Try Korean and Japanese treats that fit your palate

Following the success of Wee Nam Kee, Osaka Ohsho, and Kumori, The Relish Group introduced in 2015 their first homegrown concept: Rock and Seoul.

A play to 'rock and roll,' Rock and Seoul incorporated three concepts into one restaurant: the growing fondness of Filipinos for K-Pop, the increasing awareness for healthy eating, and the consistent love of Filipinos for rice.

"Innovation is very key to the group. We’ve come up with strong concepts over the years and we continue to stay relevant by coming up with new products and new concepts," said Linfred Yap, managing partner of the Relish Group.

Rock and Seoul is a 'make your own bibimbap' fast-casual restaurant, which serves Korean-fusion meals. Yap explained, 'rock' was for the rock dish the bibimbap is cooked in and 'Seoul' is in homage to Korea.

He said they had a consultant on Korean cuisine who is also knowledgable on different foods around the globe.

Before launching the restaurant, Yap and his partners first had to test their food and the branding they were to execute. They also settled into a fast-casual food concept to reach a wider base of customers.

Meanwhile, Relish Group's Kumori offers traditional bread with a Japanese spin as well as the famous half-baked Japanese cheesecake called Juku.

"Bread is a staple part of our everyday life in the Philippines—people have it for breakfast, people have it for merienda, snack and some have it also for light lunch," Yap said.

Kumori was so well-received by Filipinos that the Relish Group is already mulling opening it for franchise.

Yap attributed their five years of steady success to a strong team, starting from his partners to their management teams on ground. Awareness of customer feedback, he added, also helped them fix problems immediately.

But with more and more competition going into the market, he maintained "it’s gonna be the survival of the fittest and we’re really going to have to stay on top of our game to make sure that we can continue to stay productive."

He noted that while they're not as fast in expanding as other restaurant chains, they see new opportunities in bringing fresh concepts into the Philippine market, like Peruvian-Japanese cuisine.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kumori opens full cafe, launches delivery service

MANILA -- Kumori Japanese Bakery, known for its “bite-into-clouds” pastries and breads, continues its expansion in the Philippines by opening its first full-scale Café Kumori branch, as well as launching an online-ordering service.

Partnering with popular app Zomato, diners can now have their instant Signature Hanjuku Cheese fix any time. Deliveries come in a pretty carry-on box, with individually wrapped breads and pastries.

Try the new service by ordering from the Rustic Bread line. Choose from a crusty ciabatta for your sandwiches, or for something different, try the Cranberry Yuzu bread, filled with tart cranberries and flavored with a slight yuzu tang.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, the Apple Cheese Danish is a cream cheese-filled flaky treat with caramelized apples on top. The Custard Butter Bun, meanwhile, is all about soft bread hiding custard and buttercream.

Looking for a quick savory snack? There’s the Crabstick Bun, same soft bread but with a topping of crabstick and Japanese mayonnaise gratin.

Last February, Café Kumori opened in SM North Edsa. Here, diners can have their fill of Kumori goodies while sipping on their beverage of choice. The drink menu includes various iterations of coffee -- from the standard brewed at P85 a cup, to a six-hour cold brew -- as well as teas that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

It also offers milkshakes like the Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake, or the more interesting Japanese Sweet Corn variety.

Kumori Japanese Bakery counters are located in SM Makati and Landark Makati, while Café Kumori is located at the ground floor of the Block at SM North Edsa.

It will open a branch at UP Town Center this July.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Food finds: Japanese bread, pastries at Kumori

MANILA -- One does not immediately think of Japan when craving for pastries and breads. Perhaps it's time that you do.

Japanese baking has long taken the best of Western techniques and imbued it with its own culture and tastes. Kumori Japanese Bakery was borne of this tradition, using only the best and freshest ingredients with no preservatives and additives to create unique Japanese pastries and breads.

Now with two stores in Makati (at the basement levels of Landmark Department Store and SM Makati), Kumori promises to deliver "Japan baked daily" to Filipino consumers. Here are six items that you should not miss.

1. Signature Hanjuku Cheese

This is Kumori's version of the almost ubiquitous Japanese cheesecake -- a half-baked cheesecake with a cream cheese center. It has the perfect blend of textures -- crumb and cream -- with just the right sweetness, rich without being heavy. This is available in both cheese and chocolate. The cheese version, eaten a bit cold, is near heaven.

2. Soft Matcha Bun

The "kumo" in Kumori means clouds, and biting into the Soft Matcha Bun feels like biting into a cloud. The soft bread has as a matcha filling that definitely tastes of Japanese green tea, but not overwhelmingly. A sprinkling of snow sugar powder and matcha powder finishes this treat. You can also try the Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun, a custard-filled cream bun.

3. Salmon Bonito

There are various savory baked goods in Kumori Bakery, but the Salmon Bonito is one of its bestsellers for a reason. The twin buns are "umami bombs," with Kumori's signature soft bread, a salmon filling, a drizzling of teriyaki sauce, and a topping of bonito flakes.

4. Pudding

Pudding is gaining quite the traction here in the Philippines, as we see various bakeries offering their own versions. Kumori's Japanese version of pudding has a beautiful texture -- soft and creamy without any hint of gelatin (although you know it's there). It's just extra smooth, silky and creamy. Try the original (cream and caramel, similar to our leche flan), and green tea versions.

5. Krone

Always freshly filled are Kumori's Creamy Custard Krones. Combining cones and croissants, this pastry pleases young and old alike, as it hits points on texture and taste, with its crispy tube of flaky pastry especially against the filling of luscious custard cream. Not to mention the fun factor of eating a tube of cream.

6. Tofu Cheesecake

Let's face it, the idea of tofu in a cheesecake seems downright weird at first. Perfect for those looking for a healthier dessert alternative, Kumori's Tofu Cheesecake was a revelation, as it just works. It had a light crust and the "cheesecake," even though a bit heavier in texture, was still very light and airy. It also has this nice interplay of sweet and a barely perceptible hint of saltiness.

Covered in whipped cream that adds just the right amount of sugar, and sesame seeds that add texture (as well as a nutty taste), eat this blindfolded and you'd never guess that its main ingredient is tofu.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com