The price was good enough for its quality. Service and food was good. The ambience was nice. It looked like an alley in Tokyo where tiny restaurants are as they offer the cheapest yet delicious meal.
Great Japanese restaurant at the Podium 5th Level. O I ordered the Yakitori Sampler and the Chicken Teriyaki Don. Both dishes were excellent. You can see the cook behind the glass window as he carefully watches and marinates the yakitori cooking on the grill. I also had a chance to sample the sashimi moriwase which was excellent. The fish was very fresh and reasonably priced. I would recommend this Japanese restaurant to anyone who wants variety, delicious Japanese food at a bargain for what you get.
Interior design: very nice- authentic Japanese decor
Ambiance: nice
Service: excellent
Food was great, as usual. Food was served quickly. However, server didn’t seem very happy that we came in though it was still 30 mins before closing. Had to ask for condiments, extra napkins, etc. since most of the tables have been cleared already. Overall still good.
As a starter you get served sweet and salted dried dilis.
Katsudon - Flavour of the breading was good. Generous serving.
Steamed Gyoza - Came with gyoza sauce. Both sauce and gyoza tasted fresh.
Beef Yakiniku - A very sweet yakiniku flavour. A plus from me was the crispy sprouts.
Rice Chahan - A very solid fried rice. Nothing to complain about.
Me and my boyfriend had our post valentines date at this restaurant. We were not dissappointed with the foods we ordered below, namely:
CALIFORNIA MAKI 👌 7/10
CHICKEN TERIYAKIDON 👌 10/10
STEAMED GYOZA 👍 8/10
Sweet Dilis 7/10
Very satisfied! As the serving itself is generous 😊
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
And when I say highly recommended, its because I have high standards in food so any repurcussions in the food im eating has an effect on me, id either be very satisfied or very dissapointed. Definitely going back when I crave any of these.
I've been to this place twice.
The restaurant - when you enter the restaurant, you'll have a different feeling, a good one. It's comfortable and clean.
The food - I enjoyed my first visit, so I came back. Their food tastes amazing, especially their sukiyaki. Their menu has enough variety to make you indecisive. You may end up ordering more than you can really finish.
The people - they are attentive and polite. Good job!
Value for money - this place serves good food at very friendly prices.
Will definitely visit again.
**photos are from second visit
Walking past Yaku could be quite daunting, seeing that it's a Japanese restaurant located at one of the classier malls in the city. However, you will be pleasantly suprised that all of their items on the menu are quite reasonably priced and that their servings are quite generous as well.
We probably ordered around 5 to 7 items from their menu and we only ended up with a bill below P1,700 (for 4 adults!)
Next time you're at Podium and find yourself craving for some good Japanese food, consider Yaku.
Will definitely come back to try out the other items on the menu.
Yaku has been in the Podium from the start. Other restaurants there have closed but this yakitori specialty place has always found its niche in the Ortigas area.
The prices are very reasonable from the sashimi, sushi and yakitori plates to tempura and chicken teriyaki.
Recommended dishes are:
Yaku platter - can't make up your mind on what yakitori (Japanese sticks of BBQ) then get this mixed platter of gindara, pork belly, asparamaki, quail egg, okra and chicken with onion leeks.
Sashimi Mariawase - assorted sashimi
California Maki
Ebi Tempura - they have nicely battered shrimps.
Yaku is cozy. Good for intimate dinners. Dark interiors that work well with some shots of house sake.
Parking at the Podium is easy even on weekends compared to Megamall.
I had tori karaage and assorted sashimi for my first visit here. The assorted sashimi was surprisingly fresh, despite the fact that I was the last customer to order. Definitely visiting again for the fresh and yummy sashimi!!!
The place is clean and the servers are attentive, which is a plus for me. I’m surprised it’s not a crowded restaurant, considering the good food they serve. If you’re looking for a place that’s not crowded and serves quality Japanese food, Yaku in Podium is definitely the place to be.
Love my 1st visit, ordered kani salad, salmon sushi, varieties of yakitori, zuteki, chicken teriyaki don (not in the photos), futomaki, california maki (no photo), yasai itame, ebi tempura and yakimeshi. Everything was really good. Even my balikbayan friend and his son enjoyed the meal.
Service was superb.
Will definitely come back.
Yaku is a Japanese restaurant serving authentic Japanese cuisine. The place looks rustic and one thing I like with this restaurant, it has an open kitchen. I saw the chefs on how they prepare the maki and yakitori.
