Grillin Ape

Date of visit: January 2020

I dined here with my hubby during one of our grocery trip days. I can't remember the exact dish that I ordered but it was a chicken yakitori dish. Simple but tasty food. And it's really affordable. The place is small with only a few seats available but the ambiance is nice. I like its whole theme. I'll definitely go back and try their other meals.

Grillin Ape opened last November 28, 2019, as the new food establishment to serve those Japanese cravings, they're specializing with Yakitori and Udon. It's located on the 3rd floor of Eastwood Cybermall. . Once you enter the stall you'll notice the colorful murals and banners. It was said that it was the owner's friend who designed the place. I love the colors, I wish I was that artistic. LOL

Decent place to dine in at Eastwood. Specially when you're craving for a yakitori bowls and tired of usual fastfood. The meat on the grills are tender and easy to munch. Nice rice servings too if you're a rice person. I liked their lava cake, it's kind of like a big california maki. The tempura sushi is a must have as well. Grilled banana is so subtle and blends perfect with caramel. Location wise it is neat with nice mural art and Japanese Street vibe. Worth for its price.😊

The ambiance is so Japaneesy. The ape murals were so artistic. The place is small. There's an open kitchen so you can see how they grill the food, how they prepare it, and so on.

We got to try some of the dishes they are offering:Lava Donut (P230.00) - is a big chunk of sushi in a form of donut topped with Yuzu Kyozu Mayo, Mozarella Cheese, Egg, and tempura. I recommend it. Just by looking at it, you'll see how gooey and cheesy it is.

Chicken Liver wrapped in Grilled Bacon (P80.00/3 pcs) - no other words to describe but delicious (and tender). My only concern is the consistency of grilling it because the other parts were just burned too much.

Rice meals are available and I suggest you go for the Yakitori Bowls if you like different combinations of Yakitori to pair with rice.

I also love the Shrimp Kani Roll. As I said before, their cheesy/goeey Yuzu Kyozu Mayo made it tatsy and exciting to eat. The seafood taste was also there so it's a plus. The roll with bits of nori wraps was somehow okay (maybe because the kani roll stood out for me) but to be honest, these rolls were not dry and I didn't look for soy sauce/wasabi to flavor it up because it's tasty already. The flavor is there already so what more do I have to look for?

We also tried the Bacon Udon. It was on the 'not too sweet' side, just right while it's hot. I'm not a fan of soup with super thick noodles like.

For a sweet ending, we tried the Grilled Banana. It gives a slightly smoky flavor while giving a sweet taste due to the sauce that's drizzled on it.

Price range is on the affordable side. The Chicken Liver wrapped in Grilled Bacon is just P80.00/3 pcs with a remarkable juicy smoky taste. The looks (ambiance) might tell you it's expensive but at least glance at their menu and see how the price range is budget friendly.

The room for improvement would be the ventilation as it gets hot during our stay.

Filipinos have a heart for food and they are very welcoming with Japanese flavors. So when a new restaurant opened in Eastwood, we cannot help but start craving for more. This new Japanese restaurant that will fire your meals is called Grillin’ Ape. Grillin’ Ape opened last November 25, but it is already winning the hearts of people, food lover or not. It can be found at Eastwood Cybermall Level 3, Bagumbayan, Quezon City. The restaurant is accessible to many so location is a plus.