The Bistro Group of Restaurants, the company that blazed the trail in the local casual dining scene, brings to the table another exciting and innovative concept from Japan with the opening of Ma Maison in Greenbelt 2. Despite the French ring to its name, Ma Maison which literally translates to “my home” in French, serves Japanese Western dishes with distinctive European influences.

East meets West: A marriage of great food and cozy ambiance

Ma Maison adopts Western influences not only in its menu but also in its rustic interiors which remind one of a cozy cottage at an English countryside. Hints of country decorating feature heavily in the restaurant’s interiors. You’ll see wooden tables, chairs and booths, floral tablecloths, vases, vintage posters and signages, pots and pans, old wooden cabinets, wrought iron chandeliers and other knick-knacks. The result is an utterly charming and inviting ambiance. The country-setting feel spills outside at the al fresco dining area where guests will enjoy the visual scenery within Greenbelt 2’s vicinity while perusing Ma Maison’s broad list of dishes and drinks.

Ma Maison adopts Western influences not only in its menu but also in its rustic interiors which remind one of a cozy cottage at an English countryside.

Ma Maison has an outdoor seating area that is cozy and welcoming

The menu is comprised of predominantly Japanese Western with some dishes flavored with ingredients intrinsic in Japanese cooking (such as tofu, soybeans, soba noodles and rice). Side by side with specialties such as burgers, escargots and pastas, the selection is what one might call a marriage of the east and west.

To start, try Ma Maison  Hors d’oeuvre like the Escargots baked with garlic butter  and Japanese Scallop Carpaccio, thinly sliced raw scallops, onions, alfafa sprouts and cod roe drizzled with Yuzu dressing. For something refreshing, there’s the Chasoba Salad, cold green soba with ham, egg, tomatoes and cucumber in Japanese mayo.

Escargots baked with garlic butter

Hugging the spotlight in the roster of specialties is Ma Maison’s own version of  the hamburger served with the restaurant’s famous ‘brown sauce’. Introduced in Japan in 1981, the sauce is  stewed for 28 days which gives it that rich taste.  The  Doteni Hamburger Steak, a signature and must-try dish, has a tasty beef and pork  patty topped with egg, doteni sauce and served with potatoes and salad on the side. If you prefer a bigger burger, opt for the Jumbo Hamburger Steak.

Other dishes that guests must not miss include  Omu rice, Ketchup rice wrapped in omelette served with a choice of  brown or ketchup sauce, Tonkatsu or juicy pork cutlet, and Scotch Egg, hard boiled eggs wrapped with minced beef and pork on a bed of brown sauce. To end a  filling meal, choose from a  selection of desserts such as the Anmitsu which is a refreshing serving of traditional Japanese jelly, syrup, soft glutinous balls, fresh fruits, sweet red bean paste and ice cream and  Mixed Fruit Tart filled with white chocolate cream and topped with assorted fruits.

It is the harmonious combination  of the sauce and the delicate taste of the rice wrapped in omelette that makes this dish is irresistible.

From Japan to Manila

The first Ma Maison restaurant was opened  by COO/Owner Akinori Terazawa in 1976 in Tokyo, Japan, almost the same time when Western cuisine became immensely popular in this country. Five years after its opening, the restaurant moved to Nagoya in 1981 and opened twelve more branches across Japan soon after. Its initial venture in the international market took place in 1995 when Ma Maison opened in Bugis Junction, Singapore, followed by two more outlets in Central and Parco.

Akinori Terazawa, COO, Owner Ma Maison Japan and Jean Paul Manuud, COO, Bistro Group

Recently, Ma Maison opened its doors to the Filipino dining public with the promise of great food amidst a cozy ambiance, the hallmark of all Bistro Group restaurants that includes TGI Friday’s, Italianni’s, Fish and Co., Krazy Garlik, Bulgogi Brothers, The Stock Market, Flapjacks and Pig Out. This collaboration between Bistro and Ma Maison is  part of Bistro’s aggressive expansion plans to offer a variety of dining options and introduce eclectic cuisines to satisfy the evolving cravings of diners. In fact, the opening of Ma Maison comes on the heels of another recent Bistro  opening – Bulgogi Brothers  (an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant) in Greenbelt 5 – and the launching of TGI Friday’s flagship store in Eastwood City.

(L-R, Front row): Joanna Marie Payuyo, Restaurant Supervisor; Allis Kathleen De Guzman, General Manager; Lisa Ronquillo, AVP for Marketing; Marilu Rivera, VP for HRD and Purchasing; Malou Valero, VP for Finance; Akinori Terazawa, COO, Owner Ma Maison Japan; Amy Palisoc, VP for Business Development; and Rosamae Bongco, Joint Venture Partner.

(L-R, second row): Jason Chong See Kian, Noriyuki Ishizuka, Toshiyuk Futamura—International Trainors from Ma Maison Nagoya and Jean Paul Manuud, COO, Bistro Group

Welcome to My Home

  Ma Maison is more than just a restaurant, it is a place where guests  can indulge in good  food  and warm hospitality, just like they would in their own home. Welcome to Ma Maison, My Home!

Ma Maison is open daily from 11 am  to  11 pm.  For inquiries, call 7299122.