Shaburi and Kintan opens first branch in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — While sushi has become one of the most popular Japanese dishes in the world, a new restaurant seeks to promote two more ways of enjoying Japanese cuisine.

Shaburi and Kintan Buffet, which recently opened its first branch at the Japan Town of Top of The Glo in Glorietta 2, is a dining concept by the Japanese who introduced the dining innovations of shabu-shabu, udon, and yakitori in over 200 restaurants in different countries.

Tomoyoshi Nishiyama, chairman of Dining Innovations Ltd., was recently in the country to welcome guests to the opening of Shaburi and Kintan. Nishiyama is known as the founder of the world’s top yakiniku restaurant since the ‘90s.

“I’m very happy to have Shaburi and Kintan at the center of Makati. The Philippines has a very big market for Japanese cuisine with its large population, which is second to Indonesia in Southeast Asia,” Nishiyama said.

Nishiyama partnered with Hubert Young, president of Universal Alliance Dining Concepts, Inc., to bring Shaburi and Kintan Buffet to the Philippines. Photo Release

Nishiyama partnered with Hubert Young, president of Universal Alliance Dining Concepts Inc. and the entrepreneur behind many of the successful Japanese dining brands in the country, to bring Shaburi and Kintan Buffet to the Philippines.

Young has brought the UCC Coffee chain and other Japanese food concepts, Coco Ichibanya, Mitsuyado House of Tsukemen, Mitsuyado Ramen Shokudo, and Tendon Kohaku, among others, to the country.

“I hope you would give Shaburi Kintan the support you have afforded UCC throughout the years,” Young said, adding that they are planning to open five to ten more of the dining concept in the coming years.

“The concepts can be broken into either a combination again of Shaburi and Kintan, which is shabu-shabu and yakiniku—or, we can also break it down to just a shabu-shabu store and a yakiniku store,” he explained.

Shaburi and Kintan is a casual dining concept that encourages customers to satisfy their craving for authentic Japanese dishes in shabu-shabu, yakiniku, and buffet settings. Photo Release

Shaburi and Kintan is a casual dining concept that encourages customers to satisfy their craving for authentic Japanese dishes in shabu-shabu, yakiniku, and buffet settings.

They are early on advised by the restaurant’s friendly staff that they can choose to have either a shabu-shabu buffet or a yakiniku buffet. 

For the Kintan buffet, there are four options: the Regular Buffet, Kintan Buffet, Premium Kintan Buffet, and Special Wagyu Buffet. You can then choose your type of rice and the meats you want. The best thing about grilling the meat in the Kintan setting is the Japanese technology that makes the smoke “magically dissipate.”  

For the shabu-shabu buffet, meanwhile, there are the Regular Shabu, Special Shabu, Shaburi Wagyu, or Special Wagyu. What makes the shabu-shabu option different in the restaurant is that each customer gets his or her own pot of preferred soup or soups. 

Meat choices for both the kintan and shabu-shabu include premium chicken, pork, and beef cuts. 

Shaburi and Kintan is also present in Indonesia, Taiwan, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.