Yabu The House of Katsu Food Review

After hearing and reading a lot of good reviews about Yabu: The House of Katsu, the newest authentic Japanese katsu place in Manila, from fellow bloggers and Twitter friends, my taste buds became really excited to try it out. And when I could not contain my katsu-craving, I called up my cousin Lu Jean, drove to ABS-CBN to fetch her, and went to SM Megamall Atrium, just to try this awesome Yabu katsu restaurant and what they have to offer.



Yabu The House of Katsu's entrance greeted us with this saying: "The only thing more delicious than eating authentic Japanese katsu is the anticipation that comes right before it." Anticipation to eat good food and good tonkatsu. It was definitely a busy night for Yabu, jam-packed, but luckily we didn't have to wait for a long time to get our seats.



We also did not have a difficult time ordering because we simply tried their bestsellers, the Tonkatsu Sets, which comes with Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited cabbage with sesame dressing and a bowl of fruit.

I ordered the Premium Tonkatsu Set or the Kurobuta Pork Set 120g (Php 515) - 3/4 inch thick, juicy, flaky pork. Kurobuta, also known as Black Berkshire pig, is the world's finest pork, due to its rich marbling, softness, and flavor. Truly, it's the finest pork I have tasted, and it's rich in flavor.




While Luj got the Tonkatsu Set or the Rosu (Pork Loin) Set 90g (Php 280) - 3/4 inch think and juicy: 'rosu' is Japanese for pork loin, wherein the slice of pork has a trimming of fat with it. She added a side order of Prawn because she also wanted to try the prawns out. The tonkatsu was really soft and melts in your mouth, it's also tasty, probably because of the layer of fat (which I don't mind eating) that comes with it. One word: succulent!



We both were not served with our bowl of fruits, which either of us noticed, because we were much too preoccupied with our tonkatsu :)) I just noticed it when I was writing this blog post. The experience was great anyway; it's probably because Yabu The House of Katsu is currently on soft opening.

To further enjoy the Katsu and the Katsu experience in Yabu, you have to remember to grind, pour, mix and dip - steps on how to make the Katsu sauce. First, you have to grind the sesame seeds until it is powdery, then you pour the Katsu sauce, mix both, then dip your Katsu in the Katsu sauce. Enjoy! :)



After tasting the Kurobuta and the Rosu Tonkatsu, we instantly agreed that Yabu is definitely pig and pork heaven. We definitely have to go back to try out the other items in Yabu's menu.

The only setback it has is that the tables are quite small, I hope they do something about it. Other than that, the place is perfect. I crave for more Katsu! :)



The Yabu Difference

When you are served our Yabu Katsu, you can tell the difference right away - the katsu is so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, you can slice it with chopsticks.

The secret lies in our fresh, quality ingredients, and our method of cooking:

Our coating is made from fresh panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) everyday in our restaurant, ensuring that the bread flakes are long, light and crispy.

Our oil is 100% natural canola oil, which contains omega 3, zero trans fat and zero cholesterol. This oil keeps our breading crisp, while allowing flavors to come through.

Our meat- we use local pork that comes from our trusted partners that is delivered fresh to our kitchen, never frozen. We also use Kurobuta, US premium pork, also known as the Berkshire Black Pig. This pork is heavily marbled, pink and known as the “kobe beef” of pork.

Our seafood – for non-meat lovers, we also source fresh seafood both locally and abroad. Our oysters are huge and succulent, sourced directly from Hiroshima Japan; our scallops are sourced from the United States.

The result is authentic Japanese katsu, so delicious and soft, it literally melts in your mouth. Enjoy!



The Beginnings of Katsu

The word katsu is an abbreviation of the world "katsuretsu," which means "cutlet." It generally refers to a sliced piece of meat that it breaded and deep-fried. The dish was introduced to Japanese culture in the late 19th century during the Meiji period whne Japan opened its doors to Western culture. In the beginning, beef cutlets were used, but pork eventually became the more popular choice of meat by the 1900s, eventually giving to the dishes such as tonkatsu ("ton" is Japanese for "pork").

Today, katsu is considered one of the classic dishes in Japanese cuisine, inspiring many chefs to find ways to elevate this beautiful dish into a high level of culinary art.

