Mini Food Trips: Yabu - House of Katsu

Yabu's place reflects Japanese culture through its edgy designs. When you see a place that has less curves in it and more of lines, it reminds you of Japan because of how their people keep things neat and organized. Their interior can be quite intimidating because of the modern punch that really hits you in the face. But their very friendly and accommodating waiters are just by the door to welcome you in and give you a table. 

This guy taught us how to mix our own Katsu sauce. He sounded like very pro; Like a chef on a cooking show.

My date for the night seemed very serious in perfecting his sauce. When making your Katsu sauce, you first have to crush these sesame seeds then pour in scoops of the sauce. Crushing these seeds did not mean pounding it like in a mortar and pestle sort of way. You just have to stir it. 

I like how they provide each table with these condiments. That way, you don't have to call around for waiters to ask for some. And also, the interactivity of mixing these together plus creating your own Katsu sauce really helped Yabu stand out from the other Katsu houses.

Those towels would seem useless at first but you'll be thankful they're there after you finish your meal. 

The Food

The Rosu - Php.405.00 for 180g

This is what Romark had. He ordered a slamming 180g of pork loin. It came with unlimited serving of rice and cabbage, a bowl of fruit, and miso soup (which he didn't like). 

Even though I don't usually go for pork and beef, I did like this. It was soft and tender - exactly how meat should be. It was so juicy but non-greasy which I never thought could happen in fried food. But Yabu made it happen. It had a rich prok flavor and honestly, I didn't think it needed Katsu sauce.

I didn't think Romark could finish it all up but I was, again, proven wrong. His appetite never fails to surprise me.

Chicken and Seafood Set -(Php.475.00) - Black tiger Prawns, Oyster, Squid, Eggplant, Pepper

I'm a huge fan of chicken and seafood so when I saw this set on their menu, I literally shrieked. The squid was not at all rubbery. It was so soft and went well with the crispy crust that is the Japanese bread crumbs. Oh, and black tiger prawns? Fried to perfection! As if the sea and the heavens met in my mouth. The oyster caught my interest because...well breaded oyster? Haven't tried it. I thought it would be weird but no. You get this crispy piece of the ocean. It's like you're actually chewing the sea without the foul after taste.

And the chicken - the best part of the plate. Juicy, tender, and have I mentioned juicy? I had my first bite then bam! Fireworks.

Oh, mine came with some kind of tartar sauce to cut the malansa taste of seafood. But it was useless because the food did not need it. And if it did taste like the ocean, why would I want to cut that out, right?

The Aftermath

I had three rounds of the cabbage. Seriously, I never thought I'd be eating raw cabbage in my entire life. The only greens I eat raw is lettuce and now I'm a changed person. Also, I'm not a fan of sesame but their salad dressings worked for me. That's how good their food is: they make wanna change my view in life/food.

The big guy with just two pieces of pork left. Made about four bites and they were gone.

All in all, Yabu has definitely taken the Tonkatsu craze up by a level. The food is great, the idea of its entirity is great, all about it deserves the hype. Kudos to Yabu! 

I will definitely go back and try their soft-shell crab and salmon katsu!

Although their logo looks like that of motel. Hehe.