Miso curious no longer, Yabu: House of Katsu! They have really outdone themselves this time with their newest offerings, and because I couldn't wait to check it out, I dragged good ol' Jericho with me all the way to Megamall (with his car dying on us twice) so we could bear witness to the deliciousness that emanated from the belly of the beast - Yabu's first branch.
I love the witty copy on the boards on display at Yabu. It gives you a sneak peak on what they'd be rolling out next, just keeping you waiting in anticipation on what their new dishes are all about.
We started our dinner with Yabu's Cold Spinach Salad with Goma Sauce. The steamed spinach is topped with delicate bonito flakes while wading in goma sauce. I can just have this at Yabu and be a happy camper. The spinach gets lathered with the goma's sesame goodness, and the every so delicate bonito flakes balance out the flavor.
They didn't have the Iidako Salad yet. It's a boctopus marinated in a sweet-savory sauce, tossed with crisp slices of cucumber. I don't know if I want to try that - chomping into a baby octopus head isn't my idea of yum.
Jericho ordered his favorite Yabu dish, Menchi. The minced premium beef and pork protect the oozing creamy center, and the whole thing is covered with the crunchy panko that they make themselves.
Although it's a lot more tender than the Kurobuta (it is minced, after all), I find the Menchi to be a bit too salty for my palate, which was probably from the cheese. Jericho loves it though and commented that the cheese lent another layer of flavor with each bite. Still, too salty for me.
Another one of Yabu's newest creations is the Miso Katsu. Choose from their Rosu, Hire, or Kurobuta pork cutlets topped with sweet miso sauce, sprinkled with spring onions and ground sesame seeds, all served on a Japanese hot plate!
I tried their Rosu cut with the Miso Katsu. The sauce is a bit salty and sweet, giving the plain ol' katsu a whole new flavor profile. I would alternate between giving my piece of rosu a good swish in it's miso bath and dipping it into the sesame tonkatsu sauce (old habits die hard) before enjoying all the new, complex flavors this dish brings.
Another new roll out are that Yabu's Rosu dishes - Rosu Katsu Curry, Rosu Special Katsudon and Rosu Original Katsudon - are now made with US Pork!
As a side note, I want to commend the people who handle Yabu's social media. They're doing such a great job of making sure their online and offline marketing work like clockwork. The staff at the restaurant knew what promos were happening on Facebook, and their Facebook moderator keeps pointing people back to the stores.
Miso happy! The next time you find yourself mucking around a Yabu near you, order up a storm and try their newest creations and find out how they fare against your old favorites. Not only are all their sets pretty affordable, they are also served with unlimited rice (they have organic brown rice if you ask!), 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 2 631 1192
2/F Mega Atrium,
SM Megamall, Pasig
Open Daily: 10am - 11pm
