Comments on: Jozu Kin

By: gwen, makati city

gwen, makati city — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:21:38 +0000

i went there the week it opened. i loved the food. chef jayme was pleasant and answered some of my questions about the food. he seemed well versed even though he admited japanese wasn’t his forte. i love his creations. specially the foie gras with hatchimitsu glaze and the uni udon. i did enjoy the food that first time.

last week i returened with my friends. i was looking forward to telling chef jayme my gastronomic adventures in spain and italy. we ordered the basics and some of the the creations of chef jame. to my dismay, the food has changed. i asked for chef jayme and the server said that he has resigned. that answered my question as to why the food quality has changed. the food is still good. but somehow it isn’t the same. staff is still corteous and service has improved. i hope that the new chef or who ever is in charge will follow what chef jayme has begun or even surpas what he has made in terms of creating dishes.

i wonder what chef hayme is up to. but i sure can’t wait to try his cooking again.

i think maket man is right about what hes said…..

By: Ines

Ines — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:54:06 +0000

I just saw this review now and I have to say I agree. Ate there last week and it was such a sad, disappointing experience, especially since it was recommended by friends.
I ordered the cha soba and found it extremely tasteless, there were ice cubes in my dipping sauce, which I have never seen before! The gyoza, though humongous, tasted more like the wrapper, and the filling lacked salt. My boyfriend’s beef teppanyaki also lacked flavor. The only saving grace was the tuna sashimi which was very fresh.
So here is a comment a month later after your post MM, and saying that it seems things have not improved. :(
For great Japanese, I stick to the classics: Kikufuji, Sugi, Seryna, Kai, Tsukiji…etc. These are places where you know a Japanese person is at the helm. Best Ramen I have tried so far is at Ramen Ron on Pasay Rd- I highly recommend it :)

By: kurzhaar

kurzhaar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:04:27 +0000

I was out for dinner tonight (oysters, braised snails on roasted cauliflower puree, duck confit) with friends and we were bemoaning the loss of Gourmet. When I got home I got around to listening to this week’s episode of KCRW’s “Good Food”. It’s worth listening to: Gourmet magazine, food blogs, a snippet from Harold McGee, and a few other topics:

http://goodfoodonkcrw.vox.com/library/post/rip-gourmet-magazine-backyard-farms-top-chef-tomato-leaves.html

and

http://goodfoodonkcrw.vox.com/library/post/a-death-in-the-family-gourmet-magazine.html

By: Marketman

Marketman — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:59:48 +0000

kurzhaar, you are absolutely correct in that it takes time to find the folks whose recommendations jive with one’s own. Taste is subjective to some degree, of course. And yes, when you find someone who “agrees” or is “in sync”…then it’s easiest to trust them. As for Gourmet Magazine, I am indeed upset, and it is a telling clue as to where the American consumer/diner/cook/advertiser are all headed. Bummer.

By: kurzhaar

kurzhaar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:22:57 +0000

Reviewing a restaurant is always tricky–the reviewer has his/her own tastes and previous experiences which colour his/her reaction to a meal, and of course any restaurant can have an off day.

I rely to some extent on reviewers whose tastes are similar to my own (which of course takes some time to figure out)…this goes for both food and wine. Nowadays I will buy a case of wine untasted on the recommendation of a certain friend of mine who is in the wine/food industry, but that is based on years of experience. On the other hand, I recall an allegedly professional restaurant reviewer whose tastes I could never trust if this person was reviewing anything even faintly “exotic” (Japanese, Thai, even Spanish food)…it was beyond my comprehension how this person ever got the job when this person admitted to disliking raw fish or meat, could not tolerate heat (spiciness), and didn’t drink anything except white wine.

On a similar note, there is a lot of chatter going on about the recent demise of Gourmet magazine. I was crushed to hear of it, as I am a third-generation subscriber (my grandmother subscribed way back at the beginning). Conde Nast has decided to keep Bon Appetit but to close down Gourmet, and I think that is telling. What a shame…while there are aspects of the “old” Gourmet I liked, as well as aspects of the “new” Gourmet, there have always been contributions from good writers and challenges to the serious cook. I read comments from some that Gourmet never had recipes they would cook, or focussed too much on expensive/hard to get ingredients, but I did not find that to be true…some of my staple recipes are from Gourmet and many are based on pretty everyday ingredients. But I guess there are those who prefer Bon Appetit to Gourmet (I am not one of them).

PS
If you have not read the books on the creativity process and food and reviewing by Dornenburg and Page (Culinary Artistry, Becoming a Chef, Dining Out), I highly recommend them. It is especially interesting from the viewpoint of American restaurants right now.