A little out of the way from the lengthy strip of Bonifacio High Street, Gyu-Kaku (horn of the bull in Japanese), a yakiniku house, sits between a known house of pancakes and a fairly new garlic haven. Established in 1996 in Japan, its first outlet outside the country was opened in the American shores, particularly in West LA. From then on, more outlets and franchises sprouted on different parts of Asia such as Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and now the Philippines!

The restaurant actually looks very trendy and posh from the outside, intimidating if you will, because of the modern contemporary, glossy and glassy look of the place. If not for the people-full tables I might not have barged in here in the first place! Looks can be very deceiving, you know. Good thing I have given the restaurant a chance and we were actually looking for something heavy and steak-y that night to appease our growling stomachs.

Similar to a typical yakiniku place, Gyu-Kaku's tables were built with charcoal grills so diners can cook their food themselves. Worried that you might smell like your food after eating? Then fret no more as these grills use a state-of-the-art roaster system coupled with a special kind of charcoal.

We started with this nice plate of Chapchae but do not bother with this anymore as you could get better versions of this outside.

Followed by this flavorful slices of Sausage which I highly recommend!

Of course how could Filipinos go on eating a meal without their beloved rice! We ordered this Ishiyaki Bibimbap (Php 225) which includes minced chicken, seasoned vegetables topped with shredded dry seaweed and sesame seeds served in this sizzling hot stone bowl. Serving is only good for 1-2 persons.

We also got the Corn (Php 60) and Shiitake mushrooms (Php 125) which is an unexpected treat! Very soft, juicy and a delight to munch on!

Almost all of their vegetables and seafoods offerings are presented in foil grills. We ordered the Gindara Foil Grill which is submerged in this yummy goodness of melted butter with bits of mushroom and carrots. The Gindara did not disappoint as the meat literally melts in the mouth.

A staple whenever we eat in a Japanese restaurant, these fried Gyozas are equally delicious! A heads-up for those individuals who are watchful on what they eat due to their allergies, Gyu-Kaku's Gyoza has shrimps!

On to what this restaurant is about, the menu boasts with an extensive list of Selected Beef for grilling. They have a lot to offer and if you have the money to splurge, it would be a lot better if you try each one of them. In our case, we ordered the Beef Tongue (Php 280-S / Php 350-L) which has this delicious and subtle flavour.

Harami (Php 225-S / Php 295-L) which is a favorite among Japanese ladies because of its low fat content.

And these nice slices of Karubi (Php 425-S / Php 595-L) which are short ribs popular for their sweet flavor and tender textures. The ultimate star of the night, this would be that dish that you should order if you are to order just one item from their menu!

Look at this! They ended up very tender and juicy you really get back your money's worth!

We ended up loving a lot of their dishes! Do not skip on the sausages, the foil grills and the Karubi as these are the dishes that tickled my liking. Not as expensive as you might think, I appreciate the fact that you could enjoy yummy slices of their beefs in a very competitive price. Savory and satiating, you will end up much fuller than what you expected (to think that we arrived in the restaurant with an appetite resembling a pack of wolves that have not preyed up on something for a few days now) and satisfied because of the new and wonderful flavors that played in our taste buds. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a place to pig out and be merry and if you are expecting to end up not being able to get up anymore due to a bloated belly, without putting much pressure in your pocket, well, I honestly advise you to go somewhere else. But if serving size is not an issue and if you are after the flavors, then Gyu-Kaku is the place to be!