Beef gyudon is one of my favorite Japanese dishes and for a long time, I have wanted to make this but never really got around to it until now. I searched online for a beef gyudon recipe that I thought I would like to try and found this recipe by justonecookbook.com.
All recipes I have seen have all indicated the need for mirin and sake. Let’s face it, in ordinary times these ingredients are already difficult to find … more so now, with the quarantine going on. Therefore, I have found the need to substitute with what I already have at home.
Instead of mirin, I used 1 part sugar with 2 parts rice wine vinegar.
Instead of sake, I used white cooking wine.
In addition, it is now possible to buy beef that is sliced thin enough. Just ask the butcher for “sukiyaki” or bacon cut.
Below is the modified recipe. I doubled the quantity of the recipe I used as a reference as there are more people to feed at my house.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar is melted. Set aside.
Use a medium-sized pan or wok and heat it up to medium-high heat.
Place the oil on the pan and saute the onion until it is soft and translucent.
Add the beef and sugar. Mix and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook!
Add the sauce, mix, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Putting the rice bowl together
This recipe makes up 6 servings. Bring out 6 bowls and put (at least) 1 cup of rice each.
Top with the beef gyudon you just cooked.
Notes
Your beef gyudon rice bowl is now ready to serve. Some people like it with an egg, if that is the case there are two things you can do:
right before preparing the rice bowls, pour the 6 beaten eggs into the beef and mix it.
serve a raw egg with the rice bowl and have each person crack the egg over their own bowl and mix it themselves.
For the second option, this only works well if the rice and beef are freshly cooked/still hot.
Enjoy! We did. 🙂
If you like this recipe and will replicate it, take a pic and share it on Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag me and use the hashtag #slvrdlphnrecipes
Yakikai, what a funny name to say. 🙂 ‘Tis the season to forget about that diet and indulge, as they say, and Yakikai is definitely a place to indulge our appetite. 🙂 A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to eat at Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet located at Scout Dr. Lazcano Street near Tomas Morato in Quezon City. For those who can’t quite imagine where this is, your nearest landmark would be Starbucks Reserve across from BPI on Tomas Morato Avenue. Yakikai is on the block where Starbucks is. 🙂
This restaurant was easy for me to find for these reasons:
I live nearby
this used to be Bagoong Club which I once frequented
it is a stone’s throw away from my favorite Starbucks branch, the Starbucks Reserve Legacy Store on Tomas Morato. 🙂
For people with cars, if you arrive early enough you can park right in front of Yakikai, otherwise, your next available parking will be on Tomas Morato. Not to worry, though, as Tomas Morato is a very short distance from the restaurant … very walkable.
The first time I heard about Yakikai I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be any different from other samgyupsal restaurants I have visited in the past. While there are definitely similarities, the owner, Ms. Sam, introduced us to some features that make this restaurant stand out. FYI, Ms. Sam used to be the owner of Sodam, a samgyupsal restaurant in Greenhills, which she has since sold before she opened this place.
Dining Area
Since I have been to this building before when it was a different restaurant I was interested to note if they changed anything about its appearance or layout. So far, they have made the dining area brighter and, of course, there is the addition of the ventilation pipes for the hoods over each table.
There are three dining areas on the ground floor: the main area near the buffet which can seat approximately 24 or more people, another one just to the right of the main dining area which can comfortably seat 30 people, and an outdoor seating area at the lanai which can comfortably seat another 24 people.
On the second floor, there are two rooms. The room on the right could possibly seat around 20 people while the room on the left could possibly seat 50 people. This set up makes Yakikai ideal for big groups. While their Zomato page says they do not take table bookings, I think they do take reservations for special events.
Restrooms
It is important to note that there are two gender-neutral restrooms, one on each floor. This is a carryover from Bagoong Club. However, I wish they could maintain it better. One tip I would possibly give them is to have one of their staff check the restrooms every 30 minutes or every hour to make sure it is still clean (and not stinky) and clean it when necessary.
The Menu
As with other restaurants they have an ala carte menu and an “eat all you can” menu. In this review, I will focus on the latter because this is the menu that they really want to push. That is my gorgeous sister holding up the menu for me. 😀
They only have 2 sets to choose from. The premium set and the emperor set.
