Don’t be surprised when you visit the newly reopened Yoshinoya branch in SM Megamall. It opened a little more than a week ago as the 4th branch in the Philippines to have its interiors remodeled seemingly catering to the younger market segment.

Yoshinoya SM Megamall Reopens

Best known for its Japanese Gyudon Beef Bowl, Yoshinoya went away from the traditional Japanese feel of wood and classic bowls into a more hip orange-themed look.

The upgraded design highlighted the “bull horn” logo shaped as “Y” and invented by Yoshinoya’s Mizuho Matsuda way back since 1899. Did you know that the surrounding rope around the horn represents “Yokozuna” referring to the ranking winner in a Japanese wrestling match? Moreover, the rope is made with 27 rice grains while the whole logo means “best beef bowls.”

Launches and openings, specially for a restaurant, is of course not complete with out served food. So here are some of the Yoshinoya specialties we got to try on their opening day:

Beef Gyudon Rice with Vegetables + Red Iced Tea

Guest Celebrity Ricardo Zepeda graces the Yoshinoya Megamall Opening

Yoshinoya Orange Wall of Bowls

Yoshinoya Maki-Siomai-dessert sampler platter 

As good as the food we had, on the other hand, I missed the more conservative premium Japanese ambiance, but that may be just me.

Freshly-cooked Tempura with sauce

Yoshinoya Megamall had its look since way back in 2003 when it first opened. I guess it was time for a change. And with it, the evolution to adapt to the new market must be what the people behind Yoshinoya have in mind.

As long as the food quality does not change, I know we will continue to love the delicious recipe of  beef and rice Gyudon we have grown up with in Yoshinoya SM Megamall. By October, Yoshinoya Delivery will have the number 288-2888! They have branches in Robinsons Galleria, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Manila, and Glorietta 1.

City Delivery Boy

I surprised my fiance two weeks ago with a City Delivery package just before our trip to Batangas to meet more relatives from my side of the family. So instead of the usual meals I order from City Delivery, I tried something for merienda that we can bring on the road – cream puffs from Happy Cream Puffs. It’s one of the brands/vendors under the City Delivery wing.

Happy Cream Puff

It was October 31 and I was just glad that City Delivery was open for delivery that time even when it was the start of a long weekend holiday in the Philippines. I also came to know that they do deliver even at November 1 & 2.

Anyhow, so the surprise went all well as intended.

Happy Cream Puff Delivery

Generally, cream puffs are loved by all, being on the sweet side. The caramelized top ones were better, though  more sinful, than that of the plain cream puffs.

I tried different variants that the Happy Cream Puff menu offered but what caught my taste fancy best was the Mango Nama Choux. It was a burst of lovely sweet cream from the inside balanced by the mango fruit slices. Of course, my fiance and I shared ’em and we almost didn’t have enough. 🙂 The bite-size ones were also good for sharing as a box and offered more variations. But then again, the Mango Nama Choux cream puff is NomNom‘s highly recommended order.

Assorted Happy Cream Puffs – Small

Caramelized-top Happy Cream Puffs!

CityDelivery.ph Online

Online City Delivery Order

I usually order through the phone. This was my first time to try ordering through City Delivery online. After registration where they captured my contact details and delivery address, I was ready to order.

Aside from the usual cash payment option, customers can also use their credit cards. I hope time will come when they would also recognize Paypal as a valid avenue; only a handful of local commercial websites who cater to retail customers accept Paypal payments. For bloggers and netizens like me, Paypal is the easiest, hassle free way to pay online, while keeping the security of my purchases. I believe that day will eventually come.

I’m sharing with you some screen shots which I had to go through ordering as well.

Order Online

Online Food Cart

Checkout

City Delivery Check Out

City Delivery Hotline

City Delivery Hotline

The City Delivery number is simply 87878! Or order online through http://www.citydelivery.ph/

Aside from Happy Cream Puff, my other foodie favorites Sumosam, Bon Appetea, Empanada Mas, Crave Burger, Little Asia, Pepper Lunch, Yoshinoya, and Zong, are with City Delivery too. Try ordering from City Delivery hotline today and share your experience as well, good or bad reviews, in the comment section below.

Yoshinoya is one of my favorite quick service Japanese restaurants. Although they often adjust their menu prices upward (specially in the previous year), their service is commendable and food quality is maintained.

Yoshinoya Pihilippines

So it’s always a good news to know when they have something new in their menu. In particular, I was invited to their launch last month wherein they introduced a number of new Yoshinoya dishes and highlighted some existing favorites such as the Shrimp Tempura, but now also served in a bowl .

Here are the new dishes from Yoshinoya Philippines:

Yoshinoya Tokyo Chicken – golden brown pieces of grilled chicken marinated in ginger-infused sauce served with mixed vegetables and steamed white rice.

Tokyo Chicken

Shrimp Tempura – crispy golden brown white prawn and deep fried garnished with a special tendon sauce.

Shrimp Tempura

Tokyo Beef – tender slices of beef with fresh onions sauteed and garnished with seasme seeds and capsicum slices over steaming white rice.

Tokyo Beef

Pork Tempura – breaded pork fillet with sweet potato and eggplant on the side over steaming white rice plus drizzled with special tendon sauce.

Pork Tempura

Veggie Beef – tender slices of beef simmered with onions in a broth of herbs and spices served with mixed vegetables and steaming white rice.

Veggie Beef

Chicken Tempura – breaded chicken chunks with sweet potato and eggplant fan on top of steaming white rice with special tendon sauce

Chicken Tempura

Pork Tongkatsu – deep-fried breaded pork fillet topped with special tonkatsu sauce with cabbage siding over steaming white rice

Pork Tongkatsu

Yoshi Chicken – deep fried and double coated marinated chicken dipped in a special sauce served with steaming rice.

