It's back, better, and safer: The Yakumi Sunday Brunch
My three sons have always enjoyed Japanese cuisine, so it wasn’t hard to convince them that our regular get-together for Sunday lunch would see us heading to Solaire and trying out the “new and improved” Yakumi Sunday Brunch. Solaire and Yakumi resumed this brunch offering on Oct. 31, 2021; and while it was easy to do the proverbial leading of the horses to water, I’m happy to report that these “horses” came away extremely happy, ready to burst, and totally impressed by the quality of the yakumi set-up.
First of all, while it’s called a Brunch Buffet, the yakumi buffet stations will take your order, and serve the dishes freshly cooked. There’s a teppanyaki station, one for tempura and chawanmushi, an oyster station, and one for yakitori. Then, while the sashimi and sushi station will have prepared sushi rolls, you similarly place your order, and they’re brought to your table. This all serves two purposes: That they’re served hot and steaming or freshly prepared, and so that better safety standards are met. My boys loved this distinction, as it’s a buffet without chafing dishes or standing idly beside other people to get your pick.
Chef Norimasa Kosaka and his team have upped the ante in providing us with exciting choices, and my boys fully appreciated the effort and execution. At the sashimi and sushi stations, my youngest made a beeline for the makimono and hand roll counter, and we all loved how you could get your pick of different types of sushi, from maki to temaki and uramaki. The traditional nigiri sushi that quite literally melts in your mouth is also available. The photos of our sashimi/sushi orders and that from the oyster station don’t do justice to just how fresh and delicious these were.
Over at the teppanyaki “room,” my tip would be the giant scallops that alone were worth the price of admission. The blue marlin and the red snapper would be my other recommendations for your date at Yakumi. They’re all part of the grand seafood presence that Yakumi takes pride in.
If you’re feeling carnivorous, there’s ribeye, lamb rack, yakiniku beef, and pork loin as choices. And my sons’ exciting discovery in this counter of meats was the foie gras that they devoured like there was no tomorrow. Along with the scallops, the foie gras took this brunch into another realm of culinary enjoyment.
The tempura and chawanmushi section was duly visited and the ebi tempura got the thumbs up of my boys, who like the breading on the crispy side and on the thin side, so you still get more of the prawns.
There’s an “á la carte” menu that’s offered via QR code or a single-use sheet order form, and you’ll find such traditional favorites as sukiyaki and shaba-shabu here, along with ramen and soba noodles options, and miso soup.
As for dessert (if you still have room for it), there’s a spectacular, color-filled bento creation that provides an assortment of surprise sweetness, a strawberry matcha cream puff, a yuzu berry mille feuille, a green tea and azumi bean roll, and a mochi of the day plus assorted fresh fruits. For the kids, there is a candy trolley filled with Japanese confectionery treats.
Several customized cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks are available, and I particularly liked the Aloe Vera - Coconut Juice drink.
The Yakumi Sunday Brunch: The Art of Shun happens from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and it’s priced at P2,988+ per person. To reserve, call 8888-8888 or visit https://www.solaireresort.com. It’s Japanese flavors in a selection that my boys and I can heartily recommend.