JAPANESE EXCELLENCE
While we heaped praises on Japanese culture as mentioned above, you’ll notice that none of the dishes described were remotely Japanese. What is given here in this restaurant is a translation of Japanese excellence, which could be applied in anything. There is hardly any other way to describe the chefs onboard the Epilogue train:
Head baker Tomohide Ono, has been a pastry chef for 20 years, and has worked in famous bakeries in Japan, Indonesia, and Hong Kong — which is why the focaccia had a touch of magic in it. Chef Hayato Mitsuhashi, on the other hand, specializes in Italian cuisine, and has trained extensively in various Italian restaurants in Japan, Indonesia, and Italy for over 14 years. Trained in Umbria, Italy, his gnocchi is apparently something to look forward to. Epilogue also has two outstanding chef directors, Kenji Ishihara and Minoru Sorimachi. Mr. Ishihara is an award-winning pastry chef who has 30 years of experience in France, Japan, and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the Steak Master at Epilogue, Mr. Sorimachi has over 20 years of experience working in well-known teppanyaki steakhouses in Japan, and now runs his own steakhouse in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rounding it up is Hiroyuki Meno, whose expertise lies in French cuisine. He has honed and perfected his craft working in various Michelin-starred restaurants such as the Domaine Les Haut Roches in Loire, France, Le Pont de Ciel in Osaka, Japan, and L’Auberge De L’ill in Tokyo, Japan. He was also the executive chef of Brasserie Paul Bocuse and the one Michelin-starred Maison Paul Bocuse in Tokyo.
The restaurant, though located in a mall, bleeds excellence, even in its interiors, showing faded interpretations of tile, a stickered ceiling appearing like stained glass, and walls of brick, then mirror and polished marble, combined with wooden beams designed to look like industrial framework. The interiors were designed by Japanese architect Kazumasa Wakabayshi, whose designs have a step towards immortality, for one of his restaurants inspired a scene in the movie Kill Bill. The result, surprisingly, is a restaurant perfect for a third date, or for a third decade together, when you’ve gotten past the jitters but still want to impress.
The restaurant is owned by The Food Revolution group, which has under its belt numerous Japanese restaurant franchises such as Tsukuda Nojo, a Japanese- style hotpot. While they’re not included in the same umbrella, the company also has the franchise for Katsusora and Hokkaido Santouka ramen, all collectively owned by the Uy siblings. A restaurant called Prologue is slated to be opened by the group. The name was inspired by a planned franchise from Indonesia, called Monologue, which did not push through, according to Food Revolution Marketing manager Erika Lim.
In any case, Ms. Lim, said that the Japanese chefs were collected from one link, a general manager from one of the franchised restaurants, who introduced them to one of the chefs, who introduced them to another, then another. Collectively, the chefs embody kodawari, perhaps due to the way they were raised in the precepts of Japanese thought.
“They’re very dedicated to learning and creating beyond what’s normal. For us, Filipinos tend to be, ‘ Ah, okay na ’yan (That will do)’, but... they want it to be the best version that they can do.” —