MANILA, Philippines - Tick one off from your bucket list of dishes to try with a serving of a lethal delicacy, fugu, at Traders Hotel, Manila’s Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar.
More commonly known as pufferfish or blowfish, fugu is one of the most celebrated yet deadly dishes in Japanese cuisine, making it the only delicacy forbidden to be served to the emperor of Japan.
Fugu is the second most toxic animal in the world, bearing huge quantities of tetrodoxin — a poison found in its liver, ovaries, and skin.
It takes precision, skill and careful preparation to avoid contamination of poison to the meat. Only licensed chefs are authorized to prepare such a delicacy.
After five years of vigorous training in the prefecture of Fukuoka, Japanese Executive Chef Masahiro Mizumoto of Kitsho earned a license to prepare fugu, making him the only professional chef in the Philippines to offer such a poisonous fish.
The dining experience starts with “Fugusashi,” thinly sliced portions of its raw meat dipped in the distinct flavor of “ponzu.”
The second way is the deep-fried “Fugu Karaage” with a zest of lemon.
Third, a fraction of fugu is served hotpot with a tang of sake, mushrooms, vegetables, and seaweeds. After boiling, everything is placed in a bowl of ponzu. The broth from the hotpot heightens up the flavors of the last dish, Japanese rice made thick and creamy in the form of a congee.
The perfect catch for fresh fugu is until March. The four-course set menu starts at P3,800++ per person. At least three days in prior reservation is required. For inquiries or advance reservations, call (63 2) 708-4888 local 2312 or 2313.