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I was told that the Yakiniku grill which literally translates to “grilled meat” is a culinary experience even a few Japanese have not been through. For the lucky few, you can now enjoy this experience at the Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant in the Diamond Hotel as it now offers this gourmet cruise – a multi- palate experience. I was served with five appetizers before the meat cuts were brought out.

Sake and Gindara Tsuyani
Stewed salmon and codfish in sweet soy sauce

Horenzo
Spinach with sesame oil and Korean chili paste

Nikujyaga
Stewed ground beef, potatoes and carrots in light soy sauce

Kimchi
Korean hot pickles

Dilis Tsukadani
Sweet and crispy dilis with sesame seeds

Before we were served the various meats for the yakiniku grill, the lady introduce us to the Binchotan – a high-grade charcoal that they import from Okayama Japan. The distinctive and enchanting taste of Yurakuen’s Yakiniku can also be attributed to this Binchotan.

First came the Japanese Wagyu Sirloin (Japanese beef (chuck plate – Zabuton)

Yurakuen serves the highly-priced portions of meat that do not need to go through a handful of processes to be tender. These are also the most flavorful meat portions so that each bite-sized cut leaves a poetically enduring taste.

It take just a minute for each side to be cooked the way I liked it. Just medium rare. Dipping the wagyu sirloin into the Yakiniku Teriyaki Sauce (Sweet Garlic soy sauce) with a choice of garnish such as Kara Miso ( Chili Miso Paste ) and Kuchujan (Korean Red chili paste) wrapped in lettuce leaves is a mouthwatering delight.

The best thing about the Yakiniku dining experience is that the Yurakuen Yakiniku room boasts of highly sophisticated ventilation and grilling system imported from Japan making it a smokeless and odorless Yakiniku haven. The grill has a vacuum mechanism that sucks the air under the table and out of the room.

The Gohan(Plain Japanese rice) and the Miso or Wakame soup (Soy Bean Soup & Seaweed Soup) is served after all the meats have been grilled but I preferred to eat it while grilling the beef cuts followed soon by oysters, lapulapu and salmom.

These oysters were imported from Japan.

The Yakiniku dining experience was enough to satisfy my hunger pangs yet didn’t allow me to feel too full to enjoy the green tea ice cream served with Red Beans. The great thing in any grill dining experience is the conversation. Since one is busy grilling, there is more interaction and more time to chat and catch up with my friends.

View the photos of Yakiniku Grill at Yurakuen

Have fun grilling your own food with Yurakuen’s sumptuous array of fresh meats, vegetables, and side dishes. Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Boulevard, cor. Dr. J Quintos St., Manila. For reservations, please call 528.3000, email at bizcenter@diamondhotel.com.