Yufuin Yakiniku and Japanese Restaurant

 So a few weeks back I decided to go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark Air Base. The experience was amazing. However, being that we aren't from that area... looking for a place to eat was relatively difficult. For the first few meals we stuck to the favorites; Sbarro and Jolibee. However for our last meal in Clark I wanted a place that couldn't be found in Metro Manila. So after a few minutes on my phone I found this "must try" Japanese restaurant in town. Yufuin Yakiniku and Japanese Restaurant.

Now I have VERY high standards when it comes to Japanese restaurants. But I saw a number of Japanese businessmen inside, which is normally a good sign.

Another good sign is that they had a sushi bar. In Metro Manila, the most authentic Japanese restaurants have sushi bars. Which was a good sign for my standards, but a bad sign for my wallet.

 

So we ordered the Uni Temaki for starters. Uni is Japanese for sea urchin. And on my first bite I knew that this was going to be an authentic Japanese dining experience. The uni was fresh and it had an amazing sauce that went with it. The nori wrapper was crisp to the bite. Definitely not one of the cheaper brands of seaweed that you see in some other Japanese restaurants.

 So this is their Chahan, which is Japanese Fried Rice. It was my first time ever to try Chahan. I usually go for Gohan, which is sushi rice. And I think this will also be my last time to try it. Not that it wasn't good.. it was really delicious actually. I just prefer sushi rice.

 

This was the Ebi Kakkiage. Which is shrimp and vegetables that were battered and fried. This is actually one of my favorite Japanese dishes if done correctly. Sometimes it's all flour and minimal vegetables. Sometimes it's just bits of shrimp instead of whole ones. And this time...? Well.. let's just say that I have found my favorite version of my favorite Japanese dish. The Kakkiage was just amazing. We were supposed to be sharing this plate... but I ended up getting more than half.

 

 The Gyoza was alright. It tasted just like every other Gyoza in every other Jap restaurant I've been to. Nothing to write home about.

 And lastly, the Agadashi Tofu. Quite honestly I would've liked my tofu breaded a bit more. But I think the reason why they didn't bread it heavily was so that customers could see the freshness of the tofu. It melted in your mouth and still had the right amount of crunch to it. Dipping it in the soup was quite an experience. As everyone knows.. tofu is quite boring. But the soup was so flavorful that I gulped down a couple spoonfuls with each bite of the tofu. And it went well with the tofu, too.

So this place is a definite must try if you ever find yourself in Clark.

Oh, and remember when I said that it wasn't a good sign for my wallet? Turns out I was wrong. So all those stuff we ordered.. that wasn't it. There was more that I didn't take a picture of because I didn't eat them. There was Miso Soup, Gohan Rice, and Tempura. So those three plus all the pictures of the ones I ate... the tab rounded up to something like 1,200 bucks. Very not bad.

Authentic Japanese at an affordable rate. If you want authentic in Metro Manila you have to be prepared to pay 2000-3000 pesos for a meal this big. Be sure to try this place out if you ever find yourself at Clark.

Good job, Yufuin. I'll see you again next year during the next Hot Air Balloon Festival.