Crazy for Japanese at Banzai! The Great Teppanyaki Theater!

The aptly-themed interior of Banzai! The Great Teppanyaki Theater at SM by the Bay.

I've always been a huge fan of everything Japanese-- from their rich culture and heritage to their kawaii stuff and anime! Japanese food is no exception. Here in the Philippines, Japanese food is not hard to find-- it's the authenticity of the dishes that every true blue Japanese food fan is having trouble locating!

That is why when I came across Banzai! in a food blog, I had second thoughts: I'd be paying a hefty sum for a Japanese buffet that could possibly not quite impress me; but on the other hand, I'd lose the right to call myself a genuine foodie if I refuse to take such risks. Eventually, I decided to finally try it out and dragged an overly-eager sibling with me.

Let me just say this: I absolutely loved the food. Everything tasted Japanese to me. I especially loved the sushi because they're very flavorful and they looked really good! I also tried the okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) and takoyaki (squid-filled balls) and they were really good, too! Some notable others that I've tried and liked are: spicy tuna sashimi, asparagus wrapped in bacon, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), tuna and pork teppanyaki, and the cookies n'creme cup from the dessert table. Everything tasted really good, and for Php 699.00 per person for lunch I think it's a good deal! I just hope they had a carving station and a hot pot, too!

Banzai has this beautiful facade that offers a great photo opportunity! Photo from a TripAdvisor review by Nicole L.

Reception booth.

These beautiful 3D paintings were spotted at the reception booth.

Ready to see what awaits on the other side?

We were seated next to the dessert station! How lucky!

Banzai! also serves cooked Filipino dishes like sinigang, lechon paksiw, pork sisig, kare-kare and more!

They have a pizza station. One of the pies is Maki-flavored.

Their takoyaki is really delish! My sister-- whose palate is relatively hard to please-- is pleased! That's saying something!

Different sauces for the teriyaki.

Aside from Japanese and Filipino fare, they also have international food like Korean beef stew, Yangchow fried rice, etc.

Our plate of sushi!

Beautiful, beautiful sushi.

Chicken, pork, and beef yakitori, and the bacon-wrapped asparagus that I really liked.

My dessert platter (that odd-man-out white lump at the rear is banana tempura, which is also surprisingly good).

Keep it up, kuya!

Finally, a bowl of miso soup to clinch that heavy meal!

What's unique about the restaurant is that they have a trick art museum, where you can even try out costumes for more realistic photos. It's small, though (basically just three murals), but it's still fun to check out.