970s to the present, followed.

In 1994, it was the second generation of Cuencas that were putting something novel onto our culinary landscape. Zen opened at the Glorietta. Its success and the concept of bento boxes paved the way for bringing Japanese cuisine to the mainstream. A much broader audience was now being given the chance to sample authentic Nippon dishes at prices that, at the time, were unheard of. Spearheaded by Mary Ann Cuenca Tinio and Pol Cuenca, Zen still stands proudly as the original, the one that took that all-important first step, and made Japanese dining more affordable without sacrificing quality. Several have followed in their footsteps, finding ways to bring prices even lower (and sometimes even quality), or churning out their fare in fast-food fashion. However, if it’s ambience and genuine atmosphere you’re after, Zen still can’t be beat.

While the interiors (they were the first to incorporate bamboo ceilings), the kitchen layout and the musical touches all bespeak authenticity and Zen-like influences, there is nothing Zen-like about the two Zen principals. Pol’s classic strong silent approach may be more Toshiro Mifune, and Mary Ann is pure animé! Colorful, brash and yet all business, Mary Ann handles the operations side of Zen and their latest venture, ShinKaZen, their food court concept that’s housed at Greenbelt 3.

Shinkasen literally means bullet train and they coined the Zen ending to associate the outlet with their Zen eatery. Pol handles marketing and market development, and together they’ve come up with several new twists meant to reach out and give an ever-wider audience the "Zen treatment."

As Pol avers, "The reality is that we’ve been in this spot for eight years. People are more curious about the new malls, like Greenbelt 2 and 3. So what we’re now offering is a unique delivery service that allows corporate executives to enjoy our Zen fare while in their offices, over lunch meetings or late-night conferences. We target certain offices that are within the Makati business district and send them our special folder. There they’ll find pages with photos of special bento box combinations and sushi platters. The platters go from 20 pieces all the way to 81 pieces. We have couriers/waiters bringing the food over by motorbike, so they’re still fresh or piping hot, in the case of the bento boxes. The waiters clear up for you and bring back the boxes when the customer is through. It’s modified restaurant service right in your office."

"Right!" Mary Ann adds. "Our customers expect a certain standard of service. So, for us, it was not enough that we just deliver the food in styro boxes or leave you to clear up after eating. We wanted to provide a plus in our delivery service. And from what I hear, the ones who have tried the service are very satisfied. You have the actual bento boxes right there in your office."

She adds, "We’ve also come up with new special maki combinations. The Dragon Roll is unagi, mango, cucumber, a kani stick and Japanese mayonnaise. Our Alaska Roll is with salmon instead of unagi. And we have something called Asparga Salmon Roll where smoked salmon is combined with steamed asparagus and Japanese mayonnaise. Our Rainbow Maki is very appealing visually. We combine tuna, salmon and lapu-lapu, so that a spectrum of colors is created along the maki. We add mango, kani, and cucumber. The Philadelphia Maki is, as the name suggests, salmon with Philadelphia cheese and cucumber."

Zen’s catering business has always been a silent winner. But Mary Ann and Pol are now making the effort to publicize it. There are four basic menus which vary in "price per person." On each menu, there’s even the option of the price being reduced based on the number of persons availing of that menu. They’ve gone all out in making the prices reasonable. Having perused the items per menu, the combinations make for exciting showcases of what Japanese dining is all about. The hotline for Zen catering is 899-1881.

A promotion period commenced this month. For P800, you’re entitled to a free dish and raffle stub. At the end of the promotional period, a grand prize winner will be chosen from the stubs and that winner will get P5,000 worth of gift certificates. There’s also a Zen Stamp Card which rewards regular diners with discounts and gift certificates.

While the higher-end restaurant Furusato is no longer a direct investment on the part of the Cuenca family, there still remains a strong bond that sees regular technical assistance and kitchen consulting.

"One thing people may not appreciate is that while the dishes that come out of the kitchen may be marked by Zen-like simplicity and austere aesthetics, creating these dishes is complicated and very precise. Here at Zen, we follow the time-honored tradition of segmenting the kitchen. It is in fact a paradox that what looks to be served in a very simple manner takes a very complex set of traditions and back-of-the-house organization. On this, we’ve never compromised," Mary Ann proudly states.

With all the new eateries and establishments cropping up like mayflies on a summer day, it’s all well and good to explore, experiment, be surprisingly satisfied or anticipate the occasional disappointment that’s bound to rear its head. When that happens, it’s a comfort to know that the ones who started it all, who day in and night out continue to dish out the quality and consistency we look for when dining out, are still around. It’s what gives Zen and Zensibility to dining in Manila.