japanese – Page 3 – Jellybeans in the City

Katsu adventure in Yabu, Ayala Vertis North

Our boss treated the team to a pre-Christmas dinner at Yabu House of Katsu located in the newly opened Ayala Vertis North Mall.

Katsu sets are another of my favorite cuisines, and Yabu is among the few resto chains that offer quality katsus, so I welcomed the opportunity to dine in a new branch.

The place was packed when our group arrived so we had to wait for 5 minutes or so (no biggie!). The table was a bit of a tight squeeze for our group of 6 but we didn’t mind so much.

The staff were polite and helpful, though a bit overwhelmed with the volume of people that we had trouble calling some of them to request for refills.

Still, we thoroughly enjoyed our orders, which included:

Mozarella Katsu Sticks (Php270) as our appetizer

4 orders of Rosu Pork Loin Sets (Php440/180g; Php385/120g; Php350/80g). These consist of thick cuts of juicy pork loin cutlets with some fat trimmings.

Menchi Katsu Set (Php385). This consist of spiced minced beef and pork stuffed with cheese.

Rosu and Prawn Set (Php530). This consists of pork loin katsu with black tiger prawns also coated in panko.

Our orders included unlimited soup, rice and fruits.

Consistent with my experience in other Yabu branches, the pork katsus were well seasoned and juicy, justifying several requests for rice refills.

This Yabu branch is located at 2nd Level, Bldg. 4, Ayala Malls Vertis North, North Avenue, Brgy. Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City

Ramen break at Rai Rai Ken

While out on an errand with my daughter in SM City Taytay, we came across this branch of Rai Rai Ken. We don’t normally come across Rai Rai Ken branches in our usual haunts and since I’m going through my ramen phase and my daughter is a tempura aficionado, we decided to have our dinner here.

Rai Rai Ken started out as a humble eatery located along Bautista Street, Makati City in the early ’90s, which later started offering authentic Japanese ramen to its clientele. Now, it has 30+ branches nationwide, all serving old-fashioned steamy, heartwarming bowls of ramen. Its expanded menu now includes sashimi, sushi, teriyakis and teppans.

The branch in SM Taytay is clean with Japanese-inspired decor that includes a cherry blossom painting and paper lanterns that add character to the space.

I chose Tonkutsu Ramen (Php375) for myself; it consists of a rich pork tonkutsu broth, Japanese noodles, slices of marinated and slow-roasted pork belly, topped with mushrooms, aji tamago (marinated soft-boiled egg), menma (bamboo shoots) and nori (edible seaweed). The steamy dish does warm the heart with its full-flavored broth and the contrasts in texture of noodles combined with its toppings.

I also ordered Ebi Tempura (Php355 for 5 pieces), Salmon Sashimi (Php350) and Kani Salad (Php179) as requested by my daughter.

This branch is located at the Upper Ground Floor, Building B, SM City Taytay, along Taytay Diversion Road, Bgy Dolores, Taytay Rizal.

More info available at the Rai Rain Ken website.

Satisfying Japanese fare at Ariake

Japanese cuisine is characterized by fresh ingredients prepared in accordance to the season as well as simple yet artistic plating. Both are present in Ariake such that it’s among our group’s go-to lunch places for a Japanese meal.

Among its dishes that I recommend are:

Crunchy Tuna Sashimi (Php255) – raw tuna mixed with tempura flakes and a special dressing
Ebi Tempura (Php180 for 3 pieces)
Beef Teppan (Php355) – cubed tenderloin steak with sauteed vegetables
Tokyo Style Ramen (Php250) – shoyu-based soup, pork slices, boiled egg, leeks and cabbage