Yabu, country’s first and only authentic katsu restaurant, invited Pinoy Manila to experience and taste their katsu.
Yabu: House of Katsu is located at the 2nd level of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. Upon entering the restaurant, you will be greeted by their cool and elegant dining tables and chairs. You will also notice the arts on the wall. One of the sides of the wall was built from the wooden sake cups and the other side was painted with picture of manga/anime characters. The painting tells the story how katsu started and how this dish being cooked. The ambiance is very relaxing.
My friend and I ordered the tokantsu. But before they served their specialty dish, they asked about our appetizers. We have two options- the combination of edamame and hiyayakko tofu or the combination of wakame salad and Japanese-style potato salad. Since I love soya, I ordered the hiyayakko tofu. The taste was really good.
After eating our appetizers, they served the tonkatsu. It comes along with shredded organic cabbage which I love so much. Some are saying the Yabu Katsu is really different from other local katsu dish. And I must say…that’s absolutely true. Their katsu is so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I can slice it with my own chopstick…
I asked Denise Cabotage, brand manager of Yabu on what’s the secret of their katsu.
“The secret of our katsu lies in our fresh, quality ingredients, and our method of cooking. We are using 100% natural canola oil, which contains omega 3 and zero cholesterol. This oil keeps our breading crisp, while allowing flavors to come through. The meat is delivered fresh to our kitchen, never frozen” Denise said.
You know what Yabu is not a franchise store from Japan. This is a local restaurant in the Philippines. The business was formed through the partnership of Pinoy owner and Chef Kazuya Takeda, a Japanese chef who runs the popular Tonkatsu Takeshin restaurant in Tokyo. If you are expecting they are also serving other Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi or tempura, sorry guys…. this is patterned after Japanese katsuyas, which means they are only serving katsu dishes. Don’t worry about this because they offer wide range of katsu.
Denise also informed as that they are using imported kurubutu, a US premium pork also known as the Berkshire Pig. This pork is heavily marbled, pink and known as the “kobe beef” of pork.
For all non-meat lovers, they also serve katsu which made of seafood. Would you believe that they are getting the oyster directly from Japan and the scallops are sourced from the United States? That’s true!
We also ordered Yabu Special Katsudon, an original recipe from katsu master Kazuya. The katsudon topped with bonito flakes, shredded nori, shiso and a fried egg. It served with miso soup, rice, shredded cabbage, and fruits. This dish was also mouth –watering.
Lastly, we tried the very delicous chocolate lava cake.
You might also check some of the bloggers, celebrities and magazine’s’ comment, opinion, blog, review, tweet about YABU which are posted on the wall of the restroom.
“Yabu is the ultimate hang-out place for every Katsu lovers out there!”
For more information about Yabu: House of Katsu, you may visit their Facebook Page.
