What? P150 for a katsu set?
MANILA, Philippines — On Wednesday, Nov.11, I think there might be a sight to see at Rockwell’s Power Plant Mall: unusually long queues of people lining up to dine at Yabu.
I have been told that Yabu is offering P150 meals on that day as the restaurant celebrates its 15th year and wants to thank its loyal fans.
Yabu’s Classic Rosu set (80g porkloin) and Classic Chicken set (80g), regularly priced at P435 and P420, respectively, will be offered at only P150 to dine-in guests.
Lines are a normal sight at Yabu especially on weekends. Why so? Its founder, John Concepcion, knows how to tickle the palates of diners. He offers not only good Japanese katsu food — which he first tasted in Tokyo — in value-for-money sets. He surely knows how to please Pinoy diners with one word: Unlimited.
Not just unlimited rice, but also unlimited cabbage salad, unlimited miso soup, unlimited fruit dessert. The Rockwell diners love it! Refillable is the magic word.
“I want to make Yabu guests happy,” John told me during the opening of Yabu in Rockwell in 2025. John is a maverick, a provocateur, a rebel in the restaurant industry. While Filipinos usu-ally expect the whole works — from sushi to tempura to katsudon — in a Japanese resto, he dared open Yabu which focuses mainly on katsu dishes. He observed that if restaurants in Japan usually master one specialty, never the whole range of dishes; why can’t he, too?
After opening Yabu at SM Megamall in 2011, it now has 25 locations.
“Fifteen years ago, we set out to master one dish. Every set we have served since then has been a promise to raise that standard and our guests are the reason we have kept it,” explains John, the Standard Group’s CEO and co-founder.
He opened Yabu with Michelin Bib gourmand chef Kasuya Takada, who runs the Tokyo-based Tonkatsu Takeshin.
“Fifteen years in, there is still a lot to build. We are always looking for better ways to master what we do,” John adds.
My favorites at Yabu are its Fish (Dory) set, its Ebi (Prawns) set, Mozzarella Katsu Sticks and its Salad Duo of appetizers (you can actually choose from three different salads). Its Agedashi Tofu also appeals to pescatarians like me.
The visual appeal of Yabu to young diners comes from its signature manga-style comics wall. John’s son Michael Concepcion makes sure Yabu’s simple austere interiors appeal not just to the elegant crowd.
And on the P150 anniv offering on Nov.11, expect this crowd to lose their poise a bit as they or their children line up. I would.
Promo runs all day on Nov. 11, for dine-in only, at any standalone Yabu: House of Katsu branch, while supplies last. Each guest may avail of one promo set per visit.
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