Premium Set
The first is the PREMIUM SET. This was originally priced at P499 but, at the moment is available for P339. Unlike other restaurants, this package is composed of chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp, cheese, plus the buffet! Talk about value for money.
The meat selection is basically the same as what you would find in every other samgyupsal place but the addition of the shrimp and cheese (which is a mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese) at no extra cost brings them up a notch. I even noticed that there was one table that ordered just the fresh shrimp! That was so smart! I should do that next time.
Emperor Set
The second set is called the EMPEROR SET and is, of course, the one they highly recommend. Originally priced at P699, it is currently available for P599. The emperor set is composed of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, Jjampong nabe soup, and cheese! Specifically, what makes the emperor set are the following:
salmon sashimi
chuck eye steak
shrimp tempura
and Jjampong Nabe
When cooking any kind of meat (and steak especially) it is important to know when to stop cooking it so that the meat is still edible. When it comes to the steak which compared to the other meats served is thick, cooking it too long will make the steak hard and dry. Your goal should always be medium. Some like it medium-rare, others medium-well.
We asked Ms. Sam if they served tuna sashimi aside from salmon sashimi and she said that they don’t serve tuna as it spoils faster so if it is not consumed quickly they end up throwing it away. Salmon, on the other hand, handles better and lasts longer. I love salmon anyway so this was no hardship for me. 😀
The Jjampong Nabe might be removed from the menu as they have received feedback that many patrons find it too spicy. They are still thinking about what to replace it with if they decide to remove it. Any suggestions?
Buffet
Both the premium and emperor set comes with the buffet which is self-service and you can go back as often as you want and get as much as you want.
At first, it would appear as though the buffet offerings are limited, but as each dish is emptied, it is replaced with a different dish (if similar) dish, which makes for an almost limitless buffet.
In this photo here you can see that the options have already changed. The dishes that I kept going back for are the shredded sweet Japanese corn and the japchae. For those who do not know, japchae is a Korean noodle dish made with vermicelli noodles with vegetables and beef tossed in.
Sushi options at the buffet
On the far left of the buffet is a selection of different kinds of sushi from the all-time favorite California Maki to salmon, shrimp, and tamago (egg) variations. At the window above the buffet are the chefs who were busy preparing refills of all the dishes in the buffet.
I am very keen on anything spicy I sampled the spicy tuna. The sushi tasted as expected, which is a good thing. 🙂 I had a few pieces of spicy tuna and tamago sushi. 😀
Is “buffet only” an option?
We asked Ms. Sam if it were possible for guests to order just the buffet and no grilling and she said no. When I think about it, though, that really isn’t too bad since the price of their premium set is not really that expensive.
Dessert and drinks
For dessert, you can ask for any of the Korean ice cream available from the freezer at an additional cost (they are not part of the package). Same with the drinks, the packages only come with water but you can order soda or juices from the menu at an additional cost.
Eat-All-You-Can
I ate all I could and there were still so many dishes that I was not able to taste. A tip to beginners, make sure you are hungry when you go here because I promise you, there is almost no waiting time between sitting at your table and eating. While they set up your table you could already start on the buffet.
In the past several months most groups enjoy eating out at places that serve food that are perfect for sharing. The mst popular trend is to go to places that serve Korean barbeque at a reasonable price. Just a month ago I reviewed one such place. Today I am posting my review of Yoshimeatsu, a Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant located on Tomas Morato at the corner of Scout Fernandez, Barangay Sacred Heart, in Quezon City.
A couple of days ago, a few bloggers got together to try this restaurant at the invitation of Ross del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas.
Most of us were familiar with korean barbeque restaurants so there was no need to show us how to use the equipment or prepare the food. So the question was … what makes Yoshimeatsu different from other unlimited Korean barbeque restaurants in town?
Grilling selection
Yoshimeatsu offers more grilling options than others I have been to. One place I’ve been to offers a different just pork as it’s least expensive option, then chicken and pork as it’s second, and chicken, pork, and beef at its most expensive.
