Japanese foods have been a huge hit here in the Philippines especially now that more and more Filipinos are heavily invested in Japanese culture by watching anime, reading manga, following J-Pop groups, and more.
That’s exactly why more than a decade ago, in 2011, John Concepcion thought of a great idea that would eventually set the foundation for many Japanese restaurants here in the Philippines. In partnership with Kazuya Takeda, a Michelin Bib Gourmand-starred chef, Yabu: House of Katsu, was born.
Yabu specializes in serving the traditional Japanese dish called Katsu or Katsuretsu, which refers to a piece of meat cutlet coated with bread crumbs or panko and then deep-fried. A katsu is usually served with rice, shredded cabbage, and sometimes miso soup. Traditionally, Japanese chefs use pork in making a katsu which they call a Tonkatsu. But over the years, more and more versions of the Japanese Katsu are being introduced such as those made with beef, seafood, and even chicken. Apart from Yabu’s authentic Japanese dishes, what really made them successful in the Philippines is their ability to capture the hearts of the Filipinos. In what way, you ask? Two words. Unli. Rice.
You’ve read that right! Yabu serves its delicious Katsu dishes with unlimited servings of their special Koshihikari Rice, which perfectly complements the savory combination of the Katsu and the sauces. Overall, I know that you will enjoy your whole Yabu experience. From ordering your first Katsu set to freshly grounding sesame seeds for your Tonkatsu set, and ordering lots of extra Koshihikari Rice. Yabu is definitely one of those restaurants you can call “home”.
Content
Yabu Menu
Consistency has been key to Yabu’s success throughout these years. For more than a decade now, Yabu made sure to only use the highest quality products to create their magical Katsu dishes. To further maintain the heavenly flavor that customers keep on coming back for, Yabu makes sure that their Katsu dishes are prepared according to the traditional recipe. Not only that but to further elevate the customers’ experience and bring them something new now and then, Yabu keeps on expanding its menu to satisfy the taste buds of more customers.
With Yabu’s wide choices of Katsu goodness, where shall we start? Well, let’s just go ahead and begin with Yabu’s all-time favorite dishes, the Rosu and Hire Katsu Sets!
| Category | Menu Item | Details / Choices | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appetizers | Wakame & Potato Egg Salad | Cold plate; can mix and match or have two of the same | ₱260 |
| Appetizers | Chicken Salad | Fresh vegetables with poached shredded chicken and wonton crisps in mustard vinaigrette | ₱360 |
| Appetizers | Mozzarella Katsu Sticks | Panko-coated mozzarella with furikake and spicy aioli dip | ₱340 |
| Appetizers | Agedashi Tofu | Panko-crusted Japanese tofu with bonito flakes, grated radish, and soy-dashi sauce | ₱275 |
| Premium Kurobuta Katsu Sets | Rosu Kurobuta Katsu Set | 80g | ₱650 |
| Premium Kurobuta Katsu Sets | Rosu Kurobuta Katsu Set | 120g | ₱795 |
| Menchi Katsu Sets | Menchi Katsu Set | Ground beef and pork with mozzarella and aged cheddar | ₱450 |
| Menchi Katsu Sets | Tori Menchi Katsu Set | Minced chicken with ham, mozzarella, and aged cheddar | ₱455 |
| Katsu Sets | Rosu Set | Pork loin, 80g | ₱410 |
| Katsu Sets | Rosu Set | Pork loin, 120g | ₱450 |
| Katsu Sets | Rosu Set | Pork loin, 180g | ₱515 |
| Katsu Sets | Hire Set | Pork tenderloin, 80g | ₱435 |
| Katsu Sets | Hire Set | Pork tenderloin, 120g | ₱475 |
| Katsu Sets | Chicken Set | Chicken breast fillet, 80g | ₱395 |
| Katsu Sets | Chicken Set | Chicken breast fillet, 120g | ₱425 |
| Katsu Sets | Chicken Set | Chicken breast fillet, 180g | ₱490 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Signature Seafood Set | Wild-caught salmon, black tiger prawn, cream dory, and sweet potato | ₱690 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Signature Katsu Set | — | ₱685 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Prawn Katsu Set | Black tiger prawns | ₱640 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Cream Dory Katsu Set | 80g | ₱405 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Cream Dory Katsu Set | 120g | ₱435 |
| Seafood Katsu Sets | Cream Dory Katsu Set | 180g | ₱505 |
| Katsu Pairs | Katsu Pairs | Choice of pork: Rosu or Hire; choice of seafood: Salmon or Prawn | ₱600 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Rosu | Pork loin, 80g | ₱505 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Rosu | Pork loin, 120g | ₱575 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Chicken | 80g | ₱495 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Chicken | 120g | ₱535 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Menchi | Ground beef and pork | ₱580 |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Spicy Level | Regular, Hot, Very Hot | — |
