RESTAURANT REVIEW: Yabu Tonkatsu Restaurant at Powerplant Mall Rockwell Makati

Hire Pork Tenderloin Set at Yabu Powerplant Mall - Grow Up, Grow Old

“It’s just breaded porkchop” is probably one of the first things to come to mind when you first dine in Yabu. But it’s that exact reason why Dane and I keep coming back for more—it’s simple, and Yabu Japanese restaurant has perfected it.

Yabu has branches everywhere, and while we live in Mandaluyong and have eaten in it countless times, it wasn’t until a last-minute canceled plan in Powerplant Mall yesterday that I realized we never posted about one of our favorite Japanese restaurants.

Upon order of any of their katsu set, the servers will hand you a small mortar bowl with toasted black and white sesame seeds and a pestle to grind them to your liking. Then you can add their in-house katsu sauce to it for dipping your pork cutlet into. From experience, it takes at least 15 minutes for the food to come out from the kitchen, so I’ve always mentioned this is likely their way to entertain diners while waiting.

Dane and I’s typical go-to meal in Yabu is the Hire Set. It’s a set meal comprised of a 120g thick pork cutlet with no fat, a choice of white or brown rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and fruits. Aside from the breaded Porkchop, everything is refillable upon request.

The pork is tender and juicy and breaded to perfection and their roasted sesame kewpie dressing is also perfect for the shredded cabbage. Their miso soup is also one of our favorites and I love the free refill for it because it’s typically hotter than the first serving.

I honestly couldn’t find anything to complain about with this set aside from it being quite pricey. But personally, it’s the price I’m willing to pay for something I can guarantee to be delicious every single time.

Hire (Pork Tenderloin) Set: P405 for 120g (good for one)

Dane and I’s Rating: 5/5

For a little bit of change, Dane decided to change up his order when he saw a new menu item called the Tornado Omelette Curry. He was given the choice of choosing pork or chicken, and the set also came with refillable shredded cabbage, miso soup, and fruits.

The tornado-style egg covers the cup of rice (also refillable) and is surrounded by curry sauce. It was delicious but also more of a novelty dish.

Tornado Omelette Curry: P490 (good for one)

Dane and I’s Rating: 4/5

Tornado Omelette Curry - Yabu Powerplant Mall - Grow Up, Grow Old

The Agedashi Tofu is an appetizer we got curious about while browsing the menu during this visit. It’s silken tofu breaded with Panko in a soy sauce-dashi sauce.

It’s expensive especially thinking it’s basically deep fried tofu. But it was a delicious treat and possibly will become a staple when we dine in Yabu.

My only complaint is that it’s difficult to eat using chopsticks since the tofu is too soft to grip.

Agedashi Tofu: P225 (good for one)

Dane and I’s Rating: 5/5

Mango Shake - Yabu Powerplant Mall - Grow Up, Grow Old

Bottomless Iced Tea - Yabu Powerplant Mall - Grow Up, Grow Old

Part of our Yabu staples include the Mango Shake (P125) for myself and their Bottomless Iced Tea (P120) for Dane. They’re not record-breaking or anything, but they are definitely delicious drinks that pair well with the food. Dane and I’s Rating: 4.5/5

Outside of Yabu’s deliciously consistent food, one of the things I admire is their service across all branches. Servers offer water as soon as you sit down, they proactively offer refills to your cabbage with someone going around regularly, they are attentive to diners, and they all work fast. It lends to the whole eating experience.