🍣Yaku Platter - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🍣Saikoro Beef - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🍣Spicy Salmon Maki - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
For first timer, try the Spicy Salmon Maki. The mango was served fresh and blends well with the rice roll with salmon, spices and nori.
#ilovetoeatph 😃❤️
Didnt know what to eat for lunch so i walked around Podium to see what would tickle my fancy... and konnichiwa!!
The place is nice, Its clean, nice furnitures and cool ambience. although there are some mosquitos because there are some construction going on near their place. They gave our table 3 candles to shoo the mosquitos away.
The food tastes good. Each order of the Tuna and Salmon sashimi, california maki and agedashi tofu is good for 2 persons. The sukiyaki is also good for sharing. It didnt see any egg on the soup, maybe because we asked it to be split into 2 or maybe its another way of cooking sukiyaki. i really dont know but its okay it still tastes good.
Overall experience is a thumbs up. i left the place happily full.
We enjoyed our lunch here. The skewers were delicious. I especially liked the cod, salmon, and wagging. Soba was decent.
My salmon sashimi needed a bit more time to be thawed. Didn’t enjoy the sizzling oysters. I wasn’t aware they were breaded.
Service very friendly.
Their Ebi Tempura is a must try! Considering that it is cheaper than other Japanese restaurants and it's really sulit in terms of the size of the prawn. I also like how attentive their servers are! Plus, their interior is really nice; it feels so homey..truly, a perfect restau to catch up with your friends.
Ever since my work shift got changed, my eating habits have been odd. I don’t eat lunch at the supposed hour nor even eat lunch at all. Well, sometimes I do but it depends on the occasion. Either way, I would be super hungry come dinner time. After attending an event two weeks ago, this resto was the place of choice that filled up my hungry belly.
The staff members are very polite and they work fast! 5/5 for service! Food is okay. Their Japanese milk tea is a must! The place itself is a bit gloomy.
Japanese fried rice was yummy. Beef teppan was also good. Sizzling tofu was too salty for me though. Food was average in general. Pricey for the quality
Love the ambience and the quality of food in this place, I tried eating this during lunch time and I'm surprised it is not full, they also have tables where you sit like a Japanese eating their meal.
Salmon Sashimi was very good. Service was quite fast and they even gave me a free anchovy appetizer as I waited. Location is convenient for me because it is in The Podium at the center of Ortigas business district.
We had Japanese for lunch, heck, why not have Japanese dinner as well? Most Japanese restaurants I have been to have been very pricey for my taste. Somehow Yaku's price points were not that bad. The ambiance were also pretty cozy. We ordered the yasai salad, kakiage tempura, gyudon, california maki and yakisoba. We all enjoyed everything except for the yakisoba
Plus, they also have this personal hi-tech, electronic service devices on your table making it convenient for the customers. You don't have to turn your head 360 degrees to look for a waiter. Just push the desired button and just wait for 5-10 seconds for a waiter to be present. The service buttons are: call, bill and cancel. Pretty neat!
The waiters were helpful and accommodating except for one who showed irritation in his face whenever he attends to us.
Yaku Japanese Grill, as the name blatantly states it, is a restaurant specializing Japanese cuisine and offers izakaya favorites. The name may sound redundant to some as Yaku refers to the method of cooking particularly "grill" or "broiled" and thus the appearance of the English translation at the end of its name. As mentioned, they offer favorites such as barbecued or kushiyaki style food. These are skewered quail eggs, bacon wrapped asparagus, crunchy pork fat, sweetened liver, etc. (to mention some) that really go well with your favorite Nihonshu or beer. They also have the usual Japanese fare like Tempura, Sushi, and Sashimi. Price per head is at 500 - 700 per head.
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We got the Moriawase (Php319) or assorted sashimi platter. What's good about the restaurant is that they allow you to mix up the assortment. Since we aren't really big tuna lovers, we wanted to replace the tuna to salmon, and they agreed! Our version of the moriawase was uni, salmon, squid, and kani sticks.
What really brought us here was the Gyudon (Php239) and we were glad we made the right decision. The gyudon was served in a big bowl, which was enough for two people to share. It was served with marinated beef and raw egg. You could immediately smell the fragrance that the butter added to this bowl and each bite had this buttery taste that truly made us devoured the whole dish.
The other rice meal we ordered was the Unagi Don (Php399), which was more on the expensive side. But it's only expensive because it was grilled eel. The meat was tender and each bite had a smokey taste that left us wanting for more. The sesame seeds that it was topped with just added the perfect boost of flavor.
We also ordered Ebi Tempura (Php269), but there wasn't really anything special about their tempura, but it was still good.