'Katsu' in Japanese also means 'to win' or 'to be victorious,' and as such it has become a tradition for Japanese students to eat katsudon the night before taking a major exam.

Yabu: The House of Katsu
2nd Floor, SM Megamall Atrium
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Monday to Sunday, 10am – 10pm
Tel#: (632)576-3900
Follow: Facebook and Twitter

Speck's iGuy for Apple iPad and iPad2

Say Hi to the iGuy! The iGuy is one of (*)Speck's iPad and iPad 2 cases, a fun, free-standing and kid-friendly foam case which comes with tons of personality! It is an eye-candy for people who want to use their iPads in style. The iGuy comes in aquamarine, green and orange, exciting colors both for youngsters and adults. :)

"Every bit protective as he is a blast to use, iGuy is the perfect iPad accessory for all ages. He's lightweight, easy to hold, and he can stand on his own two feet, even while holding up your iPad."



I was able to try out this orange iGuy. I do not own an iPad or an iPad2, so I just borrowed one from my boss, who lent her iPad just for me to take this photo of the iGuy protecting the iPad.

At first it was a bit too hard to put on, maybe because we do not know really how to put it on, but once we figured it out, it was easily to slide in. I would think that the iGuy was designed to fit the iPad2 more, because it has a hole specially designed for the iPad2's camera. Nevertheless, you can plug it with the cover, which comes with the iGuy, if you're using it for the earlier iPad version.



The iGuy is now available in the Philippine market with an SRP of Php 1,450.00, and can be bought at the following stores nationwide: Beyond The Box, Digital Hub, Digital Hub – CDO, Digital Walker, E-Central – Cebu, Gui – Davao, iCenter – Cebu, iCenter – Davao, iCenter – Iloilo, Inbox Store, Power Hub – Davao, Power Mac Center, Sencolink, Switch, Technoholics, and The A-Shop

Drink Tea 水研社 at The Podium

If last year was the frozen yogurt or "fro-yo" year, this year is definitely the milk tea year. More and more Filipinos drink tea and milk tea today. More and more milk tea and tea shops open at every corner and turn possible. Among the shops that have opened are: Serenitea, Moonleaf, Chatime, Gong Cha, Happy Lemon, Cha Dao, Raintree, and a lot more... :)

Recently, I came across another tea place, Drink Tea 水研社, a Taiwanese tea shop brand, that opened at The Podium in Ortigas. What's unique about Drink Tea, and probably one of their trademarks, is their pink pearls made from Roselle plant extract, which has medical qualities.



I ordered the Pearl Milk Tea, with 25% sugar, and normal ice. What's good with the tea and milk tea shops now is that you can customize the sugar level put in the cup you're ordering. Drink Tea also allows you to customize the ice that they put in your drink.



The star of the drink, besides the really good tea that they have, is the Rose Pearls, or the Roselle Pearls. Not only does it add color and liven up your drink, it has this nice rubbery bite to it, which I like most. Roselle Pearls, comes from the Roselle plant extract. Roselle is associated with traditional Chinese medicine which is used for treatment to reduce hypertension, treat urinary track infections, enhance rejuvenation and reduces fatigue.



Menu of Drink Tea 水研社 :)



Drink Tea 水研社
Contact: +632-6871686
12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
1550 Mandaluyong

Shopping with the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard

I was part of the Bank of the Philippine Islands beta testers of the new BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard, a reloadable "prepaid" credit card, which enables everyone, even uncreditcardable people, to enjoy the benefits of having your own credit card. Now everyone can shop online, book flights, and do a lot more with the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard.

For now, you can load it up with a limit of 10,000 pesos, but BPI is working to increase the limit. My friends like the idea that you can easily apply for it, everyone who applies gets approved. It has no hidden charges, and no maintaining balance required to keep it. :)



And so, I tried using the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard for myself to see how easy shopping can be done using this prepaid credit card. Guess what, it is really easy as 1, 2, 3.

First trial was with the new BPI Online deal site - Deal Mania, which is exclusive to BPI Card holders. Among the many good deals in the site, I chose something which interests me the most, which is, you have guessed it right, FOOD. :)

THE DEAL: 52% Off Manila Hotel Fine Dining. International and Local Cuisine at Mabuhay Palace + 50% Discount Pass on the next visit for only Php 940.

