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.