We also ordered from the yakitori side of the menu, which is basically grilled dish. First, we got the Kawa (Php89), which was fried chicken skin that came in 3 sticks. It tasted really good! We just had to add yakiniku sauce to add a bit of flavor and this would've been the perfect beer match.
Finally, we got the Enoki Bacon (Php129), which was golden mushroom wrapped in grilled bacon and smothered in yakiniku sauce. This dish was perfect because was practically our favorites rolled into one. It did come off a bit salty at first, but hey! It's bacon. And bacon good.
The Pickiest Eater In The World
+4.5
Though the location of Yaku is quite hidden (some were saying the huge post blocking their entrance was bad feng shui). This was the first thing I noticed upon arriving. Yaku, which means grill, were one of the oldest restaurants in The Podium Mall since the year 2000 and until now they are still very much standing. So much for feng shui! That just proves as well that they have a lot of regulars that love them, and they are attracting new customers as well!
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One of the food trends I hate the most is how Japanese food is way overpriced here in the Philippines. Sure, you have Kimono Ken and Tokyo Tokyo, but aside from the fast food options, there are only a handful of places that offer cheap Japanese food.
This is why I had really high expectations for Yaku, and to be honest, I'm not sure if they were met. Granted, I only ordered a few items, but what I had was just okay. Their Gyudon had really hard beef and was coated with so much butter that it wasn't good at all. I also had their Tebasaki, which looked relatively unappetizing, but was done that way so that the wings slide off the bone easier. It was flavorful and matched the garnish. I also tried their Wasabi ice cream, which is great for experimentation, but really not the best ice cream flavor for someone like me who likes wasabi sparingly. Overall, the meal was relatively cheap and I was full, but the satisfaction factor wasn't really there.
The place has a really calm vibe, and the service is great and easy with their buzzer button which calls the waiter when needed. Overall, I would come back, but only to try their grilled food which seems cheap and raved about.
I have frequented this place many times before and glad to be back to have some Japanese. It is one of the busiest establishments in Podium. Their best sellers include Sukiyaki, Ankake Tofu and Yaku platter (grilled pork, chicken, fish, veggies, etc.). Sometimes I end up having lunch at breakfast and snack for lunch. This was my mindset when I had a meal here almost 2pm. I picked a light combination for a snack- I had two of their Yakitori and a fresh plate of sashimi.
If there's a Japanese restaurant that I wouldn't mind going to, despite it being far from my place, it would be Yaku! I've been dining here for years now, and have already brought friends over, and they've said nothing but praises!
I usually order varied yakitori selections. But my staples are the Yasai Salad, Spicy Salmon Gunkan and California Maki. They also offer unlimited refills of hot tea. :) The food choices are flavorsome and very affordable.
I have frequented this place many times before and glad to be back to have some Japanese. It is one of the busiest establishments in Podium. Their best sellers include Sukiyaki, Ankake Tofu and Yaku platter (grilled pork, chicken, fish, veggies, etc.)
Sometimes I end up having lunch at breakfast and snack for lunch. This was my mindset when I had a meal here almost 2pm. I picked a light combination for a snack- I had two of their Yakitori and a fresh plate of sashimi.
The Tori (chicken) Yakitori and Uzura (quail egg) were decent but could use heightened flavors to make it more enjoyable. The Spicy Salmon Sashimi was really fresh but lacked the spicy kick to make it a real winner.
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First time to try Yaku, it was recommended by my mentor because he mentioned me that they have the best tofu dish that would make every tofu dish you've eaten seemed like tokwa. We sat down on the corner and I already noticed the modular call button for the waiter. We ordered the Kijiyaki ( chicken thigh P179), Ankake tofu (Tofu with curry sauce P149), Zuteki (Beef tenderloin P289), 2 Gohans(white rice), Shake Nitsuke (boiled salmon w/ yaku sauce P195), 2 Gohan (white rice P49) and 3 Bottomeless Lipton Iced Tea (P79) .
What my mentor said was no lie, The tofu was superb. Crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside then paired withthe flavors of the curry sauce (which surprisingly sticked with the tofu, usually it doesn't). The tofu was well made. Indeed a good dish.
Next up was the Zuteki, It was well cooked. the beef was medium rare which was my favorite. Right amount of chewy and softness for my taste. It was another splendid dish paired with the Gohan.
Shake Nitsuke was a promising dish. The yaku sauce and the salmon had an umami effect and was delicious. But it had a freezer burn after taste which was kinda a let down for me. The dish had tofu also it was good but not better than the first one we tried.
