Newly Opened Hajime Brings High End Japanese Crossover Cuisine To Rockwell
Rockwell, the vibrant high end community that has formed a firm part of the Makati skyline for many years now, just experienced the opening of a new beginning. Literally translating as “Origin” or “Beginning”, Hajime is the latest high end eatery to open its doors in the Metro and we already got the chance to sample the culinary delights on offer, so follow us as we enter the world of high end Japanese crossover cuisine.
The main dining room at Hajime
Located at the Edades Tower & Garden Villas just across the road from the Powerplant Mall, Hajime is easy to find and greets its guests with a calm and bright interior that provides few distractions, allowing the real star of the place – the food – to take center stage.
We got to try out the Degustation Menu on offer during the current soft opening period and proceedings started with an Amuse-bouche in the shape of a Molten Lava Egg with Black Caviar and Truffle Oil. The team behind Hajime greatly stresses the focus on high quality ingredients, and that food in their view is not just a service but an art. This was already demonstrated by the fact that the egg in question displayed a bright red yolk, which was the result of it having been imported from Japan, where eggs with the correct color for this dish are apparently easier to procure than on local shores. In any case, while small in size, it was certainly big in taste.
Molten Lava Egg with Black Caviar and Truffle Oil
Second in line was a Tengoku Salad made up of Foie Gras placed on a small bed of salad with sprinkles of Goat Cheese and Umami Dressing, which provided a variety of interesting sensations to the taste buds.
Tengoku Salad with Foie Gras, with sprinkles of Goat Cheese and Umami Dressing
The Carrot and Pumpkin Soup that followed was definitely one of the highlights of the day and brought with it delicious flavors and a smooth texture that left me wishing for more of it.
Carrot and Pumpkin Soup
Next up was the A5 Matsuzaka Wagyu steak, served in a way that created an interesting presentation paired with the super smooth texture you would expect from this type of highest quality meat. This is melt in your mouth stuff, and while the Degustation portions are of course smaller in size, I was pleased to learn that this culinary delight will also be available as full sized stand alone dish from the a la carte menu.
A5 Matsuzaka Wagyu steak
The Braised dried Japanese Abalone presented on Mushroom and Brocolli Risotto with secret house sauce that followed prominently showed off the Fusion part of Hajime’s cuisine, and as with all dishes, an almost over the top attention to detail and quality was required to create it. It takes around six days to make this dish, due to the Abalone requiring a special and carefully monitored procedure to rehydrate it.
Braised dried Japanese Abalone
Proceedings ended with a dessert of Macaron and Ice Cream, which provided a small burst of sweetness to round things off.
Macaron and Ice Cream
It is fair to say that Hajime is quite unlike any Japanese restaurant you have probably ever come across before, and the high end concept of providing food as art which is to be slowly appreciated, rather than just consumed as part of a slap up meal, certainly has a chance to work in this part of town. Going to Hajime feels more like an event rather than ‘just’ another meal and guests can currently try out the Degustation Menu priced at PHP3500++, while an a la carte menu, together with a fully stocked Sake bar, will follow shortly.
Hajime Crossover Cuisine
https://www.facebook.com/hajimedining
Phone: (02) 625 8824
