Yurakuen: Teppanyaki Eat-All-You-Can at Diamond Hotel

After enjoying a Kapampangan food fest at Diamond Hotel's Corniche earlier this month, I got the chance to revisit the hotel once again. This time, I'm in for a Japanese treat at one of the hotel's most notable dining spots -- Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant which has been included in Asian Tatler Dining's Philippine's Best Restaurants for 2011.

Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant Yurakuen Walkway

Conveniently located at Diamond Hotel's ground floor, this posh culinary destination boasts of providing an authentic Japanese dining experience the moment you step foot in its simple yet luxuriously-decorated restaurant space. Upon entering Yurakuen, kimono-clad attendants have led us to a marble-floored corridor which extends to a small bridge going to the main dining area famous for its beautiful glass cherry blossom tree.

Yurakuen Teppanyaki Room Yurakuen Samurai Warrior

As much as we'd love to dine under a canopy of glass trees, our group was led to a private room to give us a taste of Yurakuen's teppanyaki dishes, freshly iron griddle-cooked gustatory delights prepared right in front of guests. And although Japanese cuisine is my first love, I have never experienced dining with a personal chef throwing off a blazing flambé right in front of my eyes until this visit to Yurakuen.

A Japanese dining experience won't be complete without meal starters. So to cater to Japanese food lovers like me who can't survive without an array of appetizers, the Teppanyaki Eat-All-You-Can promo at Yurakuen also includes a generous list of sashimi, sushi, maki, temaki, salad and soups, as well as unlimited flow of standard drinks, local and Kirin beer.

Crab Stick Salad
Crab Stick Salad
Tuna and Salmon Sashimi
Tuna and Salmon Sashimi
California Temaki
California Temaki
Tempura Temaki
Tempura Temaki

After a hearty start, we got a sneak peak of what we'll be having for main course. Yurakuen's Teppanyaki Eat-All-You-Can promo lets a hungry and craving guest enjoy unlimited rounds among a wide selection of vegetables, seafood, meats, rice variants and noodles.

Vegetable Platter
Vegetable Platter of Spinach, Asparagus, Enoki, Shiitake and Konyaku (Vegetable Jelly)
Seafood Platter
Seafood Platter of Tiger Prawns, Scallops, Salmon and Black Cod
Spine Lobsters
A Platter of Spine Lobsters
Meat Platter
Meat Platter of US Beef Tenderloin and Ribeye, US Wagyu Beef Striploin and Baby Lamb Chops

I know all these raw food platters already look so enticing! But, the magic in teppanyaki-style dining began when the chef stepped foot in our private room. Equipped with skillful hands and an amusing flair of a true master performer in the kitchen, Chef Bibong made us go ooh and ahh as he enchanted us with his kick ass teppanyaki cooking techniques.

Chef Bibong Flame Teppanyaki Chef Bibong Cooking Lobster

Among the wide variety of raw food ready for Chef Bibong's magic touch, we first had a simple yet flavorful vegetable teppanyaki of Spinach, Asparagus, Enoki, Shiitake and Konyaku.

Spinach, Asparagus, Enoki, Shiitake and Konyaku

Drenched with a few drops of white wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper, our plate of vegetables was phenomenal. These greens and mushrooms were cooked to perfection -- not too tough and not too wilted. And when I tried Chef Bibong's suggestion of dipping these veggies into the ponzu sauce, it was pure bliss. (That came from a not-so-frequent vegetable eater btw.)

Scallops Teppanyaki

After the plate of veggies came the moment I was waiting for -- seafood. Although I have seafood allergies, I can't help but succumb to the temptation of these big, soft and chewy pieces of premium US Scallops. Cooked with white wine and a whole lot of love from Chef Bibong, these plump scallops sent me directly to heaven!

Tiger Shrimp Teppanyaki

When it comes to seafood, my allergies' best accomplice would be prawns and shrimps. But with plump Tiger Shrimps cooked to a perfect tender and oozing with both smoky and buttery flavors, I'm ready to just take on more meds and more shots!

Black Cod and Salmon Teppanyaki

Among sea dwellers, my least favorite cooked food would probably be fish. Don't get me wrong, I love eating raw fish especially salmon. But when it comes to cooked fish dishes, I'm one finicky eater. And although I still didn't go gaga for Chef Bibong's Black Cod and Salmon Teppanyaki, I find them cooked very nicely -- firm yet moist and flavorful.