The Kijiyaki was a nice comeback. It has radish mixed with calamansi and lime juice on top of the chicken which gives off this zesty rollercoaster flavor of the savory chicken. All of us were surprised with the dish as it was a delicious treat and a new approach to the asian favorite chicken dish.
Service was prompt and courteous, every now and then the waiter would refill our Iced Tea. I'd definitely come back to try the other dishes.
Food 4.5/5
Price 4.5/5
Service 4/5
Ambiance 3/5
We've been here twice. Their sashimi is really fresh. Mouth watering. Their gohan rice is great; easily use for chopsticks. Ebi tempura tasted awesome. However it's only 4 pieces. It would be nice to be at least 5 pieces like in most Japanese restaurant. Their service is fast and efficient. They offer complimentary tea. 😀
Our default Japanese resto! Price is very reasonable for the taste. Here's our must-try staples: Yaku platter (variety of grilled pork, chicken, fish, veggies, etc. A mix of yakitori which is so delicious!), miso soup, edamame, tuna sashimi, california/futo maki, kakiage, udon, yakimeshi, seafood teppanyaki, gyudon, unagi don and chicken terriyaki don. For dessert, don't miss their coffee jelly and wasabi ice cream as it's sure to hit the spot!
My mom and I had dinner here last night. It's been a while since we last ate here. I was very happy with the service and food. The yakitori we ordered tasted good and the service was so alert that we didn't need to call them to refill our water or iced tea.
Can't get enough of their Kaki Tempura (Oyster). It's so good, we order it every single time we dine here. And the high rating is primarily because of this dish. I usually order their Moriawase Sashimi as well. Very affordable yet good in quality. And it has uni! Can't say the same for their Chirashi Sushi though since there's no uni on that one. The various yakitori's we've tried were pretty good too especially the Shake Shio (Salmon). Another favorite of mine would be their Tofu Steak. You have to eat it with rice cos of the rich savory sauce. So far the only order that I wasn't a fan of was the Chicken Karaage which was too salty for my taste. But other than that, everything has been great.
The service is pretty good too. The waiters are attentive, friendly and they have these buttons on each table you can simply press to ask for assistance which was very convenient.
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My companions chose the area wherein low-lying tables with wooden benches cushioned with pillows make it look like you’re dining seated on the floor, Japanese-style! I also noticed that Yaku has this “service button” on tables which you can use if you want to call their staff. They also have this cute paper placemats with chopstick holder.
While waiting for our orders, they gave us complimentary fried anchovies (dilis). It was sweet, spicy and crunchy but bitin! (it was just a small serving).
Finally, our orders came. The Yaku Platter (PhP 229) is for those who want to have a sample of Yaku’s various yakitoris. It has gindara (cod fish), butabara (pork belly), asparamaki (asaparagus wrapped in bacon), uzura (quail eggs), okura (okra), and negima (chicken with onion leeks). I liked the uzura and asparamaki (because I love eggs and bacon!).
I’m not really a fan of Japanese cuisine, so I usually order the “safe” one—the katsudon (PhP 239), well you can never go wrong with a katsudon! The pork is tender and the breading is thin and the flavor is just right, not overpowering. The Japanese rice (short-grain) served with it was still steaming hot and quite plenty. I was able to finish the breaded pork off, but consumed only half of the rice. I also liked that it was topped with egg and a few strips of nori (seaweed).
My friends, on the other hand, had tendon and gyudon. Tendon (PhP 239) is breaded shrimp, siliago and crabstick on top of steamed Japanese rice. Gyudon (PhP 239) is beef strips with onions, raw egg and mirin sauce. I haven’t tasted it, but they too were satisfied with their orders.
Yaku’s servers were friendly and attentive although I find their service kinda slow to think that there were only a few of us dining at that time (weekday, late dinner).
My go to japanese resto ❤️ my fave dishes are zaru soba, spicy salmon gunkan, salmon shake and their famous kushikatsu set. So yummy! :)))))
Ate here last month. Great Japanese grill food selection. I ordered my usual favorite California Maki and added Butabara. Perfect with their amazing Melon shake. I would definitely go back!
I've visited here with my pregnant wife who had wanted to eat somen (Japanese misua noodle) because the menu said it has hiyashi-somen.
When I entered, I felt that it's really like Japanese izakaya (non-expensive dine and drink restaurant). I ordered Yaku platters, hiyashi-somen, takuanmaki, yakimeshi and gyoza with SM Super Dry. (Since Japanese popular beer is usually dry)
Taste is really good, orthodox Japanese taste. All yakitori comes with scent of charcoal. Yes, it is really an Izakaya!
