We can really feel the Christmas spirit as the holiday is fast approaching. Even this early, we’re starting to see houses decorated with all the ornaments of the Yuletide season, and malls are jampacked with shoppers ready to splurge for the gift-giving season. As for me, Christmas is all about food. For this month’s feature, we’re going to be featuring places on my Christmas food wishlist.
Sandaya Yakiniku
A fan-turned-owner, Avin Ong was once just a loyal customer of the restaurant. As these things sometimes go, he loved it so much, he went and signed up for a franchise himself. It might not be apparent but Sandaya Yakiniku doesn’t just offer a buffet, it is also a full service restaurant with ala carte meals. As you may be able to tell from its name, the resto specializes in Yakiniku
Sandaya Yakiniku is pleasing to the eyes because of its simplicity. The resto is a straight-up grilling place for your barbeque cravings. We dined with their marketing director, Steph Dy. She said that one of the things that sets them apart is that they offer a wide selection of grilled dishes that are great for both small and big groups. They also manage to keep their prices very reasonable, despite importing their ingredients from the US, Australia, and Japan.
First on the menu was the Premium Assorted Barbeque set which had of US Kalbi Eye, US Chuck Tender, US Boneless Short Ribs Prime, Japanese Wagyu Kobe beef Inside Skirt, US Hanging Tender, US Beef Special Marbled Tongue and Japanese Wagyu Kobe Beef Premium Sirloin.
This barbeque set has huge portions, and is more than enough to feed five hungry diners. Since the meat at a place such as this arrives at your table uncooked, there’s no hiding substandard meat. Sandaya Yakiniku, however, has nothing to hide. The meat is fresh, wonderfully marbled, and every bit as appetizing as you could ever want. All the meats are pre-seasoned, and perfectly done, again to highlight the quality of the beef, though I did feel like the Wagyu beef needed a bit more of a kick to get going.
After the beef came their Tuna Roll. It’s a great addition to any meal, as it brings the spice and freshness needed to cleanse your palate after the extremely flavorful beef.
We also tried their Japanese beef stew, which was thick, chunky, and deeply flavorful in a way only a long time sitting on a stove can do.
We were then served the Sandaya Special Green Salad. The shredded crabsticks and chopped mango go well with the greens and savory japanese mayo, creating a balance of bright and rich flavors in a single, light and healthy dish.
Expect to spend upwards of a thousand bucks at this place, but know that every single Peso is worth it.
Location: 3/F Fisher Mall, Quezon Ave., West Triangle, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Contact no.: (+632) 246-9069 ext. 301