Asian fusion café offers healthy eats, glorious teas

Kozui Green Tea Café, which opened on Tomas Morato Avenue in 2007, is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Anthony So. It seemed crazy to put up a green tea café at the height of the coffee shop boom at the time—but So believed that people would like hanging out in a place that offers healthy options. He purposefully chose a location that had a lot of coffee shops in the vicinity. “Para maiba naman," he said. Indeed, the name of the café itself is a stark contrast to the frenetic caffeine-driven lifestyle. So wanted to incorporate the letter, “Z," for a Zen vibe. He figured that “zui" sounded Zen enough. Then, he added “ko," a common prefix for Japanese names. Green haven Built like a loft-type condominium, Kozui’s décor is both chic and welcoming. Fluffy green couches, raffia lamps, and vibrant walls filled with photos of green fields are all soothing eye candies. Opposite the counter stands a rack of cute curios with a row of self–sealing cup covers (P125), Pacman-shaped holders (P180), and hand–shaped stirrers (P98). On the second row are bags of premium green tea leaves (P110 to P200) ready for the taking. Healthy flavors With its Japanese and Filipino chefs, Kozui serves a fusion of Japanese and Chinese cuisine with a hint of Western influences. One thing for sure though: everything in the menu had to be healthy. Just like the Minced Spinach Soup (P120), a green mixture with bits of carrots, rice noodles and bean curd. It only has the slightest hint of flavor prepping your taste buds for more intense flavors to come. A must-try in the Kozui menu, the Takoyaki Balls (P98) are made of ika (squid), ebi (shrimp) and negi (leeks) bundled into a ball of batter topped with Japanese mayonnaise, house sauce, shreds of nori (seaweed) and wispy bonito (skipjack tuna) flakes. These tasty spherical dumplings boast of a melt-in-your-mouth softness. The rough-and-salty sauce goes well with the smooth and bland batter. Then, the crunchy ika-ebi-negi trio caps it. Fancy some greens? The Karaage Chicken Salad (P168) combines crunchy chicken balls and crisp salad greens mixed with slices of juicy tomatoes and hardboiled eggs. The slightly bitter black sesame sauce adds a nutty kick to this very filling salad while the grainy yolk of the hardboiled eggs puts in a textured twist. If you like your salad on the go, try the Karaage Chicken Wrap (P148) that sandwiches the deep–fried boneless chicken fillets, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers in a grilled pita wrap. The Spicy Cold Dandan Noodles (P148), a Japanese-style salad, is a study in contrasting flavors. The creamy spicy sesame dressing is balanced by the taste of chilled fresh egg noodles, diced cucumbers, fresh cilantro, ground pork and onions. Even those with low tolerance for spicy food can give this one a try. A sweet and meaty noodle salad alternative is the Hiyashi Chuka (P148) that combines the egg noodles, cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots with strips of ham and chunks of egg omelet swirled with a sweet sesame soy dressing. If you need a more filling meal, you can opt for the donburi rice bowls like the Toridon (P178) steamed rice topped with boneless chicken in teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with toasted black sesame seeds, bonito flakes, nori strips, and negi bits. Delightful desserts The Anmitsu (P148), a popular Kozui dessert, is the Japanese take on the Pinoy halo–halo. It’s a heavenly assembly of azuki beans, green tea jelly, yellow and purple dango balls (similar to the Pinoy galapong), and taro jam sitting on a bed of crushed ice, topped with a swirl of green tea ice cream and your choice of fruit. The Mango Anmitsu teases the palate with the mixture of rich green tea ice cream, sweet taro jam and bittersweet mango cubes. The dango balls, taro jam and azuki beans add a velvety touch to the dessert. The Mochi Truffles (P15 per piece) are sweet chewy delights. These soft glutinous rice balls contain a chocolate filling that’s mixed with sprinkles of cocoa powder. Time for tea If you think green tea is just a flavorless drink, Kozui makes you think again. Green tea— which is rich in antioxidants that prevent the growth of cancer cells, reduce bad cholesterol, and lower the risk of heart disease—can be quite delicious. On the beverage menu, you’ll find a short guide on the eight premium green tea blends. Among those you can choose from are the sweet-and-nutty Genmaicha, the smooth-and-delicate Dragon Well, and the fragrant-and-floral Oolong tea. Kozui matches the coffee shop fare with its own ice-blended and latte drinks with the green tea twist. If you love lattes, you can have yours hot or iced with Matcha Tea, Roasted Green Tea or Black Tea (P90 to P100). Craving for an ice-blended mix? Go for Korichio. The Fruit Blend Korichio (P105 to P120) is a cool and fresh concoction of ice-blended green tea mixed either with lemon, pomegranate, passion fruit or pineapple syrup, and topped with fruit jelly. The Matcha Korichio is a creamier yet more sinful treat with flavors like butterscotch, chocolate and oreo capped with a dollop of whipped cream. If it’s any consolation though, Matcha is ground green tea leaves—the variety with the highest level of antioxidants. For a refreshing and healthier drink, grab a glass of Lemon Green Teaz (P70 to P85), iced green tea sweetened with just a little bit of lemon. Hip hangout Anthony only did some online research on the meaning of the word “kozui" months after the green tea café was established. He found out that “kozui" stood for “fragrant water" which, according to folklore, was drawn from a famed well in Wakasa, Japan. The water from the well was supposed to have curative powers. But, of course, that doesn’t mean Kozui isn’t cool. Aside from its healthy fusion dishes and drinks, its morning-to-midnight store hours and free Wi-Fi make it a hip hangout to the young crowd craving for a coffee shop alternative. - GMANews.TV Kozui is located at 258- B Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City. It’s open daily: Monday to Thursday (9 a.m. to 12 midnight) and Friday to Sunday (9 a.m. to 1 a.m.).