Lobster Teppanyaki

Although not originally part of the standard Tepanyaki Eat-All-You-Can menu, these Spine Lobsters are available unlimited-ly for an additional P500. And if you're like me who can only eat lobsters occasionally, then I'd definitely say, go for it as these are really savory and juicy seafood treats worth the splurge!

Lobster Miso Soup

After enjoying the lobster meat parts, we were served with a Lobster Miso Soup which uses the head and shell portions of the lobsters we just finished eating. While I enjoy simple and good ol' miso soup, this bowl really got me hooked. There's still the distinct taste of miso and the saltiness of dashi, but the strong lobster flavor really brought the cup to a whole new level.

US Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Chips
US Beef Ribeye Teppanyaki US Wagyu Beef Striploin Baby Lamb Chop with Mint Jelly Sauce

After a seafood overload, it was time to feed the inner carnivore in us. We feasted on savory slices of medium rare lean US Beef Tenderloin, succulent US Beef Ribeye and wonderfully smooth and buttery US Wagyu Beef Striploin (add additional P500 to avail). We also had a Baby Lamb Chop infused with sweet, refreshing and flavorful Mint Jelly Sauce.

Seafood Fried Rice

Being in a Japanese restaurant taking pride on its authenticity, we did what Japanese do -- eat fried rice last. (This is according to Chef Bibong who has already cooked for a lot of Japanese guests.) So after feasting on meal starters, vegetables, seafood and meat, our chef gladly prepared some Seafood Fried Rice for our table of four. Cooked with Japanese rice and a selection of flavorful ingredients, I understood why Japanese eat this bowl of rice on its own.

Pancakes with Black Bean and Strawberry Ice Cream

While I really felt very full after the multiple-course teppanyaki meal, I made sure to save some space for desserts as this is also part of the eat-all-you-can promo. First meal ender we had was a platter of soft and creamy Pancakes with Black Bean and Strawberry Ice Cream.

Black Sesame Ice Cream Raspberry Sorbet

We also had some fresh fruit slices, as well as cups of Diamond Hotel's home-made ice creams -- Black Sesame, Raspberry Sorbet, Genmaicha and Taro-Jackfruit, the perfect sweet endings to a hearty teppanyaki-style dinner.

THE VERDICT

This review is probably one of the longest ones I've posted to date. But as much as I had a hard time writing and coding this entry, it was more grueling to look at the photos and to reminisce at how sumptuous this teppanyaki eat-all-you-can dinner was.

With calming and beautiful interiors, great service both from the attendants and the chef, and food quality as excellent and as fitting as that of a king's, I definitely say splurging for a tepanyaki eat-all-you-can experience at Yurakuen is certainly worth it.

Taste - 5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4.5/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Value - 4.5/5

Teppanyaki Eat-All-You-Can Rate:
Lunch & Dinner - P1,970++
(with unlimited standard drinks, local and Kirin beer)
Unlimited Premium Food Items - Add P500 (per item)
(Black Cod, Chilean Seabass, Black Seabass, Spine Lobster, US Black Angus Beef Tenderloin,
US Wagyu Beef Sirloin, US Wagyu Beef Striploin, US Wagyu Short Ribs)



Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant, Diamond Hotel
Hotel's Lobby, Diamond Hotel
Roxas Blvd. cor. Dr. J. Quintos St.,
Manila, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 528-3000 loc. 1127
Official Website
Facebook Page

44 comments:

  1. Love the photos! I would love to dine here one day.. =)

    http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/

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  2. *drools* OMG. My brother will LOOOOVE this place! :O

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  3. Wow!! Love the look of all the food! :)

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  4. demmit.nagutom ako bigla..
    shouldnt have opened this page..dang

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  5. this definitely looks much better than my lunch at Yurakuen but it looks too much for me. di ko na kaya ang eat all you can. looks good though.

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  6. @PEACHY PINK SISTERS: Bring your brother to Yurakuen soon! :D This eat-all-you-can is super sulit!

