Yumi is a Japanese restaurant located at the new Promenade building in Greenhills. Owned by the same passionate foodies behind Munchtown and other group of restaurants, Yumi serves Japanese dishes with main focus on the aesthetics of the food from the plate to the palate. With chef Robby Gocco on its helm, one can expect freshly prepared Japanese food which are reasonably priced.
Yumi's menu suggests that it specializes in ramen, sushi, and teppan. Yet, amidst these three well-loved Japanese dishes, there are other items on the menu that are all well worth trying out.
Some of the foodies I know have raved about Yumi way before I have tried it myself. I had a high expectation not just because I trust the judgement and the palates of these foodies but also because it is a restaurant by chef Gocco. I had a chance to visit Yumi when they launched new varieties of Chirashi on their menu. Some of my luncheon mates called the gathering "Chirashi Feast." I, on the other hand call it "An Introduction to a New Favorite Japanese Restaurant."
I have a love affair with Chirashi for as long as I can remember. My love for it rooted from the fact that although Japanese food is beautiful in general, in my eyes, Chirashi always stands out from the rest. Add to that the fact that it is filling meal in itself since it is basically a dish comprised of Japanese rice with vinegar topped with all things delicious. So, I must say that the feast we had at Yumi was my kind of feast.
Chirashi Tekka (Php390)
This is essentially a Chirashi topped with tuna sashimi and quail egg. Despite its simplicity, the freshness of the tuna combined with the creaminess of the egg made it a very satisfying dish.
Chirashi Ikura Tokuji (Php470)
A Chirashi bowl topped with ikura (salmon roe), ebiko (shrimp roe), ika (squid) kani, tamago, and uni. Since I adore uni, this bowl was a delightful treat for me. I have had several uni in the past and this one is definitely one of the freshest I have had.
Chirashi Ikura Sake (Php450)
Salmon lovers will definitely be happy with this Chirashi bowl as it features generous slices of salmon (sake) sashimi in all its freshness. It also has ikura, ebiko, kani, and tamago that when mixed together with the Japanese rice, different dimension of flavor will burst forth making one crave for more.
Chirashi Moriawase (Php490)
This is definitely the most beautifully presented Chirashi bowl among the four we feasted on. Chirashi Moriawase at Yumi comprised of maguro (tuna), unagi (eel), sake (salmon), ebi (shrimp), sea urchin (uni), tamago (egg), tako (octopus), kani (crabstick), and saba (mackerel). The toppings which were quite a handful does not just contributed to the aesthetic sense of the dish but the combination of flavor worked quite well too.
I've been itching to try Japanese dishes at Yumi other than the Chirashi bowls we had, so we also had some of the recommended dishes on Yumi's menu.
We had a beautiful tower of sushi rice layered with spicy sashimi tuna, spicy sashimi salmon, and crabstick which aptly named as Symphony (Php380). This is basically tuna and salmon tataki only taken to a whole new different, albeit downright pleasant level. We also had the Hiyashi Chuka Ramen (Php275) which appearance was not able to entice me but the flavor blew my mind away. It is basically cold noodles with sesame dressing made all the more satisfying with pickled ginger, cran sticks, fried quail egg, and strips of nori.
Maguro Sashimi in Shoyu (Php320) and Sake Sashimi in Shoyu (Php320) which I thought was both equally impressive. It can be a welcome change from indulging in your usual sashimi because these two were laden with sauces that adds flavors to the fish.
The Sake Sushi Balls (Php205) is basically salmon sushi in a ball formed. Simple from the get go but the cream cheese and the crisp salmon skin on top made it interestingly palatable. The Hamachi Carpaccio (Php490) on the other hand are yellowtail fish sashimi marinated in olive oil. The lemon zest on top helped in elevating the flavor I must say.
Two of my favorite non-Chirashi dish were Unagi Foie Gras Sushi (P350) and Teppan Grilled U.S. Tenderloin with Foie Gras (Php775). Both are indulging treat owing to the presence of Foie Gras. The Unagi Sushi was a delightful appetizer but its goodness goes beyond that description because anything as good as this can be enjoyed even after the main dish was served. The Teppan on the other hand is chunks of beef tenderloin topped with medallion of foie gras, something which last peace I would not mind fighting over for.
There are a lot of items on the menu that I am dying to try but judging from the dishes I was able to feast on, considering the price point, I must say that Yumi is indeed one of my favorite restaurants I have dined in this year. I love the freshness and the quality of the food. It echoes the talent behind the kitchen where magic happens. I appreciate that despite its somehow hidden location, Yumi's food will make anyone thankful that they have come across with such a good Japanese restaurant.
Yumi Japanese Restaurant
Unit 202 Promenade 3, Greenhills Shopping Center
Ortigas Ave, West Crame
San Juan, Metro Manila
Contact No.: (632) 785-6932
Operating Hours: 11am to 10 pm daily
Facebook Page: /YumiJapanese