Yoshi Chicken

Among the new offerings, I found the new Yoshinoya Yoshi Chicken most tempting.

Although obviously, it was concocted in response to the new fad of flavored chicken such as Bon Chon, Chicken Charlie, and Chicken Delish, Yoshinoya’s Yoshi Chicken is almost at par with the crunch and the flavor of the sauce.

I enjoyed the taste test and will surely be back to try all those new dishes from Yoshinoya in full servings. 🙂

In light of the Holy Week, which is much observed in the Catholic-dominated Philippines, here is a short list of restaurants’ non-meat lenten season specials:

• Marriott Cafe’s Ocean’s Surf Seafood Buffet
• Max’s Seafood Fest
• Figaro’s Kani Sandwich
• Yoshinoya’s Century Bangus Kabayaki

Have a solemn Holy Thursday and Good Friday ahead.

Century Bangus in Pack (available in groceries)

When Yoshinoya invited us to a bloggers’ dinner a few weeks ago to taste their newest addition to the menu, I did not expect much.

But when the Century Bangus Kabayaki was presented at Century Culinary Circle in Ortigas, I was pleasantly surprised.

Century Bangus Kabayaki

Specifically the belly part, the Century brand of bangus is lightly breaded and deep-fried. I also like the fact that the bangus belly serving is large enough, just right for the whole rice bowl.

Complementing the soft flesh of the bangus, it is glazed with a special Unagi-like kabayaki sauce which gives it the flavorful aroma and savory taste.

Kabayaki is the Japanese term that refers to filleted/deboned seafood dish dipped in a sweet soy-based sauce and grilled.

Yoshinoya Shrimp Katsu (left) & Century Bangus Kabayaki (right)

 

Yoshinoya Shrimp Katsu

Shrimp Katsu

The other dish is the Shrimp Katsu which is basically a deep-fried and breaded shrimp patty. The Shrimp Katsu pair I got comes with mixed vegetables and priced at P140. However, it came off too ordinary for me. I’d rather recommend you to get the Shrimp Katsu with Beef Bowl for just an additional P45 ( P185).

Yoshinoya Menu's Lenten Offerings

Back to Century Bangus Kabayaki

At P140, the Century Bangus Kabayaki meal comes with rice and bean sprouts. I always consume a minimal amount of rice as a personal weight-watch regimen. But with the Century Bangus Kabayaki, I was able to finish the whole bowl. 🙂

Tip: Although the bangus is deboned, it is not 100% boneless, eat it slowly and watch out for small bones. 🙂

Piolo Pascual & Century Bangus!

Piolo Pascual or not, I highly recommend this new Yoshinoya offering. 🙂 You have to try it soon because this will only last in Yoshonoya branches unitl mid-May 2011. Century Bangus Kabayaki is also fit for the upcoming Lenten season.

If you have seen my physical stature or know me personally, you wouldn’t guess that I do join food eating contests.

Burger Avenue Hamburgers

With my average body built, you would be surprised that I have joined a Hamburger-eating challenge and a Hotdog-Eating contest before.

Yoshinoya SM Megamall

I was off by 30 seconds from Burger Avenue‘s 5-minute Hamburger-eating challenge. It was a big 3-patty 1 pounder burger of pure beef. I also had the eating dare on video.

On the other hand, I somehow fared painstakingly well enough with 7-Eleven’s Hotdog-Eating contest. Although it was not good enough for the semi-finals, I was able to finish 5 jumbo hotdogs with 5 big buns and a large cup of iced tea in 5 minutes and 33 seconds..

And now, we’re upto a new challenge – Yoshinoya‘s Blogger’s Beef Gyudon Eating Contest.

The mechanics for registered participants from Boy-Kuripot blog states that…..

Yoshinoya Beef Gyudon

The bloggers should be at Yoshinoya Megamall on May 5, 2010 6PM to participate in The Beef Gyudon Eating Contest (Late comers will not be allowed to participate)

At the event, bloggers will be asked to eat as much Beef Gyudon Bowls they can within two (2) minutes

Bloggers will race to finish the most number of Beef Gyudon Bowls in two (2) minutes using a pair of chopsticks

Each time a bowl is finished, the blogger has to turn the bowl upside down. After two (2) minutes has elapsed, all bloggers will stop eating and stick out their tongue.

The blogger who ate the most number of Beef Gyudon Bowls will be declared the winner

In case of a tie, there will be tie breaking round. Bloggers will race to finish one regular beef bowl and the fastest will be declared as the winner

Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)

So if you happen to be in SM Megamall building A tomorrow, do pass by Yoshinoya at around 6pm and take a peek on NomNom‘s quest to be the king of Yoshinoya Beef Gyudon Bowls. And yes, I’d be starving myself off lunch in preparation for the Yoshinoya Blogger’s Beef Bowl Eating Contest tomorrow night 🙂

Following the successful first Food Foto Fiesta in NomNom Club featuring Serye, Yoshinoya now follows it up with its yummy servings.

From the well-loved Beef Bowls to Yoshinoya’s Jumbo Plates, these photos will satisfy your eyes and make your stomachs grumble. 🙂 The three side dishes and 3 Jumbo Plates will make you drivel the Japanese style. 🙂

3 Side Dishes

Yoshinoya Mixed Tempura

Yoshinoya Gyoza

Kani Shu Mai

3 Jumbo Plates

Gyudon Chicken Teriyaki

Gyudon Beef Yakiniku

Gyudon Ebi Tempura

3 Yoshinoya Jumbo Plates all together now. 🙂

Yoshinoya has branches in Parksquare 1, SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, SM North EDSA, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia, and Sta. Lucia.