Nikuya in Estancia: A Love Affair with Yakiniku and Shabu-Shabu

“The yin & the yang are opposite forces. Yet, they exist together in the harmony of a perfect orb.”

The Asian cuisine is very rich in culture and it features a delicate balance of taste. Just like the fusion of Korean and Japanese cuisines- the exquisite harmony of both food cultures is an absolute pleasure that tickles the senses and this is what Nikuya in Estancia charcoal grill and shabu-shabu restaurant is all about.

Nikuya in Estancia features both Korean and Japanese food in an exciting charcoal grill and shabu-shabu (hot pot) dining experience. Cooking your own meal such as Korean barbecue or Japanese shabu-shabu is a super fun way of dining that promotes bonding moments among friends and family.

Nikuya means 'butcher' when translated in English that is why aside from the Korean/Japanese restaurant they also sell top grade -A Wagyu beef from Japan.

 

Nikuya Shabu-Shabu

Shabu-shabu may be mystery to some but once you get to try it for sure you’ll love it. Foodies who enjoy hot soup and the aroma of steamed food in boiling broth will definitely find shabu-shabu an appealing way of dining out and the best place to enjoy one is at Nikuya in Estancia.

Shabu-shabu is a popular Japanese style of “nabemono” or hot pot featuring thinly sliced premium tender meat, fresh vegetables, mushroom and other Asian ingredients such as squid roll, fish cake, ‘kuzukiri’ (cold Japanese kuzu noodles), fish balls or chikuwa roll (Japanese take on seafood roll or fish ball). 

Nikuya in Estancia offers two kinds of soup base for their shabu-shabu one is made from ‘buta’ (pork) broth and other one sukiyaki soup stock (darker colored broth). Once the broth is boiling it should be place into simmer by turning down the fire in a low setting. 

The Correct Way of Eating Shabu-Shabu

Though there is no official guidelines or laws that tell us how to enjoy our food it is only right to learn and understand the proper way of eating especially when eating traditional food from cuisines around the world.

Good enough to know that at Nikuya in Estancia the staff is always ready to assist making it easy for everyone to enjoy Nikuya shabu-shabu. 

Traditionally the correct way of eating shabu-shabu is by allowing the broth to boil and once it is boiling it should be set to simmer and that’s the time you can dunk in the veggies, noodles or mushroom. The thinly sliced meat should not be left inside the broth boiling- this is the incorrect way of doing shabu-shabu. 

The meat should be handled using the chopstick and dip into the simmering broth by cooking it using a swirling motion that will only take under a minute to cook. Once meat is cooked along with other ingredients you can now enjoy it with the prepared sauces. 

NOTE: It is customary not to mistake the broth for a soup- the shabu-shabu broth is there to cook the meat and other ingredients that will allow to draw out the interesting flavors from them. Probably you can enjoy the broth by taking small sips once in a while.

Nikuya for exceptional Yakiniku and Korean Barbecue

Indoor grills on tabletops are very popular in many Japanese and Korean restaurants. Good thing that Nikuya in Estancia can very well serve you both of best worlds since they feature Japanese and Korean dishes served and cooked traditionally either on the spot (on customer’s table) or in their kitchen.

beef short ribs are tender and flavorful

marinated ox tripe for grilling

quail eggs wrapped in pork bacon slice

Nikuya in Estancia has a modern tabletop charcoal grill wherein diners can explore both “Gogigui” (Korean meat barbecue) and Yakiniku (Japanese way of grilling) with choices from best meat cuts, fresh vegetables, and sausages among others. 

A platter of fresh greens includes romaine lettuce and sesame leaves that will go well with grilled meats. Koreans would wrap a piece of cooked meat in these leaves and include a sliver of sauce (spicy) and some garlic. However the Japanese way of yakiniku will not require wrapping the meat pieces in leaves but instead diners could freely dip it in their choice of sauce along with the veggies.

The correct way of doing yakiniku or Korean barbecue grilling is to cook the thinly sliced meat of either pork or beef as quickly as possible over high heat on the grill. It is quite rude not to pay attention as you grill your meat since it would be such a waste to burn good quality meat slices. 

 Pajeon- Korean Pancake 

Nikuya's Japanese style omelette has an interesting play of flavors. Thinly made egg omelette is rolled with Nori wrapper and cheese then topped with yummy Bonito flakes.

Enjoy great Korean and Japanese dishes at Nikuya in Estancia

The newest Korean Japanese restaurant in Capitol Commons- Nikuya in Estancia features a state of the art hot pot burner and charcoal grill that can perfectly deliver great tasting shabu-shabu or yakiniku food. Having your own shabu-shabu is an exceptional as well as a memorable dining experience. You can also freely indulge with other Korean and Japanese dishes that are being offered at NIKUYA Grill in Capitol Commons.

 Shogun inspired wall art

Nikuya Charcoal Grill and Shabu-Shabu Restaurant is ideally located at Unit L1-130, G/F Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Meralco Ave., corner Shaw Blvd., Oranbo, Pasig City, Philippines

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