Japan's Yayoi restaurant opens at Megamall

MANILA – Filipinos are spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese food, as seen in the many restaurants serving anything from sushi, tempura and ramen to cheese tarts and crepe cakes.

Several restaurants from Japan have also set up shop in Manila. The latest to do this is Yayoi, which recently opened a branch at Building B of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Unlike the other Japanese franchises which specialize in a certain dish, Yayoi offers different kinds of teishoku or set meal which comes with steamed rice, miso soup and vegetables.

Diners have plenty of options here, with Yayoi’s main dishes sorted into categories – katsu, seafood and hot pot, to name a few. Food and drinks are ordered by making a few taps on the iPads on each table, a nod to Japanese efficiency.

No need to worry, the iPad menu comes in both English and Japanese versions. A physical menu is also available for less “techie” customers.

The food here arrives fast, hot and delicious. Order the bestselling Hitsumabushi (P650), or Nagoya-style grilled eel on rice with a side of dashi broth.

Eat like the Japanese and divide the dish into four portions, putting each on a separate bowl as the meal progresses. Enjoy the first portion as is, add condiments to the second, pour the broth on the third batch, and have it your way on the last serving.

To those who want to have a little bit of everything, get the Mix Toji Teishoku (P425), which includes pork cutlet, fried shrimp and strips of sukiyaki beef simmered in a mix of egg and Yayoi’s special sauce.

Another bestseller is the Namban Teishoku (P395), which has fried chicken steak with tartar sauce.

Some franchises have tweaked their offerings to suit the Filipino palate, but not Yayoi, which takes pride in keeping authentic Japanese flavors intact. Yayoi claims to provide the same taste and quality of food in its chain of over 300 outlets in Japan, the United States, Australia and other parts of Asia.

YAYOI
3/F Building B, SM Megamall
Mandaluyong City

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Try Korean and Japanese treats that fit your palate

Following the success of Wee Nam Kee, Osaka Ohsho, and Kumori, The Relish Group introduced in 2015 their first homegrown concept: Rock and Seoul.

A play to 'rock and roll,' Rock and Seoul incorporated three concepts into one restaurant: the growing fondness of Filipinos for K-Pop, the increasing awareness for healthy eating, and the consistent love of Filipinos for rice.

"Innovation is very key to the group. We’ve come up with strong concepts over the years and we continue to stay relevant by coming up with new products and new concepts," said Linfred Yap, managing partner of the Relish Group.

Rock and Seoul is a 'make your own bibimbap' fast-casual restaurant, which serves Korean-fusion meals. Yap explained, 'rock' was for the rock dish the bibimbap is cooked in and 'Seoul' is in homage to Korea.

He said they had a consultant on Korean cuisine who is also knowledgable on different foods around the globe.

Before launching the restaurant, Yap and his partners first had to test their food and the branding they were to execute. They also settled into a fast-casual food concept to reach a wider base of customers.

Meanwhile, Relish Group's Kumori offers traditional bread with a Japanese spin as well as the famous half-baked Japanese cheesecake called Juku.

"Bread is a staple part of our everyday life in the Philippines—people have it for breakfast, people have it for merienda, snack and some have it also for light lunch," Yap said.

Kumori was so well-received by Filipinos that the Relish Group is already mulling opening it for franchise.

Yap attributed their five years of steady success to a strong team, starting from his partners to their management teams on ground. Awareness of customer feedback, he added, also helped them fix problems immediately.

But with more and more competition going into the market, he maintained "it’s gonna be the survival of the fittest and we’re really going to have to stay on top of our game to make sure that we can continue to stay productive."

He noted that while they're not as fast in expanding as other restaurant chains, they see new opportunities in bringing fresh concepts into the Philippine market, like Peruvian-Japanese cuisine.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com