P.S.
Hiyashi-somen is a simple noodle. Chilled thin noodle comes on ice. It's good in hot summer when we are tired on oily, saucy dish. My wife really enjoyed it.
This is a place where I would eat with people who don't mind. But when I had tried this place, it was kind of a no choice thing with my Lola and Mama. Then again, expect the unexpected, and hope it turns out fine. But this, is better than fine! The food did not disappoint, even for traditional Pinoy food lovers like Mama and Lola, and the staff were all so extra friendly and accommodating! Can't wait to try more of their dishes the next time I visit the PH!
Great ambiance. Good food. I love their gyoza. Reasonably priced. A bit small serving though. They give free dilis for appetizers. Friendly staff.
Karl Vendell Satinitigan
+4
very good sukiyaki and the yakitori too! chicken skin is a must-try
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It’s no secret our family loves Japanese food but Yaku Japanese Grill in Podium is one of those places I’ve neglected in the past. An entrance way is partially hidden by a pillar and sandwiched between Toy Kingdom and Ang Mo Kio probably did not help. They started as a yakitori stall somewhere in Ortigas before becoming a full blown Japanese restaurant. The name Yaku, actually means “to grill” in Japanese, has been around since the mall opened which is quite a feat considering the amount of turnover that has happened. I finally got a chance to try it our a couple of weeks ago together with some old and new friends.
Yaku is one of the handful of yakitori specialists that use charcoal in cooking them. If you don’t know what to choose, you can just get a Yaku Platter. Each platter comes with a stick each of gindara, butabara (pork liempo), okura (okra), usura (quail eggs), negima (chicken with onion leeks) and asparamaki (asparagus).
The Aspara Bacon is a always a hit, as most everything with bacon. This is something we regularly cook at home since its quite easy to do. We can’t replicate the smoky flavors of the charcoal since we just pop it into the oven.
The revelation for the night was a plate of Shisomaki, chicken wrapped in shiso leaf (perilla). Perilla is a fragrant lead from the mint family that is used in Japanese cooking as well as Korean barbecues. Each bite is a mix of sweet and succulent herb flavored chicken. This is one dish I’ll be back at Yaku for.
I’m still in my sushi craving phase so I got a plate of Nigiri Moriawase. There’s 7 whole pieces of sushi and a small tuna maki roll. The quality is not as good but you can’t complain with the reasonable price and perfect for a quick sushi fix especially if I deign to drive over to Makati.
Looking at that nice Chirashi bowl has me thinking maybe I should pick that in the future.
While browsing the menu waiting for my order to arrive, I chanced upon Spicy Tuna Gunkan. I loved the one from Terriyaki Boy back when they were still good. I was expecting canned tuna tossed with spicy mayo on top of sushi. The one that arrived actually uses fresh chopped tuna. It tasted pretty spicy and fresh so that assuaged my disappointment.
The last thing I tried was the curiously named Enoki Foilyaki. Golden mushrooms with bonito flakes sealed inside foil with soy, butter and mirin and then baked. This one is perfect foil (no pun intended) to the smoky flavors of the yakitori sticks. It’s fragrant and tasty with a strong umami taste courtesy of the katsuboshi. I’ll try to ask Irene to recreate this at home.
I was not able to try the other dishes like the Tofu Steak, Ebi tempura, Sizzling Kaki/Oysters and Yakimeshi but my dining companions were all quite happy.
I’m so glad to have tried Yaku Japanese Grill, I’ve been looking for a yakitori restaurant that uses charcoal ever since Yakitori Kitchen got replaced by Wrong Ramen. I’m going back for more of those Shisomaki, too bad they phased out my favorite tsukune (chicken balls) from the menu or else it would have been a perfect 1-2 punch.
My family and I ate at Yaku yesterday at the Podium Mall. We've been here several times before and consider it one of our trusted Japanese joints. We always have our meal outside because it allows us to people-watch and let the kids run around before the food comes. Speaking of the food, Yaku's food is consistently good and the ingredients always fresh. From their expansive Yakitori selection (we had the okra and chicken ones on this visit) to their Agemono or breaded dishes (Agedashi Tofu) to the Donburi (their Chicken Teriyaki Don is yummy) or rice toppings, Maki's, Sushi and Sashimi, you'll surely find something that truly satisfies. Also try their Sukiyaki, a sweet soup with shreds of tender beef, mushrooms and glass noodles. So good and comforting, not to mention huge, so it's great for sharing.
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