| Tornado Curry Sets | Layu Sauce | Crispy garlic bits in chili oil | ₱75 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Rosu | Pork loin, 80g | ₱445 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Rosu | Pork loin, 120g | ₱510 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Chicken | 80g | ₱435 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Chicken | 120g | ₱475 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Menchi | Ground beef and pork | ₱515 |
| Regular Curry Sets | Spicy Level | Regular, Hot, Very Hot | — |
| Regular Curry Sets | Layu Sauce | Crispy garlic bits in chili oil | ₱75 |
| Crispy Katsudon | Rosu | — | ₱475 |
| Crispy Katsudon | Hire | — | ₱485 |
| Crispy Katsudon | Chicken | — | ₱465 |
| Crispy Katsudon | Prawn & Cream Dory | — | ₱530 |
| Classic Katsudon | Rosu | — | ₱475 |
| Classic Katsudon | Hire | — | ₱485 |
| Classic Katsudon | Chicken | — | ₱465 |
| Classic Katsudon | Prawn & Cream Dory | — | ₱530 |
| Bottomless Drinks | Bottomless | Lemonade, House Blend Iced Tea, Lychee and Peach Iced Tea | ₱155 |
| Shakes | Ripe Mango Shake | — | ₱180 |
| Shakes | Green Mango Shake | — | ₱180 |
| Shakes | Pineapple Shake | — | ₱155 |
| Shakes | Watermelon Shake | — | ₱155 |
| Canned Soda | Coke Regular | — | ₱120 |
| Canned Soda | Coke Zero | — | ₱120 |
| Canned Soda | Sprite | — | ₱120 |
| Beer | Asahi | — | ₱235 |
| Beer | San Miguel Pale Pilsen | — | ₱155 |
| Beer | San Miguel Light | — | ₱175 |
| Beer | Sapporo | — | ₱235 |
| Bottled Water | Bottled Water | — | ₱65 |
Katsu Baos
Appetizers & Salads
| Item | Regular | Large |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Salad | ₱310 | ₱520 |
| Mozzarella Katsu Sticks | ₱315 | ₱585 |
| Furikake Fries | ₱240 | – |
| Korokke Tamago | ₱220 | – |
| Cold Appetizers | ₱240 | ₱440 |
| Agedashi Tofu | ₱250 | ₱455 |
These two are the ultimate best-sellers of Yabu which are both Tonkatsus, made of thick and juicy pork cutlets coated with freshly-made panko and fried to golden brown perfection. The only difference is that Hire is a pork cutlet without any traces of fat while Rosu has quite a trimming of fat for more flavor. Ah, pair them with Yabu’s Koshihikari White Rice, Shredded Cabbage, Miso Soup, and the heavenly Tonkatsu Sauce and you’re absolutely good to go!
Aside from the iconic Tonkatsu Sets of Yabu, you can also try their other Katsu Sets like the Chicken, Dory, Salmon, Prawn, and Menchi which is also one of the best-sellers. Yabu also offers a powerful range of appetizers that you must try such as the Agedashi Tofu, Chicken Salad, Cold Appetizers, and of course, the Mozzarella Katsu Sticks. Yup, I bet you can’t say no to this one! Oh, and you can also order another Japanese classic in Yabu called the Oyakodon. This tasty dish is actually a rice bowl that uses both chicken and eggs as toppings. You can order the Classic Oyakodon or you can try the Signature Oyakodon of Yabu which includes Chicken Katsu and Egg as toppings!
Yabu also serves mouthwatering Katsudon dishes using their signature Katsu like Rosu, Hire, Ebi & Dory, and Chicken. Katsudon is actually the combination of Katsu and Donburi which in this case refers to a Tonkatsu Rice Bowl! This one’s perfect for everyone who wants to try a delicious twist of Yabu’s best-selling Tonkatsu, so make sure to try it! Yabu is also a perfect place for snack time because you can try and order their specialty Katsu Bao which is basically a Katsu sandwich. These are also available in all of Yabu’s signature flavors Chicken, Ebi, and Menchi.
Finally, Yabu also offers Katsu Curry Sets which brilliantly combine the delicious Katsu and Japanese Curry. Imagine being able to enjoy Yabu’s signature Katsu flavors Cream Dory, Rosu, Menchi, Chicken, and Hire together with a rich and cream Japanese Curry sauce on top of Yabu’s Koshihikari Rice. Yum!
Yabu Delivery
Yabu: House of Katsu already has 30 stores all over the Philippines. So I’m sure that you’ll be able to find the nearest Yabu branch around you whenever you crave Katsu goodness! Moreover, you can now easily order your favorite Yabu dishes in Grab Food. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, more and more restaurants in the country opted to join online delivery platforms and fortunately, Yabu is one of them!
Most of Yabu’s branches are also available for long-distance delivery so you don’t have to worry about distance limitations wherever you are, especially in the metro.
