Yabu: House of Katsu is more popularly known for its pork and beef dishes - the Hire and Rosu sets are a crowd favorite, as well as the new minced Menchi set. But did you know that Yabu also makes some mean seafood dishes, too? I sure didn't - I was too busy with my Kurobuta Katsu.
Trying my best not to go for the Premium Kurobuta Pork set on my last Yabu adventure, I once again found myself staring at their extensive menu of delicious set meals, scratching my head trying to figure out what to order. In the end it wasn't so hard, everything was bound to be delicious anyway.
The dish that seemed to look the closest to my beloved Kurobuta Pork was the Creamy Dory Set that offers a soft, creamy piece of dory fillet, deep-fried in their freshly made panko. So I gave that a go. It comes with all the same trimmings of the pork set (unlimited rice and cabbage, miso soup, picked vegetables, and fresh fruit for dessert), although it's best eaten with Yabu's signature tartar sauce instead of the saltier tonkatsu.
The fish was firm yet flaky, and the piece of dory could've very well fed two people - it was so big! The tartar sauce added a welcome dimension of flavor to boring ol' dory, making it so much more appealing. I didn't go heavy on the rice, but heavy on the shredded cabbage with lots and lots of sesame dressing instead. Yey!
If you're not a fan of dory and would rather try something a bit more adventurous, the Soft Shell Crab Set is probably for you. One luscious Japanese soft-shell crab is coated generously with freshly made panko before being fried to crispy perfection.
Yabu's spicy Layu sauce also goes best with this remarkable dish, and the mix of spice and crunch is something Yabu fanatics keep coming back for. I know I'm coming back for this - oh the crunchy, crunchy legs!
Yabu's Hiroshima Jumbo Oyster Set, on the other hand, is popular for the huge pieces of oysters that give a delicious contrast of crispiness and succulence with each bite. It seems to be a favorite among the Japanese men who dine at Katsu, as almost everyone of them that came in when we were there ordered that particular dish.
When mucking around the Mall of Asia, SM Megamall or SM Southmall, make sure you check out Yabu: House of Katsu for their awesome, authentic Japanese dishes as well as their unlimited servings of rice (you can ask for brown rice, too!), cabbage, and miso soup!
Just mucking around Manila,
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Images taken by Jericho San Miguel of The Pixel Project Manila
Yabu: House of Katsu
+63 2 511-7202
2/F Mall of Asia Main Mall Atrium, South Arcade, Pacific Dr
Manila Bay Reclamation Area, Pasay
Open Daily: 10am - 11pm
