Dennis Gaviola

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Ginza One

There just has to be go-to favorites that ease diners into the more daring dishes. Ginza One has sushi, sashimi and the dons to cover this. Miguel Nacianceno

Ginza One’s bar has a well-curated selection of shochu, sake and Japanese whiskey. Shichiken Yama No Kasumi sparkling sake was a bright base for their umeshu welcome drink. Jeeves de Veyra

Paired with the amuse bouche, the savory combination of dill and salmon on what seemed like an Indian puri, was a refreshing combination to open up the meal. Jeeves de Veyra

Tomita’s touches are all over the new menu. For something as simple as edamame, this is coated in anchovy paste that’s best sucked in, then open the pods to eat the beans while that briny umami still lingers on the palate. Jeeves de Veyra

Kani salad can be much more than the common kewpie mayo and kani. Ginza One’s version has real slivers of crab meat, with microgreens and romaine, tossed in their bright fruity version of the Japanese mayo dressing. Jeeves de Veyra

Think of fried skin-on potato slices topped with okonomiyaki sauce and bonito flakes. Simple, unassuming, and I’d imagine would make great bar chow with a big cold mug of beer or sake. Jeeves de Veyra

The Ebi Fritas was not tempura as usual. This was like a camaron rebosado coated in what I thought was akin to a light and fluffy beer batter. The schichimi dip made with Kengo’s spice mix added some heat to this dish. Jeeves de Veyra

This was one of the chef's “remodeled” dishes. Kengo literally turned it upside down highlighting the salmon fillet, now served on top of a creamier mentaiko sauce. Jeeves de Veyra

Unagi seems to be a specialty of Kengo. Have the Unagi Tostada as soon as it hits the table to fully enjoy the buttery eel on top of the buttery crisp toasted brioche. Jeeves de Veyra

For the nabe, this is a Japanese hotpot where rice is cooked tableside topped with noodle-like narrow strips of scrambled egg then topped with unagi. Having a bottle of their teriyaki like kobayaki sauce for diners to personally adjust the dish according to their taste is a nice touch. Jeeves de Veyra

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:688px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756457259067Exteriors 1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Ginza One is located at Eco-Plaza on Chino Roces Extension in Makati. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>Marking its first anniversary, Ginza One ushers in a new chapter of refined Japanese dining in Makati, offering an elevated experience that pairs contemporary design with a masterfully remastered menu.</div><p>Ginza started out as a hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant inside a furniture showroom. While the last location is a far cry from this new one, it had its own charm with diners surrounded by bespoke pieces of furniture. </p><p>Ginza then transitioned into the ground floor of Eco-Plaza next door and became Ginza One.</p><p>In contrast to the last one where parking was problem and guests had to take great care to move around the furniture, this new version is in a class of its own with high ceilings, a spacious airy interior complete with a bar with lit craquelure wall, with spaces that can be curtained off for private spaces. It wouldn’t be out of place in the modern fashion-forward neo-Japanese Ginza district, which the restaurant is named after.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756457469248Ginza Group GM Jay Periquet, Cofounder Pepper Guanio, and Group Exetcutive Chef Kongo Tomita.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Ginza Group GM Jay Periquet, co-founder Pepper Guanio, and Group Executive Chef Kengo Tomita. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></p><p>Pepper Guanio, co-founder of the Ginza Group, admits that they may have extended themselves with the first version of the menu which had a hundred items in it. The first thing they did was a sanity check and streamlined the menu. Even one of her salad favorites was not spared from the culling as staff said she was the only one who ordered it. But Guanio quickly said that customers could request for items no longer on the menu if they wished. </p><p>While the Japanese flavors were on point when I first went to Ginza, what I found unusual was that they had no Japanese chef. At Ginza One, that gap has been addressed with Chef Kengo Tomita coming in as executive chef of the Ginza Group.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:688px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756457519989CHE KENGO TOMITA.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Group Executive Chef Kengo Tomita. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>Tomita spent 20 years in Spain rising through the ranks in three-Michelin-starred restaurant Arzak. He then moved around cooking in Dubai and the Maldives until he moved to the Philippines to become the executive chef of premiere island resort, Amanpulo. </div><p>He brings his neo-washuku style of modern Japanese cuisine to the group. He quipped that while there are many great Japanese restaurants in the country, they all have similar menus but differ in quality due to the style and ingredients. One can see and taste the influence of other cuisines in his dishes.</p><div>[[PHOTO ALBUM]]</div><p>Dessert was a light yuzu sorbet in a hollowed-out lemon. Striking to the eye, this was a balanced bright and sweet end to a great meal.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:688px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756461147440GINZA 11.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Jeeves de Veryra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Chef Kengo Tomita’s arrival proves to be the final key to establish Ginza One as a dining destination. In this corner of Chino Roces Extension where premium dining options are side by side, Ginza One nicely fits in and stands out for the dining experience and Tomita’s neo-washuku menu.</p><div><em>Ginza One is located on the G/F of Eco-Plaza on Chino Roces Extension in Makati and is open 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. </em></div>

<p>Marking its first anniversary, Ginza One ushers in a new chapter of refined Japanese dining in Makati, offering an elevated experience that pairs contemporary design with a masterfully remastered menu.</p>

Marking its first anniversary, Ginza One ushers in a new chapter of refined Japanese dining in Makati, offering an elevated experience that pairs contemporary design with a masterfully remastered menu.

Makati eats: Ginza One marks first year with remastered approach to Japanese food

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Makati eats: Ginza One marks first year with remastered approach to Japanese food

Jeeves De Veyra

Published August 29, 2025 05:27 PM PHT

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Updated August 29, 2025 11:19 PM PHT

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