So Japanese! Banzai Japanese Restaurant Review

So you are craving for some Japanese food - Teppanyaki, Sashimi, Sushi, Takoyaki, Ramen, Tempura? Want to taste them all but you don't know where to go? At Banzai Japanese Restaurant, you can eat all you can! Bring yourself to one of the Japanese Restaurants in town that serves an authentic Japanese cuisine within the city!

Last September 27, food/lifestyle bloggers together with Zomato Philippines team had a foodie meet-up at Banzai. It's actually my first time to be in a Japanese Buffet restaurant so I am literally excited! While waiting for others, I explored the whole place first.

Banzai Japanese Restaurant is located at Bldg J, SM By The bay Leisure Park, Seaside Blvd., Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. It is between Buffet 101 and La Fiesta. The area is really wide - 1,200 square meters and with seating capacity of approx. 500, definitely there's a lot of room to accommodate booked/scheduled and walk-in guests.

As you entered the restaurant, you will be greeted by staffs with a very warm Japanese greeting - "Irrashaimase!" (Welcome!). A big teppanyaki theater will welcome you as you choose which table you will be sitting. Experience the Japanese restaurant feeling as the ambiance is like you have been flown to Japan. The area is cozy enough and the lightnings are good.

There are different stations inside the restaurant where variety of Japanese food are served. From salads to noodles, soups, beverages, sushi bar, desserts area, and so much more. Also, they serve Filipino food so if you want to taste some Pinoy food at Banzai, you can also have a chance to eat.

Banzai, The Great Authentic Japanese Buffet is an eat-all-you can buffet. They have different prices for lunch and dinner.

Price List:

Weekdays - Lunch (11AM-3PM) - Php 699.00 (Adults)
Weekdays - Dinner (6PM-10PM) - Php 899.00 (Adults)
Weekends/Holidays - Lunch/Dinner - Php 1088.00 (Adults)
Lunch/Dinner - Php 499.00 (Kids below 4.5ft)
Lunch/Dinner - FREE (Kids below 3.5ft)
Left-over fee - Php 1288.00

We first have a tour around the restaurant so we can have ideas of what food we will be choosing first. When it's our time to eat, we choose light meals first. The food is actually good and fresh. That time, all the food at each stations are still available so we can get as many as we want. Each food are presentable and very pleasing to the eyes.

For me, the dishes are delicious. They are not ordinary as what other Japanese restaurants served. For the beverages, I am expecting to have some cold Japanese Tea in different flavors like Green Tea, Red Tea, and etc., rather than the regular drinks that they served and can be found in other restaurants. They served Japanese alcoholic drinks though (or Sake/Rice Wine). The desserts however, it's not again what I expected. I am hoping to taste some famous Japanese desserts I know in Japan but unfortunately I didn't see some. I was expecting to see/taste Mochi Ice Cream (Japanese Ice Cream), Dango (dumpling and sweet made from rice flour), Manjū (a popular traditional Japanese confection) or Daifuku (a glutinous rice cake stuffed with sweet filling), but that time I saw none. They served mini cakes, fruit salad, fresh fruits, soft-served ice cream and some Filipino Desserts like Turon, Leche Flan, etc.

Staffs are very accommodating. I just wish that roaming staffs should wear a Japanese traditional casual dress, just to add some Japanese feeling. But all in all, they are great and polite.

So you want to satisfy your Japanese Cuisine cravings? Why not go to Banzai Japanese Restaurant? They are open by 11AM-3PM for Lunch Buffet and 6PM-10PM for Dinner Buffet everyday. Let's enjoy this authentic Japanese cuisine and shout "Banzai!"