Bokie Villavicencio lets foodies go crazy over yakiniku

MANILA, Philippines - Just when Filipinos thought they knew everything there was to know about bueffets, young and business-minded Bokie Villavicencio opened up a whole new dimension of buffet-style dining with new Japanese grill restaurant Sambo Kojin.

Named after the Japanese kitchen god and in honor of the bearer of fire, Sambo Kojin features authentic yakiniku dining, something Bokie and his family grew up experiencing.

“Eating yakiniku-style was a family tradition,” he shares. “That’s where the idea of Sambo Kojin came from. We realized that this type of dining concept had yet to be introduced to Filipinos, so my Dad and I decided to put up the restaurant,” explains Bokie.

Though usually credited to the Japanese, Bokie points out that the concept itself is thought to have originated from horumonyaki, invented by Korean immigrants in the Kansai area after the World War.

“Because our emphasis is on authenticity, we focused on the features of Japan’s yakiniku houses, highlighting the freshest and most premium meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. As a nod to its Korean origins, we also offer popular Korean dishes as part of the menu,” he adds.

 What sets the restaurant apart is the technology, which makes use of a smokeless and odorless grill — an innovation introduced by the Japanese, who learned the ways of Korean grilling over the years and added their own personal improvements to it.

Grill it: Grill your own meat and seafood items at Sambo Kojin.

“The main complaint is that diners always come out of the restaurants smelling like food,” he says. “Actually, the smokeless grill has been around for quite some time — it’s just that not a lot of people know about it, so we’re bringing the technology to a wider audience.”

Sambo Kojin features a mouthwatering selection of Japanese and Korean specialties, which cannot be easily found in other establishments. And unlike most yakiniku restaurants (including those in Japan) that offer only raw meat for grilling, it features a “cooked” section, a sushi bar featuring a wealth of scrumptious favorites, and a lineup of yummy desserts.

“Everything we offer is authentic — from the dishes to the sauces. There’s Japanese fare such as tempura, sukiyaki, miso soup and even kamameshi rice, which is very rare here,” he enumerates. “Korean dishes include beef stew, and chapchae. Japanese-Korean cuisine makes use of a lot of beef and seafood, so those are our main dishes.”

Already, diners have started taking notice of the innovative new restaurant. There’s a constant queue of people waiting to eat at their Eastwood branch.

“We always have to be efficient in seating people,” he says. “We have around 29 tables at Eastwood, which cater mostly to larger groups. Our EDSA branch features 43 tables, with more seating for couples and smaller clusters.”

Beef, beef: Aside from raw meats for grilling, Sambo Kojin also offers cooked dishes like this beef stew.

The son of businessman Victor “Vic-Vic” Villavicencio (of the famed Saisaki, Kamayan and DADS buffets), Bokie studied at the Center for Culinary Arts.   Experience-wise, he learned a lot from his father.

“Business classes make it seem straightforward, but actually putting up a restaurant is not easy. Despite the challenges, it’s a fun and refreshing experience.”

With both Eastwood and EDSA branches now open to serve the Filipino buffet lover, Sambo Kojin hopes to draw in a wider audience of foodies. “Sambo Kojin aims to bring in the younger crowd — in addition to the families — for a more diverse feel,” Bokie says. “We like to keep in mind that these are the ones who will be bringing in their own families in the future.”

Bokie believes that Sambo Kojin offers Filipinos a brand-new way to experience buffet dining.

“With Sambo Kojin, we are bringing the buffet experience to a new level,” he enthuses. “Filipinos harbor that ‘eater’ mentality. We never just ‘sample’ — when we eat, we really eat, which is why buffets have such a special place in our culture. Sambo Kojin is a revolutionary and educational experience as it takes on a much-loved dining concept and gives it a unique spin. Let’s put it this way, there’s definitely a lot in store for the Filipino palate.”

Eats all here: Sambo Kojin also features a delectable selection of Japanese and Korean specialties.

Sambo Kojin is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Monday to Sunday), 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Monday to Thurday) and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Friday to Sunday). For reservations, visit or call Sambo Kojin at 207 EDSA, Greenhills, Mandaluyong City, 726-4466 or 726-4520; and Eastwood Citywalk, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, 421-0145 to 46).