    @pinoydaysleeper.com: Mission accomplished! Haha.. XD

    @Leslie: Though I still haven't tried the lunch items at Yurakuen, I think I'd prefer this 'cause the food's freshly-cooked, plus there's an added entertainment value.. ;)

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  7. I miss authentic teppanyaki since fave namin before sa century and yung sa old hyatt hotel has closed down. Do they have offer an ala carte menu?

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  8. @stacy: I think they do.. :) They should, actually.. haha.. Give them a call just to be sure though ;)

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  9. i love the food .mouthwatering. i can eat here once in a while ,mahal kasi.

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  10. WOW to the very red tuna slices. Yum! Haven't had sashimi for the longest time, will certainly make time for some, teehee :D Great ambiance as well...would definitely love this place too!

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  11. The meat platter with US beef looks soooo good! I just find it expensive so I haven't gotten around to trying Yurakuen yet. XD

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  12. Wow nice interior. And nice photos! Makes me want to eat japanese food now! ;)

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  13. yeah ive been here before but i wasnt able to take good pictures like yours!

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  14. This is indeed a long foodie post, and made me crave for Japanese right now! Your photos made it more appealing! Given the quality of the selection, the price is worth the "eat-all-you'can"!!!

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  15. Oh my gooood soooo goood!! This is something I should save up for!!! I super want to do this! :D Super worth it talaga! :D I'm sharing this to my friends!!!

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  16. di ko alam kung pumasok ung unang comment ko pero uulitin ko na lang.
    una syempre ang interior panalo.. i like the way ung color nagblend siya sa mata ko.
    then yung food... panalo..
    ilike the way they used the food arts.. galing mas lalong katakam-takam ang food.
    beside fave ko kasi ang japanase food aside sa pinoy food.

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  17. How come you don't get fat with all these great food? It's so unfair! Haha! :)

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  18. Oh my! I just finished writing my post on Yaku, and now this!!! Now, I'm craving for a late Japanese lunch!

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  19. hay... this makes me want to break my diet. hahaha! crab miso soup... interesting. i have always been a fan of japanese food! :))

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  20. You're getting better and better with your food shots. Much better than mine. ^_^

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  21. awww so expensive!! when there's a bday coming up, i'll recommend this resto to my family haha :D

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  22. WOW...you write as if you're a legit foodie writer/columnist, very detailed. I really love how you play with words. And the pictures made me really hungry, nice shots!

    DOUBLE WOW on the price though haha But if it's worth it naman, who cares?;)

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  23. Food heaven! Ang sasarap naman!

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  24. Thank you Sumi! *hugs* Lovely post as always. See you again soon! :)

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  25. what a clean restaurant and yummmmmmmmmm :-) all the foods makes me drool :-) Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. We love to eat at buffet once a month or so :-)

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  26. Excellent post and photos! :)

    I love Japanese food. That samurai outfit looks awesome..hehe

    That looks to be a great place to celebrate milestones in life :)

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  27. As expected. Gugutumin talaga ako when it comes to your posts. Food blog nga naman. Hehe! :)

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  28. naglalaway ako habang tinitingnan ang mga shots :( parang gusto kong kumain ora mismo

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  29. Wow. May Japanese cuisine pala sa Diamond hotel. :)

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  30. You're making me drool over those makis, hehe

    btw..what's the guy of the chef who cooked for you? He resembles my professor in college?

    :))

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  31. Wow... mas kakaiba to... medyo expensive ng lang pero pwedeng pwede...

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  32. love the photos! makes me hungry! :)
    xoxo chelsea

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  33. oh my! im drooling right now lol :D so yummy! it will be worth the penny :) yay!

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  34. I think I'll gonna try the shrimp and the scallop,they look so tasty!

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  35. also drooling for California Temaki and Black Cod and Salmon Teppanyaki:) Everything is yummy!!!!

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  36. Wow tempura my favorite! hope is not too pricey!!!

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    Replies
    1. Si Steve napaghahalataang di nagbasa XD Haha

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  37. Grabe ang mahal ng buffet nila but ang ganda ng dishes. I love the ambiance of the place, the chef and their uniform, and their deserts. Unique dishes, pero talagang mag dadagdag pa ng 500pesos sa special dishes nila. Oh my. :( I hope i could visit this place soon

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    Replies
    1. Pricey nga sis, but definitely worth it especially if there's a very special occasion. :) Actually, even without the special items, solve na solve na.

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