Valid on a special set menu: Three Kinds of Dimsum, West Lake Soup with Minced Fish, Honey Chicken, Fried Pork Belly with Salt and Pepper Sauce, Fried Fish Fillet in Thai Chili Sauce, Pork and Shrimp Chopsuey, Seafood Fried Noodles and Almond Bean Curd. Also valid on 50% discount on lunch/dinner buffet for two at Cafe Ilang-Ilang, 50% discount on meal for two at Mabuhay Palace on your next visit (Valid until Dec. 31, 2011 not valid on long weekends, holidays and special occasions).


Navigating through the DEALMANIA.PH website and buying from there was just a breeze. You just need to select the deal you want, and go through the steps in purchasing, which includes typing in your BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard number and Card Validation Code (CVC/CVV2) number.

After that, I was on to the next shopping destination to try out the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard. As my friends, and some of my online readers, would have known, I really have a hard time looking for shoes that fit me, since my feet are size 13. Luckily, with a credit card, such as the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard, I am now able to shop online, specifically in online stores which sell large-sized shoes.

I clicked 6PM.COM, and bought this pair of Adidas running shoes. I had them shipped to a US address, courtesy of my aunt's mom (Thank you!!!), who will bring it with her when she visits the Philippines for Christmas this December. Thank you so so so much! :)



Lastly, Cebu Pacific Air had an Php 11 on all international and domestic flights last 11/11/11, and I could not pass up on an opportunity to travel to a new destination on such a cheap price tag. I booked for a solo flight to Busan, South Korea for September next year. It will be my first time to go to Korea. I am both excited and nervous, because, if ever, I will be traveling alone (if none of my cousins or friends decide to join me on this trip), also for the first time.


With the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard, now everyone can. Now, everyone can book easily to their next Philippine or international destination when there are promos by the airlines, or shop online through your favorite deal sites, and online stores. You can now easily shop with the money that you have (if you are the budget conscious type who doesn't want to spend the money you do not have...like me.)

A Conversation in Manila with Hillary Clinton

United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Philippines last Wednesday for the 60th anniversary of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty, which was held aboard USS Fitzgerald docked at Manila Bay. "As part of that treaty, she signed the Manila Declaration binding the countries to work together on a variety of mutual interests," as reported in the Daily Mail. She also had a bilateral meeting with the President at the Malacanang Palace; and a social media town hall meeting interview at the National Museum, to cap off the trip.



The US Embassy in Manila, together with a news network, invited a sampling of the youth, bloggers, online personalities and celebrities to a forum dialogue discussion entitled "US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Conversation in Manila," which was aired live and live streamed.

According to the US Embassy, it was a first for the US State Department to allow cellphones to be brought in an event. It was also the first time they are doing this format: using social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Skype, etc, together with a town-hall style interview and discussion.

TEST SHOT: Making it count. Presidential Security Group (PSG) inspects all cameras brought in the event, a mandatory check for all high level government events.
US Embassy staff explaining the rules: Phones in SILENT mode. Raise your hands if you have a question, and Ramon will find you. No flash when using your cameras.
I remember I attended a similar forum, entitled "The Manila Forum," with hundreds of students held at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), when she visited the Philippines in 2009. I was with the delegation the University of the Philippines (UP) sent to the event. It was great to be seeing her again this time around. Her passion and charisma never changed, always game to answer and to connect to the crowd.

Anchor-hosts Vicky Morales and Howie Severino prepare before the arrival of the US Secretary of State Clinton
Ramon Bautista interviews Heart Evangelista, Maxene Magalona, Isabelle Daza, Mareng Winnie Monsod and Mel Tiangco during the dialogue
With multi-awarded journalist, Maria Ressa, whom we missed after her stint with ABS-CBN. Now she is back in the Philippines. Read Bianca Gonzalez' feature on Maria Ressa, to know more about this legend :)


"We are in the age of participation," Hillary Clinton says. She recognizes the role of the youth, and the new media and social media we are using to change the game. She says the youth now has the "power of individual," to start your own movements, outreach, and participate in discussions, make governments accountable, and make real changes in society.

She was very optimistic of the Philippines. She said she sincerely believes that it is the Philippines time, but there has to be changes, such as more investment to education, among others. The forum ended with a challenge from Secretary Hillary Clinton to Filipinos, "What can you do to help the Philippines?"