Yoshimeatsu offers all that (pork, beef, chicken, PLUS tofu, wiener sausages, and seafood cheeseballs) for the same price.
Pork
H1, H2, and H4 are the same as what you would find at other Korean barbeque restaurants. H1 (herbed pork) is basically a pork steak that is seasoned with salt and pepper. I honestly do not know what herb they used to season it but it is delicious. 😀
H2 (spicy sliced pork bouquet) is pork cut bacon style but seasoned in salt and pepper. My palate might be desensitized, though, because I really didn’t taste any spice.
H4 (Yangnyeom pork) is pork cut sukiyaki style (which means superthin) and is marinated in a special sauce.
Other restaurants offer the same number of choices but most do not offer my all time favorite isaw! Tagged as H3 in their menu this one dish that my family is wont to order from our corner barbeque vendor very often. Only the cholesterol conscious is wary of it but even they would try it out once in a while. They even serve this with a vinegar sauce on the side.
Beef
The beef selection at Yoshimeatsu is not as extensive as some places I have been to but what they lack in selection they make up in flavor.
G1 (sliced beef) is just that … sliced. No salt, no pepper, just the meat, which is perfect for those who want to season their meat themselves. That is what condiments are for. 😀
G2 (sliced beef with curry sauce) is for those who want a little more spice to their beef. Because it is curry it has that tang of cumin and turmeric that is reminiscent of Indian cuisine.
G3 (spicy beef yakinuku) is flavorful and the spice is just a hint so people who would usually not like spicy food will be able to enjoy this.
G4 (sliced fatty beef yakiniku) is sliced sukiyaki style and premarinated in yakiniku sauce. It makes this meat dish similar to bulgogi but is not as sweet.
For those with a bigger budget and are eager to try something different you can also choose from the ala carte premium grilling options. If you are eager for ox tongue, sirloin steak, prime meat, or the ultimate wagyu beef then this is the menu for you.
One of these days (if the budget permits) I am eager to try the Royale Hida Wagyu Set. All I will need is a windfall. 🙂
Chicken
I will be honest, I didn’t really try this but it is good to at least have the option.
I don’t eat liver so C1 didn’t appeal to me. At a guess C2 is made from chicken breast and I don’t usually eat chicken breast because I find it too dry. I am more of a chicken thigh person myself. But don’t take my word for it! If you love chicken (any part!) then try this yourself.
Others
I called this section OTHERS because they don’t really fall under pork, chicken, or beef.
F1 (sakana tofu) is tofu (soy) so vegans have an option. However, you may not want to cook your F1 with your carnivore friends or it would defeat the purpose. 😀
F2 (wiener sausage) is pork? chicken? beef? The meat is a mystery, it might be a composite of all three. 😀
F3 (seafood cheese ball) is squidballs with cheese inside. Yummy! I often order this when we eat at Shabu-shabu restaurants.
Side dishes
Again I could not help but compare. Some I’ve been to offer just 3 or 4, another offers 8, but perhaps because of the fusion with Japanese cuisine, this restaurant offers THIRTEEN (13)!
R4 (lettuce) not included in the pic below but is always immediately served. R3 (cheese) and S2 (seasoned egg) are also served immediately and is already on the table when customers are brought to the table.
My personal favorites are M3 (spicy tuna), M2 (california maki), and R1 (gohan, plain rice).
Ordering system
Their ordering system is probably the most unique feature of Yoshimeatsu. Rather than trying desperately to catch the attention of the server just to give them your next order, Yoshimeatsu has this.
On every table is installed a tablet on a stand. On this tablet you just tap your choices then click SEND. This will send the order to the kitchen and just moments later (depending on how many customers are being served) your order will be brought to you.
So far this ordering system is good. They only failed us once when they failed to deliver our order of S1, S3, and M3. 🙁
Price
Definitely there are others that are less expensive. From now until the end of the year (December 31, 2018) their unlimited yakiniku costs P549 (tax included). Thereafter the price will be P899 (tax included) unless they announce otherwise.
As per one of the owners, since the current price is already discounted, Senior Citizen and PWD discounts do not apply except on drinks and ala carte dishes. I found this strange because in most places, they would honor senior citizen and PWD discounts even for set meals and promo meals.
