Haru: Japanese cuisine in a zen setting

MANILA, Philippines - When Japanese restaurant Haru formally opened recently in Kapitolyo, Pasig, a swirl of geishas happily welcomed guests to a night of good food that led to an unforgettable gustatory experience. The fare that restaurateur Dr. Boy Vazquez, owner of Haru, offered his friends that night was so memorable that writing this piece made me crave more of his food.

On hand to help Boy welcome his guests, including Presidential sisters Ballsy Aquino and Pinky Abellada, was Haru executive chef Tom Yamazaki, one of the very few chefs authorized to prepare and serve the deadly blowfish. Well, there was no blowfish that night but guests, so to speak, swore by the heavenly experience they had with the sumptuous renditions the restaurant offered.

STAR Travel columnist and Cinema Evaluation Board chairman Christine Dayrit blurted out: “This Spider roll sushi with soft-shell crab is so delicious I could die after eating it!” Boy was quick to banter, “Not yet, not yet. You have to try this one — uni tempura.”  Christine dunked one piece in her mouth, rolled her eyes in delight and practically swooned.

At the same table, architect Chito Antonio and his best friend Lydia Montano Rodriguez were happily enjoying their kari kari yaki, an oyster appetizer. They talked about the freshness of the dish. All the more they appreciated it when they were served sake, which they drank from small square-shaped wooden containers. Jolly and lighthearted, Boy told the two that they could take home the wooden containers, the restaurant’s giveaways that night.

Not far from their table was the spot of Health Secretary Dr. Enrique Ona and his wife. The gentleman secretary was seen serving a piece or two of tori kuwayaki, a simple yet delicious chicken dish, on his wife’s plate after his trip from the expansive buffet table. They sweetly shared a serving of ebi tempura, too.

“You have to try this. This is super yummy,” Dr. Alex Ayco told Gel Caguioa and husband Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Benjamin Caguioa as he put on the table a serving of grilled Norwegian salmon with teriyaki sauce. The couple silently munched on the dish. They saved their praise until the dish was finished and their chopsticks landed on the plate.

Even PhilHealth president Alex Padilla enjoyed his lightly battered prawn and vegetable tempuras.

At a table beside the Japanese bridge, where a little bridge inside Haru gives an almost-Zen feel to the restaurant, Philippine Airlines’ winsome lady Ria Carrion-Domingo shared a boat of sashimi with her husband Bibot and mom Sylvia Carrion. They felt delighted feasting on the ultra-silky salmon and squid strips, both sweetened by the fresh flavors of the sea.  

That night, Boy and Tom were just so happy to offer their guests scrumptious dishes. There were four food stations that night that highlighted the best of what Haru offers. The cold items station included salads, sashimi, sushi and cold soba. The sukiyaki station was also a hit because the dish was prepared “on the spot,” right in front of guests who made sure their servings would not be overcooked. The hot food items station served grilled salmon, chicken yakitori and the famous Haru must-haves of chicken kuwayaki and kari kari yaki, which are proof of chef Tom’s culinary genius.

Chef Tom even intimated that many more items will be included on the menu soon, including shabu-shabu, healthy tofu dishes and katsu dishes using pork from Japan.

For the sweet ending of the night, macha ice cream with shiratma and azuki was offered to the guests. It was actually a fine green tea ice cream paired with sweet red beans and soft rice-cake balls dusted with roasted soybean powder. Heavenly!

Dr. Boy Vazquez and executive chef Tom Yamazaki’s guests enjoyed that sweet and sumptuous moment, which they relished while they enjoyed watching geishas who served them well at Haru’s formal opening.

By the way, Haru means spring in Japanese. True to its name, the restaurant’s VIPs, in the middle of a rather stormy night, felt in their hearts the enchanting breeze of spring that night.

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(Haru is located at 21 West Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For more information, call 631-0597.)