A different kind of Katsu

One of the iconic Japanese food for me aside from Sushi has got to be Tonkatsu. You won't fail to find it in the local Japanese menus whether it be from the usual Japanese Fastfood chain like Tokyo Tokyo or in the upscale places like Inagiku.

So when I saw Yabu at the SM Mall of Asia and found that they are the "House of Katsu", I headed on to try their specialty.

Location : 2/F South Arcade, Main Mall Atrium, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City


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Well, the first thing that popped up into my mind when I saw Yabu's logo are the clan symbols of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans (Naruto fans will get me on this, right?)...

Kidding aside, I found the theme/design of the stall quite relaxing and zen, a prelude to the meal that is about to happen.

Side view of the store sign

Front view of the store with the iconic Yabu logo

I found the benches were quite comfortable
without being too comfortable that they suck you in and
make you feel like a kid ;-)

During the time we got there the store was packed and we were on the waiting list so I'd advise you to come early if you plan to dine here especially if it's the weekends. They were kind enough to serve you Japanese tea while you wait... (is this a growing trend for long restaurant queues?)

Their signature Menchi Katsu and Soft Shell Crab Katsu

The so-so complementary tea served in a tasteful cup

While waiting, you could look for what you will order later (they don't allow pre-orders, order only once you are seated). You can also find some interesting stuff about the store.

Some trivia regarding the chef who helped in
establishing Yabu

The Menchi Katsu that I ordered later on

Their seafood katsus

The very first thing that they'll serve you once you are seated are a bunch of seeds (I recall seeing and smelling sesame there but for the others I don't know). What you're supposed to do with them is to grind them thoroughly to release the flavors. Then put the signature sauce using the spoon that will make you feel like a Zen master :)

The seeds, pre-grinding

All ground up

Pour the signature sauce

Mix, Mix, Mix!

Everything mixed up!

Now, let's go through the wonderful set of condiments that they have set-up on your table. The pot on the left contains the salt for your fruit dessert later on (forgot what the waitress called the salt). The pot on the right contains the special sauce. The two tall ones in the middle contain the mayo and vinaigrette for the cabbage (I highly, highly recommend using both of them). The three small ones are different chillies/wasabi/etc. You can ask the wait staff to explain deeper as I was salivating already by the time we were seated. hahaha.

The beautifully arranged condiments

That day we decided to go for the pork dishes, Seafood will just have to wait another day. Here is their regular Katsu and their Menchi Katsu (with cheese).

The Menchi Katsu

A look at the inside of the Menchi Katsu

The Hire Katsu

A serving of Fruit for dessert

What you get with the order of Katsu are unlimited rice, unlimited cabbage, some mustard/wasabi (this stuff's hot hot hot!!!), fruits (we got 2 slices of pineapple and 2 watermelon).

The rice was good and it was the typical Japanese rice. I had a lot of the cabbage owing to their super delicious tangy and sweet dressing (no kidding here, I ate more of the cabbage than the rice). The wire mesh that they put the Katsu on really helped me since it guaranteed that the Katsu stayed crisp and unmolested by the generous amount of dressing that I put on the cabbage so kudos there.

The Katsu had a nice texture, unlike the ones that they serve you on low end Japanese restaurants which are tough, greasy, and bland. It was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. I especially liked the cheese which although didn't pop in terms of taste, did tonnes in terms of presentation. I couldn't say much for the taste of the Katsu though, I found it quite bland by itself. The saving grace was the Katsu sauce, which was tangy and bombarded your taste buds with the different flavors of the seeds earlier. Sadly for me, I found that something was still lacking in the Katsu. It wasn't the superhero of the dish and it didn't stand out.

The dessert was good especially with the salt and it helped to freshen up your taste buds. I warn you though to keep away from the yellow sauce on the plate if you're not all that into spicy/hot food.

Well I guess that's it for Yabu for now. I'll come back a second time for their seafood katsu especially the soft shell crab one :)

A day of good eats, good art, and good buys!

For me, SM Megamall has been one of the best malls to walk around in. Even if I was going there since I was a kid, the place never ceases to surprise me.

One of the best restaurants there is a place called Chef's Quarter. It is located at the 3rd level of Megamall's Atrium. Here are their details:

Facebook page: Chef's Quarter
Location:

L3 The Atrium, SM Megamall

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Robinson's Place Ermita

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I've gotten a chance to dine at both locations and I find that their service is consistent and top-notch. The staff is very accommodating, friendly, and attentive. They pay attention to every detail and you'll often see them meticulously inspecting the silverware before they lay it down on your table. Glasses are consistently filled with water, unlike other places I know of that don't even refill your bottomless iced tea consistently.

The view from a couch seat at their SM Megamall branch

The table setting makes you not want to take a meal in it.
It's so neat!!!

The food, like the service is also top notch. Believe me when I tell you that you'll get your money's worth here. Although at first you may be shocked at the prices at first, you'll find out later on that they're well worth it. Our main favorite is their Grilled Salmon Tranche with wasabi glazed saffron rice and grilled romaine hearts (Php 420). Sure it's more expensive than the Conti's baked salmon but it's taste sure makes up for it. The salmon is perfectly cooked and juicy. Once you get over the rich taste of that salmon, you'll notice a sharp flavor from that wasabi glaze which will leave you wanting more. I got so distracted by the taste of the salmon and the glaze that I hardly notice the saffron rice, hmm, may be my taste buds need a little bit more training and restraint!

