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The Underbird

Karen Flores

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758277431275_DSC9696.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>&quot;The Underbird&quot; collaboration will be held on September 21 and 22. Handout</div>The humble chicken gets the star treatment it deserves in a two-night collaboration featuring two Japanese concepts in Makati.Top-tier ramen and yakitori come together in &quot;The Underbird,&quot; which will have two dinner seatings on September 21 and 22 at The Underbelly. The modern ramen bar, located The Alley at Karrivin at Chino Roces Avenue, has partnered with Japanese chef Takuto Kato of the soon-to-open yakitori spot Birdjovi.Kato, who hails from Nagoya, has built a reputation for his succulent chicken skewers over at Yakitori Ao&#x27;chan by Suijin in Carmona, Cavite. He takes pride in his grilling technique, with each stick prepared with the level of precision and attention to detail that Japanese chefs are known for. For &quot;The Underbird,&quot; Kato is preparing three of his yakitori standouts. All are grilled using binchotan, a type of Japanese charcoal that is prized for being smokeless, odorless, and exceptionally long-burning, resulting in a beautiful sear and cleaner flavors. There&#x27;s the tender and juicy Seseri, which is made with neck meat from Nichinan chicken and topped with grated radish; the well-balanced Kurumi Negima consisting of chicken thigh, chicken skin, and leeks; and the sinful Bonjiri, a stick of melt-in-your mouth chicken tails. Each is brushed with Kato&#x27;s signature tare sauce for a smoky finish. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758279241950bbq.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>(From left) Seseri, Bonjiri and Kurumi Negima. Handout</div>Chefs Jackson Chua and Noel Mauricio of the Underbelly have admitted to being huge fans of Kato and his yakitori from Suijin, and are happy that the Japanese chef has shown support for their ramen as well. Given this, a collaboration felt the most natural choice for them. The two Filipino chefs flexed their culinary muscles to create the Yuzu Tori Paitan, a rich and comforting bowl of ramen made from native chicken. It is served with a stick of Ami Tsukune, a Japanese-style chicken meatball encased in pork fat, with the yuzu adding brightness to the soup. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758277353192Copy of _MG_3243.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-dragging"/>Yuzu Tori Paitan. Handout</div>&quot;What interests me the most about this collaboration is pairing Kato-san&#x27;s authentic traditional yakitori with our non-traditional ramen that often subverts expectations,&quot; said Dan Matutina, one of the founders and co-owners of The Underbelly. &quot;Both dishes have Japanese roots, but we&#x27;re presenting them in contrast,&quot; he added. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758277155152Chefsgroup2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Japanese chef Takuto Kato (center) with chefs Noel Mauricio and Jackson Chua of The Underbelly. Handout</div>To wash it all down, &quot;The Underbird&quot; is serving Hakkaisan Shiboritate Genshu Namasake Echigo De Sourou, a freshly-pressed sake that beautifully pairs with the chicken dishes. Dessert is kept simple with the mildly sweet sesame oil and black sesame mochi with ice cream, allowing the poultry to shine. &quot;The Underbird&quot; collaboration is priced at P1,300 per person. For reservations, click <a href="http://bit.ly/underbird">here</a>, contact +63 995 217 3796, or send a message to @the.underbelly.ph on Instagram.

The humble chicken gets the star treatment it deserves in a two-night collaboration featuring two Japanese concepts in Makati.

The humble chicken gets the star treatment it deserves in a two-night collaboration featuring two Japanese concepts in Makati.

Makati eats: Yakitori meets ramen in 2-night 'The Underbird' collab

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Makati eats: Yakitori meets ramen in 2-night 'The Underbird' collab

Karen Flores Layno,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 19, 2025 06:58 PM PHT

Read More:

food

restaurants

cooking

Underbelly

Japanese food

yakitori

ramen

Birdjovi

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