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Jozu Kin
 Japanese cuisine has been a part of the local dining scene for such a long time now that it has already been ingrained into Filipino culinary culture. With the enculturation and popularity of Japanese food, ranging from quick food court eats like Tokyo Tokyo and Kitaro to more sophisticated dishes prepared by Tsukiji or Inagiku, failure in this arena, even if infused with other cuisines, is nearly impossible. Whereas European or Mediterranean cuisine is extremely meticulous and tedious, Japanese is comparatively simple and uncomplicated, so it is quite difficult to grasp the thought of disgusting tempura or katsudon. These dishes are so basic to our culture and similar to our own culinary tradition that we were surprised to still be able to stumble upon a restaurant that fails at this.Case in point is Jozu Kin, which recently opened at the burgeoning hotspot Burgos Circle in Fort Bonifacio, just off the hip block where Barcino and Distillery are located. Supposedly specializing in Japanese-American cuisine, Jozu Kin?s dishes are an awkward pairing of these two culinary traditions, with the different flavors competing with rather than complementing each other. The place itself, with its clean lines and stark dark furniture, lends itself to an almost zen-like aesthetic, which should have given us enough warning that this is the place one would go to for drinks before heading out to Encore rather than for a nice dinner with friends.   Dynamite Roll & Agedashi Tofu We ordered the dynamite roll, which anyone who has eaten at practically every other Japanese fusion sushi bar knows is a spicy tuna smooshed between layers of vinegared rice and nori. Jozu Kin's fusion version however turned out to be quite the explosive flop, with so many odd textures and flavors that we thought we were chewing on canned corned tuna buzzed to a mushy pulp. Equally grotesque was the agedashi tofu, which we reckon was taken off the fire a little too soon because every bite included raw flour from the breading. The tofu itself was silky and smooth, but the breading was a struggle to deal with. The sauce was not bad; as with the rest of the dish, it screamed mediocrity.  Maguro Salad The maguro salad, with a sweet and tangy orange-based dressing, was the best among all the dishes we ordered. The tuna slices were lightly seared, which imparted a nice toasted flavor to the fish, but the quality of the fish itself was questionable on account of its overly striated texture which made the slices tear with no effort at all. The dressing, with its citrus base, was refreshing and made a good combination with the seared tuna. Since we could not decide between the chicken yakitori and the chicken teppan, we opted for the immature route and ordered both. Both dishes were small, with meat that was scarcely there, especially considering their prices. We had expected delicious teppanyaki; after all, what complicates it beyond soy sauce and other Japanese seasonings? To our surprise, we discovered that there actually could be odd-tasting chicken teppan in a legitimate Japanese restaurant because Jozu Kin's was bland and lacked saltiness, bite and crispness. Also surprising was the chicken yakitori, which came in three sticks. The flavor itself was not bad, as it was sweet as yakitori normally is, but it was definitely not of the same caliber as most Japanese restaurants.   Chicken Teppan & Chicken Yakitori Given Jozu Kin's location and design, it is understandable that its price range is above average. After all, it must keep up with the demographic of the area. However, given the quality and freshness of the ingredients as well as the general style of food preparation, one could find more delicious food at middle-crust establishments specializing in Japanese fusion. Having spent 400 pesos on disgusting dynamite roll and undercooked tofu, we would have rather gone to nearby Kaiseki for unagi. While it would be unfair to compare Jozu Kin to the more traditionally Japanese places like Sugi, and since we do not have the credentials to consider ourselves purists, we have to say that there are a number of more interesting and gastronomically pleasing fusion restaurants in Manila. Given the price range and the quality of the food served, your money would be better spent in John and Yoko or Sumosam; that is unless you?re already in the Burgos Circle area, where you might as well just grab a sandwich at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Rating: 2 out of 5 salt & pepper shakers  Business hours: 11:00 AM ? 11:00 PM Address: Unit ES-2 Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio Global City Telephone: 403-1875 How to get there: Jozu Kin's Google Map 
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