I’ve been craving for beef gyudon for AGES. Purchased some early in April during the height of the ECQ lockdown but was left unsatisfied. I had heard good reviews of Elyanna’s Home Kitchen though, so decided to check them out. Happily, they offered two dishes (Beef Gyudon and Japanese Beef Curry) so I snapped them both up in order to maximize my shipping fee

VERDICT: IT’S GOOD – BUT PRICEY

What I purchased

• Beef Gyudon : PHP 650 (Family Size, good for 4-6 people)
• Japanese Beef Curry : PHP 300 (Good for 2-3 people)

Type of Purchase

• Home-cooked
• Shipped from TanTea Binondo, Manila
• Transaction through FB Messenger
• Payment through BDO

Ease of Transaction

Overall, the transaction was so smooth, I had to go back and check what actually happened because it didn’t leave much of an impression. I consider this a point in their favor, as I tend to remember the thorny transactions. I messaged them on Facebook, chose my orders through ChatBot, then paid through BDO Online. Once I uploaded my deposit slip as proof of payment, they informed me I could pick up my order the next day.

Elyanna’s ships food in the frozen form to prevent spoilage and spillage during transport. I think this is smart of them. And anyway, to cook the food, we simply needed to heat it up in the microwave for 5 minutes. No sweat off my back, and I had the assurance nothing would happen to the food midway

Taste

The Beef Gyudon and Japanese Beef Curry both use the same base: 100% Premium Angus Beef, and it shows! The beef’s incredibly tender with no tendons/ligaments to annoy you. On this alone, I’d grade it an A+

In terms of the sauce, I really like the sweet but not cloying taste of the Beef Gyudon. It’s not swimming in sauce, but the beef has really absorbed the flavor so every bite is a delight

The Japanese Beef Curry, on the other hand, comes with tender carrots and Japanese curry sauce. I hate Indian curry, but am very fond of Japanese curry. I really must learn how to make this on my own in the future. Overall, I really liked this too BUT the serving size is small (we’re a family of 5), so I only managed 3 spoonfuls before it was gone!

Value for Money

The food’s GREAT, as in masarap! But it is certainly pricey. Of course, when one takes into account the quality of the beef used and the fact that they use premium imported Japanese ingredients, I guess we get a better sense of why they’re priced like that. During these times though, it can’t hurt to support local businesses and that’s my goal when I purchase local every Sunday. Having said that, I suspect I’ll be trying to recreate these dishes at home in the near future to help save some money on the side.