MANILA, Philippines—The menu says they are the “craziest, tastiest sushi rolls in town,” and indeed, perhaps they are.
In an era where sushi bars in cosmopolitan cities across the globe have become the dining destination, Red Box brings the same experience to the country by combining the best of Japanese-inspired sushi offerings infused with the brand’s creativity, fun and youthfulness.
It’s an interesting addition to an establishment used to be primarily known as a singing destination. But Red Box has recently put more emphasis on its food offering, revamping its a la carte and buffet options.
“We’ve evolved the sushi rolls. It’s still Japanese-inspired but we’ve made the selections dynamic and exciting to reflect the fun and youthful energy of the Red Box brand,” says Walden Chu, managing director of Red Box.
A collaborative concept by Red Box’s creative team and a Japanese-trained sushi chef, the rolls celebrate sushi at its finest, using only sushi-grade ingredients.
With the Sushi Samba selections, Red Box has made the cuisine more accessible to the Filipino market. While the rolls have a more playful spin on sushi, it’s not at all a radical departure from authentic Japanese sushi.
“Think of your basic California maki,” Chu says. “It took the classic sushi roll and adapted it to the American palate. It’s essentially what we’re doing here. We’ve diversified the classic sushi roll in such a way that makes it bigger, younger, and more fun.”
The addition of the sushi selections underscores Red Box as a venue for “shared celebrations,” where people come together to sing and dine—not anymore strictly confined to just singing.
“Red Box is just as much about music as it is about celebrating. It has become a place for shared celebrations and we want to continue to be recognized that way by evolving our offerings to make it more relevant to our market,” says Chu.
There are 12 sumptuous options for the Sushi Samba selection, each one made with unique combinations of seafood, veggies, fruits, and sauce.
Among the more unusual ingredients not found in typical Japanese sushi, and which makes the offering all the more exciting, are avacado, cheese, bonita flakes (Japanese flakes made of fish) and chili.
“We’ve had very positive feedback so far, especially when people order, because of the song references,” Chi says. “It’s truly an experience, not just in the mouth. [It’s] fun all the way through.”
The Sushi Samba line features 12 selections, but the young entrepreneur says they’re working on more varieties.
The menu is initially available at Red Box Eastwood, the company’s newest branch (it opened in 2010).
But Chu says he expects to see the Sushi Samba to be rolled out at the Greenbelt, Cebu, and TriNoma branches in the months ahead.
In all, the four Red Box branches account for more than 100 rooms—35 in Greenbelt, 18 in TriNoma, 21 in Cebu, and 26 in Eastwood. Red Box employs 60 employees in all four branches.
“Apart from having the widest selection of music, Red Box is where people converge to have fun and spend time together, that’s why food has always been an integral part of what Red Box has to offer,” he says.
Red Box has certainly upped the ante in the local industry, putting itself in a league of its own, going from an entertainment music zone to providing world-class cuisine that are guaranteed to provide exceptional dining experience for hundreds of guests every day.
“I’m confident we have the best sushi rolls in the country. Our loyal patrons can rest assured we’re working on more innovations as we speak. We’ll continue pushing the envelope to bring them the best that technology and top-notch food has to offer,” Chu says.