Japan's Hikiniku to Come continues PH expansion with new Megamall branch

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Hikiniku To Come, known for serving freshly grilled hamburger steaks over rice, continues to grow its presence in the Philippines with the launch of its second branch. 

Nearly a year since opening its first location at Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City, the Japanese chain recently set up shop at SM Megamall's Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong.

A third restaurant at Greenbelt mall in Makati has been confirmed for early next year, with a fourth one further south already in the works. 

"This is one of our most amazingly successful brands," said Nicole Concepcion-Salud, group brand manager of The Standard Group which brought Hikiniku To Come to the Philippines.

"The reception has been insane. Our first store has been constantly full," she shared. 

Founded in Japan in 2020, Hikiniku To Come is considered the pioneer of the "on-the-rice" hamburg concept. Its signature set (P850) includes three 90-gram patties, a serving of miso soup, unlimited rice and condiments, and a raw egg.

Given the price, this is definitely more than your standard fast food burger steak, and it shows in the restaurant's commitment to precision and quality. 

There's the beef — juicy, savory, yet distinctively clean. The patties are made of choice cuts of wagyu that's freshly ground every morning, then shaped to order and grilled in front of guests.

"They even put it in a special diagonal angle, they move it like clockwork, so every patty is perfectly cooked," Concepcion-Salud shared. 

"The charcoal we use is Ogatan because it burns the cleanest," she added. "We used to use Binchotan but we found it was very hot and it was causing unevenness in the patties."

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Hikiniku To Come recommends enjoying the first patty in its pure form with the fragrant Japanese rice, which is cooked in small batches in Hagama pots. 

Then you can go ahead and play around with the condiments: grated daikon with ponzu, salted lemon with green chili, oil-marinated green chili, a Chinese spice mix, a Japanese pepper sauce, and fried garlic flakes.

For the third patty, you are given a raw egg — you can dip the meat in the beaten egg yolk, or add soy sauce and pour it over rice.

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For Concepcion-Salud, Hikiniku To Come is most aligned to The Standard Group's concept of "focusing on one thing and doing it well." 

The company's portfolio is built around Japanese concepts, such as the homegrown katsu chain Yabu and Ippudo from Fukuoka.

"I think Filipinos love value and that's something that The Standard Group really holds dear. Like the refillable rice, sauces, and toppings of Hikiniku really fell into our repertoire of restaurants so easily," she said.