Finally, the much-anticipated opening of Gyu-Kaku in Manila has become a reality. Deemed to be the world’s No. 1 Japanese BBQ Yakiniku brand since 1996, Gyu-Kaku’s concept was originally developed by Rex Holdings Japan. Its name means “Horn of the Bull” in Japanese.
Although initially met with a negative review when they first opened (see: Chuvaness | Gyu-Kaku Is Not Ready For Consumption), they have stabilized their operations almost a month into their Manila launch.
Here’s our Gyu-Kaku experience…
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- IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
- GYU-KAKU Philippines: World’s No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila 🙂
- MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
- MESCLUN BISTRO by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra
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Gyu-Kaku opened beside IHOP at W Center, where all the Global Restaurant Concepts brands are located in Bonifacio Global City.
The ground floor is the ideal dining location because of the high ceiling.
Take note: there is usually a 30-minute waiting time during peak hours.
The second floor is a bit cramped and not ideal for dates.
GYU-KAKU Menu: Soup & Salad | Gyu-Kaku Wagyu Beef | Selected Beef by Gyu-Kaku | Pork, Chicken, Lamb, Duck, Beef Intestine/Tripe | Seafood | Vegetables | Rice & Noodles | Desserts | Soft Drinks & Juices, Cocktails | Wine, Shochu, Sake
The menu is easy to navigate — choose your beef to grill, then add some side dishes: seafood, vegetables and rice.
Hot/cold tea is served.
The key to the Gyu-Kaku experience is the special type of charcoal used…
…along with the in-table roasters that use internal vents to force the smoke out. One good thing about it is that you don’t have to fear smelling like your food when you go out on a date night.
They give you a disposable apron so as not to mess up your outfit.
There’s also sweet and spicy soy sauce for the meat.
For starters, a lot of foodies recommend the sausages. We agree, they’re really yummy when roasted. 🙂
Our boys love cooking their own BBQ. It’s a great, interactive bonding experience with the kids.
Most of the mushrooms and seafood come wrapped in foil to be cooked on top of the roaster.
(Note: I wonder, though, isn’t it bad to cook food using foil in high temperatures because it’s carcinogenic?)
We ordered the salmon and cooked it for 8 minutes until the smoke came out of the foil.
The servers are very helpful, even when the restaurant is fully packed.
★ Assorted Mushrooms with Butter (P225 +10% service charge).
We loved the different mushrooms. They were soft, very juicy and a great match with the meat!
★ Norwegian Salmon Foil (Shio/Miso) (P295 +10% service charge).
The salmon was equally good and yummy. We chose the miso sauce option to give it a creamier taste.
Ishiyaki Bibimbab with Egg (P225 +10% service charge). Rice, minced chicken, seasoned vegetables topped with shredded dry seaweed and sesame seeds served in sizzling hot stone bowl.
We also liked the fried rice served in a hot stone bowl — it’s good toasted. 🙂
It’s a plus if you know how to cook, especially if you are with special friends.
Wagyu Karubi (Wagyu Oyster Blade) (P795 +10% service charge). High marbling cuts melts in your mouth with its rich flavor and juiciness! Karubi short ribs that is known as the ‘king of yakiniku’ popular for its sweet flavor and tender textures. (Tare, Miso, Shio, Spicy Miso)
Their signature meat: the Karubi Short Ribs (we ordered the Wagyu version). The marbling was a bit pale and it wasn’t as soft as we envisioned it to be.
It takes just a few minutes to cook the slices of beef and ensure both sides are cooked properly.
The meat was OK; some were a bit chewy. I wonder if getting the non-Wagyu meats would have been better…
Any tips on what meat to order in Gyu-Kaku?
Ice Cream Platter (P245 +10% service charge). Gyu-Kaku Ice Cream topped with soya bean powder and Japanese brown sugar syrup; Kurogoma Ice Cream – black sesame ice cream topped with Hokkaido red beans; Matcha Ice Cream – green tea ice cream topped with Hokkaido red beans.
For dessert, we ordered the ice cream, which was served lousily melted. They use commercialized brands of ice cream so better just reserve your dessert calories for some other place.
Overall, we like the Yakiniku cooking experience. It’s a big plus that you don’t smell like your food after you eat. We love the mushrooms, salmon, and the grilling process of the meat. The waiters are eager to help, and it’s best to have good rapport with them to get a better experience. Make sure to reserve and dine here early.
Some of the items, we heard, are not good (like the squid), so we decided not to order them. Skip the dessert, too. Surprisingly, it’s more affordable than expected. Budget P500/person.
GYU-KAKU
World’s Number 1 Yakiniku Brand
Address: W Global Center 30th St. corner 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Mobile: +(63 918) 917-2611
Operating Hours: Open Daily 11.00am to 11.00pm
Website: http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
What’s New in BGC Restaurants in 2013?
- VASK: Traditional Basque Cuisine and Modern Gastronomy @VaskManila
- EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Start of the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
- IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
- GYU-KAKU Philippines: World’s No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila 🙂
- MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
- MESCLUN BISTRO by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra
- SABOTEN Philippines: The Original Tonkatsu Flavor Now in Manila!
- URBN BAR & KITCHEN: The Secret Yummy Food of URBN
Related Blog Post: Chuvaness | Gyu-Kaku Is Not Ready For Consumption
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Full Disclosure: We paid for our meals. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t accept advertising from food and travel places we feature in the blog.
P.S. How was your Gyu-Kaku experience?
Hi Anton!
Thank you for visiting Gyu-Kaku with your family. 🙂
Hope to see you soon. Rest assured we took note of all your comments especially about our wagyu to further improve our service.
Gyu-Kaku Philippines
Anton,
The American Cancer Society reports that there is no cancer risk to using aluminum foil for cooking or storing food. There are several findings that report traces of aluminum transferred to food when using aluminum in cooking or storage, but reports from overwhelming number of studies show that these traces are a very small fraction of levels deemed to be dangerous. Aluminum traces are found in many items commonly ingested by humans, including buffered aspirin.
Besides, anyone concerned enough about ingesting aluminum no matter how small, would probably need to refrain from many food and beverages, like soda, or canned foods, and almost anything cooked in restaurants which a number of uses mostly aluminum pots, pans and utensils.
Gyu-Kaku, their claim to be No. 1 except in the country where it’s supposed to be from where they have completely failed and are about to close down.
I was really excited to try out Gyu-Kaku as I enjoy Yakiniku style BBQ as their location is much better than those Yakiniku joints in the seedy side of Makati.
Unfortunately, overall food taste and price/value ratio leaves much to be desired and the place is devoid of any Japanese feel.
I guess yakiniku shops like Gyumon (in Makati Creekside), Senrui, and Sandaya of Pasay Road will continue to have good business…