Grilled Salmon Tranche with wasabi glazed saffron rice
and grilled romaine hearts (Php 420)

The next dish I would highly recommend is their Stir Fried Seafood Paella (Solo: Php 195; Family Php 395). It is one of the best paellas I've ever tasted, well apart from the one that we cook at home! The rice is nicely colored and is really soft just the way we like it. You'll absolutely get lost in the seafood, there's the perfectly cooked juicy fish, the squid, the tender shrimp, mussels, just delicious. All of these are complemented by the nicely cooked vegetables, egg, and perfect seasoning.

Stir Fried Seafood Paella (Solo: Php 195; Family: Php 395)

Sadly, the chicken dish that I used to love is now gone. I've also forgotten it's name and can't find a picture of it. It had rice stuffing which just oozes flavor. Nonetheless, the replacement is no less scrumptious. The Roasted Chicken (Half: Php 295; Whole: Php 550) is not to be confused with the one served at Savory Restaurant. Although a certain pinoy flavor has been added to it with the banana or more particularly, the Saba, placed as a siding. I need not say more than it is simply delicious.

Roasted Chicken (Half: Php 295; Whole: Php 550)

The next dish we tried during our latest dining experience there was the New England Pot Roasted Beef (Solo: Php 250; Family: Php 495). It's one of those comforting dishes that you'd like to eat all nestled in a comfy sofa, near a fireplace, at the end of a long and rainy day at work. The beef was soft and melts like butter in the mouth. The thin layer of glistening fat on top doesn't give you that heavy feeling at the end of the meal and doesn't leave you feeling guilty ;-). The sauce is seasoned perfectly. All this is served with a siding of creamy mash potatoes and the usual vegetable sidings.

New England Pot Roasted Beef (Solo: Php 250; Family: Php 495)

The last dish we tried was a tad disappointing. It's the St. Louis Pork Ribs Barbecue (Solo: Php 295; Family: Php 550). It got mixed reviews from everyone at the table. Some loved it, some didn't. But for me, I didn't like it. I felt it was too sour and deviated from the more mellow and comforting food we had earlier, but then again, it may be just to my taste. I also felt that the gravy was a bit too much and too sour!

St. Louis Pork Ribs Barbecue (Solo: Php 295; Family: Php 550)

The other dishes we had before which I failed to take a picture of but nonetheless I highly recommend are the Chef's Quarter Steak, Petite Fillet Mignon, and Fish and Chips. The Chef's Quarter Steak is something I consciously make an effort not to wolf down immediately but savor slowly. The steak is perfectly cooked to your liking (mine's medium rare) and well seasoned. The flavored butter they put on top just makes it taste that much richer and the siding of potato wedges give you something to nibble on as you relax and contemplate another serving of that steak. The Petite Fillet Mignon is also good but I prefer the Chef's Quarter Steak over it. And last but not the least is the Fish and Chips. I feel that this dish is essential if you're really hungry. It goes with any dish I've tried with it. The fish is tender and has that crunchy coating we all love and the potato wedges are well salted.

Well, moving on, we toured around SM Megamall and found this art exhibition where a few people were hanging around. Why not go in if it's free! I immediately saw an opportunity to hone my photography skills and politely asked the lady looking after the booth if I could snap pictures of the art on display, fortunately, she said YES!

The Gallery Nine Annual Sculpture Review
I often see different art exhibited in this space

A beautify sculpture made of shells

Soldiers made out of scrap metal

This was actually moving. Made of tableware.

Some fanciful sculptures about astronauts.
Hope I accurately captured the mood!

A wire sculpture of a man seemingly
floating on the wall

A decorative doorway.
Reminds me of the tree where the Kings
and Queens of Narnia passed thru

A sculpture of an eastern dragon

Bronze sculpture of a woman

Driftwood with bronze goldfish
Reminds me of my aquarium

Some wooded sculptures

A beautifully crafted machine where everything
rotates when you move it

A sculpture of a head

Herbie, is that you!?!

Forgot what game I saw this at, anyone know?

This really caught my eye with its colors

Reminds me of those paper swans we
made when we were kids

Another sculpture which caught my eye
It's made of stripped stranded copper wire

Simply wonderful
The artist must have spent hours on this

Moving on, we chanced upon an exhibition at the Megatrade Hall. We bought some of the products of the provinces, like coffee, peanut flavored bukayo, salted eggs, and the like. I got a chance to meet a friendly soft shelled crab vendor from Zamboanga who I might buy some crab from in the future! There were also products like the usual Batangas blades and the not so usual products made from water hyacinths, sea snake leather wallets (which were quite soft mind you) and the dragon fruit (which was a cacti?!?)

Products made from water hyacinths

Soft shelled crabs

Dragon fruit cacti

Well that's it for today. See you on the next post! :-)