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Yayoi brings new pulse to the familiar

by: JT Nisay

by JT Nisay – September 29, 2016

JAPANESE restaurants sprout like mushrooms in this neck of the woods. But despite the segment’s density, two friends still managed to bring in a first-in-the-country concept of this popular Asian cuisine.

In Photo: Chicken Namban

Nasu Miso and Saba Teishoku, Hitsumabushi.

Teishoku is the Japanese version of set meals and introducing this tray-full of delicacies to Filipinos is the new food destination at SM Megamall, Yayoi (pronounced “ya-yoee”). The restaurant is franchised from the 130-year-old Japanese brand, with over 300 outlets worldwide.

“We tried Yayoi during a trip to Fukuoka. We loved it so much that we decided to bring it here,” said Yayoi Philippines Managing Director Yvonee Yao, who shares the title with her friend Jacqeline Gobing. “We’re proud to open the first teishoku restaurant in the Philippines.”

While a typical set meal in America consists of a burger-fries-soda combo, and an Italian version features a mix of salad, bread and pasta, Japan’s teishokucomes with a main dish, white rice, miso soup and tsukemono, or pickled vegetables. In an interview during Yayoi’s recent opening, Gobing called the offering a “complete meal”.

Yayoi Philippines Managing Directors Yvonne Yao and Jacqueline Gobing.

One of the restaurant’s set meals is the Namban Teishoku—the main dish of which is a fried chicken steak in sweet-and-sour sauce, topped with Yayoi’s signature tartar sauce. Another is a beef  hot pot called Sukiyaki Teishoku, which comes with assorted vegetables stewed in sukiyaki sauce.

But among the varieties, what got our attention—and commendation—is the Hitsumabushi. On paper, it is described as “grilled eel over rice and served with a side of dashi broth.” On the table, it’s a sight to see and, as we found out, quite the experience to eat and definitely a treat to the palate.

The presentation is a tray of three bowls and two mini pots. The serving may stir initial confusion, but Yayoi doesn’t let its customers figure out how to eat their orders on their own (a common lapse of restaurants), as they provide instructional guides. “We do this so our guests can fully understand how to eat and enjoy their food,” Gobing said.

According to the guide, the rice-topped eel is best divided into four portions. This way, guests can try three ways of enjoying the dish, with the fourth reserved for a whichever-way-you-like-it option.

The first style is an à la carte serving. Second is to sprinkle the dish with condiments of wasabi and spring onions, and the third is to pour in the ochuzuke dashi broth, tagged as “the soul of Hitsumabashi”.

Gobing said that while other Japanese restaurants are strictly known as a katsu house or a ramen bar, Yayoi is more than just a teishoku destination.

“We have over 30 different meals, so you can eat something new here every day. It’s not just one type of dish. It’s everything.”

Yayoi also offers a delectable dessert line, including the green-tea ice cream with azuki beans, called the Matcha Anmitsu.

What’s more, the restaurant is a combination of the old and modern worlds of Japan. The food choices are a product of the country’s proud culinary traditions, while the store’s ambiance takes guests to the more modern Japan of  today through the infusion of a technologically advanced ordering system.

Mounted on each table are iPad Air units, where guests can place their orders, call a server, or ask for the bill. Gobing said this system is kept with the international standards of the Yayoi brand, and she hopes this feature will serve as another bar for their franchise in the Philippines.

Gobing added that Yayoi’s price points are made “as reasonable as possible,” saying “at Yayoi, you could really enjoy good value for money.”

She disclosed they are targeting to open 15 Yayoi branches in the country within the next five years, with the SM Mall of Asia store slated for an early 2017 opening.

SOURCE: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/yayoi-brings-new-pulse-to-the-familiar/