Marjohara Tucay, editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, towards the end of the event, disrupted the forum with his high-pitched voice (in the same manner they always do) shouting “Junk VFA. There was nothing mutual in the Mutual Defense Treaty” while raising a banner (see photo above).


Clinton, on the other hand, remained calm and still poised and remarked that she's "pretty much used to it after all these years," and that even though she doesn't agree with him, respects his opinion. “I think people have the right to express themselves, that's what democracy is about," she said.



Photos from The Philippine Beat and The Philippines and Beyond. Thank you to the US Embassy in Manila, GMA News TV, and PLDT for making "A Conversation in Manila" possible. If you missed the event on TV and online live streaming, you can catch it here:

SOLO x KENKOY Online Model Search 2011

Clothing brand Solo has extended the search for the next faces of Solo for 2012, due to popular request. Submission of entries is extended until November 30 and voting ends on December 2.

Solo Online Model Search gets bigger on its 3rd year as Solo celebrates and relive the greatest and most-loved comic character of all time, KENKOY created by the Father of Philippine Cartoon Tony Velasquez.



After successfully launching Jaggy Tallada and Jhonna Flor as 2010’s grand winners and Mehran Khaledi and Phoebe Rutaquio as 2011's grand winners, Solo is now on a search for two new faces of the brand to be officially unveiled in 2012.



Head over to the contest site www.solo.com.ph/modelsearch2011 and be part of this year’s search! You may be the next face of Solo by submitting your creative photo entries or by taking part by supporting and voting for your fave entries!

Entries will be judged according to the following criteria:
30% Voter’s Choice and 70% Solo’s Choice (40% for Being Photogenic, 20% for Creativity and Styling and 10% Layout) for a total of 100%.



The highest scorers: 10 Male Photo Entries and 10 Female Photo Entries will be the finalists. The top 20 finalists will have a go-see and interview with the judges.

Cash Prizes and gift certificates await the grand winners for Best Male and Best Female Photo Entries, as well as their partner Graphic Artist/Photographer. There are also prizes for the lucky voters so keep your votes coming in and you might win Solo shopping GCs!

Get updates via Solo website, Facebook and Twitter pages. http://www.solo.com.ph/modelsearch2011/

GoHotels expands in Palawan, Dumaguete, Bacolod and Tacloban

GoHotels will soon launch during the 1st Quarter of 2012 four more budget hotels in addition to the growing GoHotels chain of budget accommodations in the Philippines. Opening early next year are: GoHotels Puerto Princesa Palawan; GoHotels Dumaguete; GoHotels Tacloban; and GoHotels Bacolod.

The new GoHotels in these locations will still retain the concept of if you book early, you will get lower rates. Rooms will be standard, pretty much the same as the flagship branch in Robinsons Pioneer. All GoHotels will be located beside a Robinsons Mall for convenience.

These exciting expansions for GoHotels PH, which first opened its doors to the public last May 2010, will certainly be anticipated, welcomed and appreciated by the Tourism Industry. These developments will certainly boost domestic tourism, as more and more hotels and accommodations, especially those who offer lowest rates, open up in these Philippine tourist destinations for budget travelers, barkadas, and tourists in general.

Filipino game developers release Scram in iTunes

Supporting my batchmates Levi Tan-Ong, Kenneth Yu, Wilhansen Li, Rodrick Tan, and Philip Cheang --- An award-winning team of Filipino game developers is releasing their first game for the iPhone. By Implication, the winners of 2010's Imagine Cup, are launching SCRAM on the iTunes App Store on Friday, November 18.

Scram is a first-person running game in which players must run through nightmarish dreamscapes, as they are pursued by an unseen threat. It features immersive 3-D graphics, fast-paced twitch gameplay, original theme music, leaderboards, Game Center achievements, retina display support, and Twitter integration for iOS 5 users. The game will be available at a discounted price point of $0.99, with free iPad-compatibility bundled with the first update. The video can be found below:

Everyone's welcome to shoot at Rizal Park

Inquirer published online last Saturday, November 12, 2011, an article entitled "Photographers snap at Rizal Park execs for 'no-shoot' rule" by Jeannette I. Andrade and Jerome Aning. I was alerted to this article by fellow bloggers, photographers, twitter mentions and emails from concerned citizens.

