Yabu, House of Katsu

Anyone who has a Twitter account knows that Yabu, House of Katsu is a pretty hot restaurant right now. I've seen enough pictures in my Instagram, Twitter and FB to make me drool. When I found out that they opened their 2nd branch in Robinsons Magnolia, I was excited, as I was also planning to check our Robinsons Magnolia anyways. I am always interested in checking out the different malls --- the reason behind this is I need to know all available malls and stores in case of emergencies in parties. One of the things I learned in the last few years is that getting to know ALL areas of Metro Manils is important in a catering business, so you know where to send your staff in case something goes wrong.

After meetings in Malabon / EDSA North area, I convinced J to bring me to Robinsons Magnolia before my Greenhills meeting. I had time to spare, but he was hesitant as there was a shooting / carnap incident just the day before. I justified that it seemed impossible that an incident would happen 2 days in a row! =P Just the day before, we were in Fort when there was a gas explosion, so J was just being cautious. 

Pretty Interiors, Japanese Comics on the Wall

I was thrilled to find Yabu, which was just beside the parking escalator, on the food court area. Actually, upon entering Robinsons, we were impressed with the look of the mall. It reminded us of the food court of Siam Paragon in Bangkok, in terms of layout.

The interiors of Yabu were very nice. We were seated by the very accommodating staff. When we weren't sure what to order, the waitress explained the differences in the different Katsu sets. We decided to order a Katsudon and Tonkatsu set made of imported pork (they called it Kurobota pork) since the price difference was minimal anyways. 

Make fresh sauce for your Tonkatsu!

We were puzzled when after taking our orders, the waiter dropped off two bowls of sesame seeds with spices. It must have shown in our faces, because he came back and asked us if it was our first time to eat there. He then showed us and explained (in English, ha!) how to grind everything, then add the sauce. He also explained all the different dressings and spices on the side of the table. Very, very insightful!

J's Katsu set!

Kurobuta 120g (P575), 2 Appetizers (P195), House Blend Iced Tea (P95)

I'd like to think that J and I have high standards when it comes to Japanese food, as my mom makes the ultimate knock-your-socks off food for our house parties, and since, well, our business is Japanese food. Yabu really lives up to the hype. Food is delicious, fresh, and massive. You will have a very, very difficult time finishing your food. In addition to that, almost everything in a set is bottomless. So every 5 minutes, attendants come by and fill your bento sets with organic cabbage, rice, iced tea. Really delicious. 

What makes Yabu interesting is their staff. It's like a 1-is-to-1 ratio for staff and customers here. You are literally waited on hand and foot! You barely need to call a waiter, since they're always attentive to your needs. Your iced tea is only 3/4 of the way down, someone comes to refill it. Seriously. And the attentiveness is not in an annoying way or anything like that. They really aim to please/kill you with food. About halfway thru the meal the manager/supervisor approached us and introduced herself, to ask how the meals were. We appreciate moves like that, haha. 

Price wise, a Katsu set is about P500++. Considering you can get 2nd rounds on rice and cabbage, it's worth it since the Pork serving is pretty big. Just for fun we tried the sidedishes too, btu we were only able to take a few bites because we were soooooo full. Expect a date for 2 to come out at about P1,400++ if with drinks and sidedish. It may seem a bit steep, but it's really yummy. They have cheaper options, around P300+ per bento set. Next time I would order the smaller serving though, since I know now that I can't take the bigger serving. Yabang kase, hahaha. 

This food court stall had the most delicious empanadas!

Sharing other shots of Robinsons Magnolia that I took. Funny thing --  I saw Rich Alvarez wandering around, and thought to myself, hmmm, that's odd. Then we went up to the 2nd floor, and saw Jericho Rosales and his girlfriend, ETC host  Kim Jones, walking around. Then we went up the 3rd floor, and saw another actress (I forgot her name) with her daughter about to watch a movie. I guess some celebrities like to hang here, since it isn't crowded yet and is in close proximity to both GMA and ABSCBN. But anyways, the whole Talk N Text team was there also for photo ops and autograph signing, so I guess that also had something to do with it. 

Either way, Robinsons Magnolia is really worth checking out. Even just for Yabu. 

Yabu, House of Katsu

Ground Level, Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd. corner Doña M. Hemady St., New Manila
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Operating Hours
Monday to Thursday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Friday and Saturday 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday 10:00am to 9:00pm