Yoshinoya + Century Bangus = Bangus Kabayaki and more!

Yoshinoya and Century Bangus held a food-tasting session for bloggers at the Century Culinary Circle last March 14, 2011.

Yoshinoya and Century's test kitchen can be found inside the Century Culinary Circle. This is actually where they develop recipes for the two brands. In case you're wondering why these two brands are working so closely together, it's because Century is the Philippine franchise holder for Yoshinoya.

The first set brought out was a trio of delicious dishes straight from the kitchen. They all had one thing in common: Century Bangus! Just in case you're not from the Philippines, Bangus is our country's national fish and it's called Milkfish in English. :)

I had Century Bangus Salad with Caramelized Pear and Walnuts first. I loved the combination of the light vinaigrette with crisp greens, juicy cherry tomatoes, tasty bangus bits, and sweet pieces of pears and walnuts. It's really one of the best salads I've eaten. Good thing Century shared the recipe with us so I can at least try to make it at home. I'd like to share it with everyone here:

Century Bangus Salad with Caramelized Pear and Walnuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1-450 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated

Caramelized Pears:
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup canned pear, sliced

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons reduced balsamic vinegar

*To reduce balsamic vinegar: Pour 2 cups balsamic vinegar into a skillet or saucepan. Allow it to simmer with occasional stirring for about 5 minutes until a little syrupy or desired consistency is achieved. Remove from heat to allow it to thicken some more as it cools.

Procedure:

Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden. Spoon out bangus meat from the skin and set aside. Sprinkle sugar on pears. Pan-grill on a skillet brushed lightly with oil until caramelized. Set aside. Whisk together lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper & extra virgin olive oil. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Toss together mixed greens, walnuts, and cherry tomatoes. Arrange on a plate topped with bangus flakes and caramelized pears. Drizzle with vinaigrette and reduced balsamic vinegar.

Makes 6 servings.

Next I had the Century Bangus and Kani Burrito. I'd describe it as a cross between sushi and shawarma. I liked this one too. I had no idea you can cook up so many yummy dishes with Century Bangus.

Century Bangus and Kani Burrito

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1-410 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated
1 cup Japanese mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon wasabi (horseradish) paste
4 pieces kani (Japanese crab sticks), cut into strips
1 cup cucumber, seeds removed & sliced into thin strips
1 cup ripe mango, sliced into thin strips
1 cup torn lettuce
4 large regular sized tortilla wrap

Procedure:

Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden. Spoon out bangus meat from the skin and set aside.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise and wasabi. Add bangus flakes & kani, mixing it well. Chill for 30 minutes.

Fill tortilla wrap with bangus mixture, lettuce, cucumber and mango. Roll then serve.

Makes 4 servings.

The third Century Bangus creation was a pasta dish called Century Bangus Farfalle a la Genovese. I liked the contrast between the savory bangus flakes and the subdued flavor of the pesto-based sauce.

Century Bangus Farfalle a la Genovese

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1-450 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated
200 grams farfalle (ribbon pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup pesto sauce*
3 cups whole cream
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese for garnish

*Make your own pesto sauce by blending together 3 cups sweet basil leaves, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a clean airtight jar or container. This may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Procedure:

Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden. Spoon out bangus meat from the skin and set aside. Cook pasta as directed in the package. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic until aromatic. Stir in pesto sauce & cream. Season with salt & pepper. Add pasta & bangus to the sauce & toss well. Remove from heat and top with parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Next up were Yoshinoya's lenten offerings. First would be Shrimp Katsu (P140, pictured above). It's deep-fried and breaded shrimp patties served over steamed rice with vegetables on the side. You can actually order this as a Jumbo Plate so your shrimp patties come with a beef bowl for P185. I only had a little taste since I'm allergic to shrimp. :)

Then came what everyone had been anticipating, the newest dish on Yoshinoya's menu -- Century Bangus Kabayaki (P140, pictured above). Century Bangus Belly is lightly breaded then deep-fried and then glazed with special Kabayaki sauce. It's served on top of steamed rice with beansprouts on the side. According to the Yoshinoya folks, Kabayaki is a Japanese term for a seafood dish that's filleted, deboned, and then dipped in a sweet soy-based sauce before grilling. It's kind of like teriyaki except that it's more savory.

I loved how soft and tender the bangus was. The combination of sweet and salty the sauce possessed was perfect too.

For dessert, I opted for Yoshinoya's Chocolate Mousse (P30, pictured above). Whipped cream and chocolate chips top the smooth mousse and crunchy crust made of crushed Oreo cookies.

Yoshinoya's lenten offerings are available only for a limited time, specifically until the end of May 2011. I highly suggest you try the Yoshinoya Century Bangus Kabayaki before it's gone. :D

Find the Yoshinoya branch nearest you HERE.

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