Screenshot from Inquirer.net
I could not let this pass, because, I, for one, know that anyone and everyone could snap a photo or photos at the Rizal Park and the Intramuros, without being hassled by anyone saying that it is not permitted to do so. If you even ask for permission, they could even assist your shoot. Case in point, I assisted Metro Magazine and Ms. Shamcey Supsup when they used the Department of Tourism facade for their November 2011 cover shot, and they did not even pay a single centavo for the shot, because it is for free!


I immediately wrote to some DOT Officials, including National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) Director Jett Villegas, alerting them about the article. Over the weekend, Director Villegas replied to me through e-mail saying:

Dear Brian,

Please help inform all persons and groups inquiring that the allegations that it is prohibited to shoot photos in Rizal Park is a blatant lie. I ask your help to spread the news that we allow all interested individuals and groups and anyone interested to photograph the park. Those intending to use the park for personal souvenir and take photos for personal use and school projects are free to do so for after all it is a public park. What we are asking only from those interested to use the park as a venue for commercial ads and for video infomercial, events such as prenuptial, and other events is for them to get permit. Reason for permit is to ensure that the use of the national monument is within the bounds of historic and cultural protocol as per the guidance of the National Historical Commission. We do get expert guidance from them on these matters.

As to the other sites of the park, we need to give permit for commercials shoots so that we can review the story board because we want the park to be projected as pleasant public park for leisure and recreation and historic educational experience and not to use it as scene for commercial, movie or photos that are showing violations against persons, property, abuses and human rights violation particularly among women and children.

Please pass the information to available media to hear our side. I think, it was wise for the group complaining if they did get our side of the story because we are certain that we can show them proofs that anybody can walk in the park and take their photos. If they did so ask our side, they will perhaps appreciate our policy that we want all park visitors to take photos of themselves and at any part of the park that interest them, this is for free to them and all our free additions to the new Rizal park. The peoples park is now looking very good after it did rehabilitation work since last year, and we promise to make it better under now the guidance of Sec. Mon Jimenez. He gave us the marching orders to make excellent things to happen in Rizal Park soonest.

Please extend your assistance to pass on the news that the public is invited to have their photo shoot anytime in Rizal Park.

Thanks,
Jett

The allegations that the Rizal Park, and any other National Park in the Philippines (to set the record straight), would disallow Filipinos, its visitors and tourists to take photos of themselves and their company in the park, are plain absurd, and, to me, a move to discredit and malign the Department of Tourism and the National Parks Development Committee for whatever personal selfish reasons they may have.

You know what, even the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty, both stated in the article by Mr. Mel Cortez (a wedding photographer, if you try to Google him), have stringent guidelines for filming and image shots, and require "fair rate for each operations," according to the official website of the Eiffel Tower, and in the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

These are more photos I gathered from the NPDC and from Dir. Villegas, which proves that anyone can shoot at the Rizal Park, even for product shots. These photos by the Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal - Federation of Philippine Photographer Foundation, Inc. promoting Coleman lamps. They asked for permission to take these shots, and they were granted without having to pay anything. Aren't these photos really nice? :)



To set the record straight: Come visit the Philippines! Come visit Luneta, Rizal Park. Come visit Manila, and the Intramuros. Take shots. Take memories that will last. Take lots of them. Snap away. Because it is free. Because we love our beautiful country. Pilipinas, tara na! ;)



Please spread this good news! :)

P.S. The opinions herein are solely mine, and not representative of the DOT or its officials.

EDIT (11/14/11, 3:20PM): I only saw this video, which was shared to me by a colleague. More questions than answers arise, and based on the video itself, the NPDC has every right to disallow them to proceed with their actions, because they are staging a preconceived permit-less protest (hello banner and shirts), which may be offensive and disrespectful to the place or may be in violation with the protocols of the National Historical Commission.

EDIT (11/15/11, 4:00PM): The National Parks and the Intramuros Administration have released a joint statement on the issue. Also, there's a Press Release from the Department of Tourism just now. National Parks Development Committee and Intramuros Administration Joint Statement DOT MEDIA RELEASE: NPDC and IA Photography Policy