Yabu Branches
Here’s the complete list of Yabu branches.
| # | Yabu Branch | Address | Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayala Malls The 30th | LG/F Ayala Malls The 30th, 30 Meralco Ave, Ugong, Pasig, Metro Manila | (0929) 742-6357 / (0919) 074-4527 |
| 2 | Ayala Malls Vertis North | 2/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Mindanao Ave, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4572 (Booky Manila) |
| 3 | Ayala Malls Feliz | G/F Ayala Malls Feliz, Marcos Hwy cor JP Rizal St, Dela Paz, Pasig, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4539 (Booky Manila) |
| 4 | Eastwood Mall | Eastwood Mall / Eastwood City, Eastwood Ave, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, Metro Manila | Public branch number not consistently listed; one Yabu opening post points inquiries to 0919 074 4571, but verify before calling. (Facebook) |
| 5 | Estancia Mall | LG/F Estancia Mall, Meralco Ave, Capitol Commons, Oranbo, Pasig, Metro Manila | 0995 478 5305, based on public Yabu Estancia reservation/inquiry snippet (Facebook) |
| 6 | Festival Mall | UG/F East Wing Festival Mall, Commerce Ave, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila | (0999) 881-7462 (Booky Manila) |
| 7 | Glorietta 2 | G/F Glorietta 2, Ayala Ave, San Lorenzo, Makati, Metro Manila | (0999) 887-1401 (Booky Manila) |
| 8 | Greenhills Mall | G/F Greenhills Mall Annex, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave, San Juan, Metro Manila | Direct branch number not publicly listed in the sources I found; Yabu announced Greenhills as its biggest branch. (Instagram) |
| 9 | Power Plant Mall / Rockwell | Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Drive corner Plaza Drive / Rockwell Center, Makati, Metro Manila | (02) 887-0094 (giftaway.ph) |
| 10 | Robinsons Galleria Ortigas | 2/F Robinsons Galleria Ortigas, EDSA cor Ortigas Ave, Ugong Norte, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4571 (Booky Manila) |
| 11 | Robinsons Magnolia | LG/F Robinsons Magnolia, Aurora Blvd cor Doña Hemady St, Kaunlaran, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4570 (Booky Manila) |
| 12 | Robinsons Place Manila | G/F Robinsons Place Manila, Pedro Gil St cor Adriatico St, Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4528 (Booky Manila) |
| 13 | Robinsons Place Antipolo | UG/F Robinsons Place Antipolo, Sumulong Hwy, L. Sumulong Memorial Circle, Dela Paz, Antipolo, Rizal | (0919) 502-1479 (Booky Manila) |
| 14 | SM Aura Premier | 5/F SM Aura Premier, 26th St cor McKinley Pkwy, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila | (02) 7791-7921 / (0999) 887-1393 (SM Supermalls) |
| 15 | SM City Fairview | LG/F Parkway, SM City Fairview, Quirino Hwy cor Regalado Ave, Greater Lagro, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0908) 812-4754, based on Booky’s public listing snippets (Booky Manila) |
| 16 | SM City Grand Central | UG/F SM City Grand Central, Rizal Ave Ext, East Grace Park, Caloocan, Metro Manila | (0998) 853-8943 (Booky Manila) |
| 17 | SM City North EDSA / The Block | 2/F The Block, SM City North EDSA, North Ave cor EDSA, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0995) 624-6082 / SM listing also shows 0919-074-4540 (Booky Manila) |
| 18 | SM Mall of Asia | 2/F North Wing / Level 2 Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Seaside Blvd, Pasay, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4535 / yabu.moa@shg.com.ph (Booky Manila) |
| 19 | SM Megamall | 2/F Building B, SM Megamall, Doña Julia Vargas Ave cor EDSA, Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4552 (Booky Manila) |
| 20 | SM Southmall | UG/F Food Street, SM Southmall, Alabang-Zapote Rd, Almanza Uno, Las Piñas, Metro Manila | (0919) 074-4530 (Booky Manila) |
| 21 | UP Town Center | G/F Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave, UP Campus, Quezon City, Metro Manila | (0908) 816-2303 (Booky Manila) |
| 22 | SM City Marilao | Ground Level, SM City Marilao, MacArthur Highway, Ibayo, Marilao, Bulacan | Direct branch number not publicly listed in the sources I found; Yabu’s official post/news confirms the branch at Ground Level SM City Marilao. (Facebook) |
Conclusion
Yabu really was able to capture the hearts of many Filipinos over the years. Their irresistible Katsu Sets just made our love for Japanese foods even stronger. All in all, Yabu really became a strong foundation for the success of Japanese Cuisine in our country.
Yabu, together with its sister companies including Ippudo, The Elephant Group, and Kiwami are all under the Standard Hospitality Group which is founded by none other than the man himself, John Concepcion. All of these brands focus on Japanese Cuisine, which is a big statement of Yabu’s undeniable success in our country. Well, Yabu is truly a must-try Japanese restaurant serving heavenly Katsu dishes and more that are all perfect for Filipinos. So what are you waiting for? Try it now!
For more information and updates regarding Yabu: House of Katsu, simply follow their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Well, that sums it up! See you on our next food venture together!
Yabu Contact Information
Here’s the contact information of Yabu, in case you want to get in touch with them.
Facebook Page: Yabu – House of Katsu
Instagram: Yabu PH
