Kozui

What I can't stop raving for days now is this, Kozui's Anmitsu.

I saw it first at a segment at US girls, followed by a lot of blog features. So after taking-out a slice of cake at Fleur de Lys, I visited the resto at Tomas Morato, near Baang Coffee.

Kozui puts a new spin on green tea. They have an extensive tea menu in hot or cold. They also sell green tea loose leaves in a variety of selections. Green tea paraphernalia and other merchandise are also for sale.

For dessert, the bestseller is the Anmitsu, and for japanese eats, the Takoyaki. Other must-try are the Karaage Chicken Vegetable Wrap P148 (grilled pita bread with japanese breaded chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions & a dollop of black sesame dressing), Mount Fuji Green Chocolate P105 (a pyramid-shaped brownie with creamy green tea on top & a burst of chocolate at its peak) and Green Tea-ramizu P95 (a spin on the italian dessert tiramisu).

But the star of my nightly dreams is the Anmitsu. Anmitsu is a japanese dessert that has been popular for many decades now. It is made of sweet azuki bean paste or anko ( the an in anmitsu) and sweet black syrup or mitsu (the mitsu part in anmitsu). In Japan, it is usually eaten with a spoon and fork.

Kozui's Anmitsu P138 on the other hand, is made of shaved ice topped with green tea jelly, dango balls ( made from rice flour), fruits flavoured with mitsu syrup, sweet azuki beans (red bean), taro (gabi in the phils) jam & Kozui's rich green tea ice cream. You have choices of strawberry preserves, fresh mangoes, taro or fresh melons to accompany your Anmitsu.



Anmitsu with Fresh Mangoes P138
It is similar to our native halo-halo but with japanese ingredients.

The smell of green tea can really win you over, I can't forget it up to now. The Anmitsu plays with all your senses. It is very colorful, and the taste, heaven...

The amount of the green tea ice cream on top is close to 2 scoops, it almost filled the entire bowl. I have tasted a lot of green tea ice cream, and I found Kozui's version to be the best for now. It is granular but doesn't easily melt in the mouth. My idea of a perfect ice cream. I also love the taste and color of the taro jam, it sort of binded the Anmitsu, taste-wise.

The dessert is not too sweet nevertheless, filling.

Ideally, it's for sharing, but for a dessert lover like me, good for one. And since it is with green tea, I considered it healthy =)


Takoyaki P98

Takoyaki which literally means fried or baked octopus, is a japanese dumpling made of diced octopus, it originated from Osaka, and is derived from YAKU which simply means to bake or grill. It is also known as samurai balls.

Kozui's Takoyaki are pan-grilled tako balls stuffed with chunks of ika, ebi and negi (squid, shrimp and asian leek), topped with their okonomiyaki sauce and sprinkled with fine strips of nori and bonito flakes. The owner Anthony So opted to use squid, which is not as tough but as chewy as an octopus.

Their version is different from the others as their's are pan-grilled. It has a crusty exterior but is soft and chewy inside. The sauce on top has a smoky/BBQ flavor and aroma to it.




Matcha Butterscotch korichio P138 (Grande)

Matcha or ground green tea ice-blended and flavored with butterscotch, milk and whipped cream.

They said that when you drink this tea (matcha), you also consume the leaves. And it is for this reason that ground tea contains higher concentration of catechins and vitamins.

This is Kozui's version of Starbuck's Green Tea Frappuccino only better. The butterscotch in it added flavor but not sweetness, making this drink not cloyingly sweet. And the taste of the ground green tea as with their ice cream is very eminent.

If you're a starbuck's green tea frap fan as I am, you'll definitely love this one.

***They also sell their green tea ice cream by the cup or cone at only P60.



Happy Eating!