That aside, though, P549 is a reasonable price for this much food. Keep in mind that the minimum number to eat here is two because, like I said in the beginning, their food is for sharing. 🙂
Meal ender
Don’t forget to end your meal with their special soft serve ice cream. The flavor changes from day to day as they make it in-house. Don’t forget to ask your server what flavor is available for the day. So far I have tried vanilla, chocolate, stawberry, and taro.
The next time you and your family and friends are looking for a good place to eat in Quezon City, keep Yoshimeatsu in mind. You won’t regret it and you will surely enjoy it. 🙂
Good news to all Katsu lovers in the North! Katsu Sora, home of authentic Japanese tonkatsu and diverse selection of high-quality Japanese cuisine, is set to open another restaurant at the ground floor of Ayala Malls Cloverleaf in Quezon City on December 6!
Satisfy your cravings for crispy, tender tonkatsu and visit the newest branch on its grand opening day to get a free Tatsutaage set for every katsu set. Choose from the resto’s premium pork – Iberico, Shimofuri, Kurobuta and Sakura.
Make your own salad at the buffet bar and explore infinite number of salad mixes with a variety of ingredients to choose from. You may even complete your unique Japanese dining experience with a hearty bowl of either Awase Miso or Shin-su Shiro Miso soup.
Visit Katsu Sora at Ayala Malls Cloverleaf and have a taste of authentic Japanese cuisine. For more information, go to http://katsusora.com/.
Ramen lovers in North Metro can now enjoy Japanese culture in a bowl as Hokkaido Ramen Santouka brings its authentic, passionately-cooked ramen recipe to UP Town Center on Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka opens its 11th branch at the UP Town Center to give residents of the area and neighboring communities a taste of the unique family ramen recipe developed in 1988.
Santouka’s ramen offerings are masterfully made with imported ingredients — from the noodles down to the soup, which is cooked for 20 hours daily to keep it fresh and healthier but delicious to the last drop.
The opening of the new branch features special discounts available until October. Students can truly say TGIF (thank God it’s Friday) every Friday from September 22 to October 13 as they enjoy 20% discount on Santouka’s new offerings: fried chicken tsukemen and tonkatsu tsukemen upon presentation of a valid student ID.
They may also treat themselves with the buy one, get 30% off on second order of a regular takoyaki or cheese takoyaki promo.
Soft-Shell Crab Salad and Sushi
From September 23 to 30, diners at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka UP Town Center can avail of the soft-shell crab salad and sushi promo with free matcha ice cream with every order. Currently, the soft-shell crab salad and sushi, regular takoyaki, cheese takoyaki, fried chicken tsukemen and tonkatsu tsukemen are only available at the UP Town Center branch.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka photo credit to thebaginvestigator.com
Visit Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at UP Town Center and experience the best, carefully prepared ramen.
I searched online for a beef gyudon recipe that I thought I would like to try and found this recipe by justonecookbook.com.
As with other restaurants they have an ala carte menu and an “eat all you can” menu. In this review, I will focus on the latter because this is the menu that they really want to push. That is my gorgeous sister holding up the menu for me. 😀
In this photo here you can see that the options have already changed. The dishes that I kept going back for are the shredded sweet Japanese corn and the japchae. For those who do not know, japchae is a Korean noodle dish made with vermicelli noodles with vegetables and beef tossed in.
On the far left of the buffet is a selection of different kinds of sushi from the all-time favorite California Maki to salmon, shrimp, and tamago (egg) variations. At the window above the buffet are the chefs who were busy preparing refills of all the dishes in the buffet.
For those with a bigger budget and are eager to try something different you can also choose from the ala carte premium grilling options. If you are eager for ox tongue, sirloin steak, prime meat, or the ultimate wagyu beef then this is the menu for you.
I will be honest, I didn’t really try this but it is good to at least have the option.
My personal favorites are M3 (spicy tuna), M2 (california maki), and R1 (gohan, plain rice).
The next time you and your family and friends are looking for a good place to eat in Quezon City, keep Yoshimeatsu in mind. You won’t regret it and you will surely enjoy it. 🙂
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