Gerry’s Grill operator expands brand portfolio

Prime Pacific Grill Inc., operator of homegrown restaurant chain Gerry’s Grill, is beefing up its brand portfolio with the introduction of two new food concepts called Ramen Sora and Yakitori Binchotan by Tokotaro.

In a statement, Prime Pacific said the two new restaurants would be operated under a partnership with owner-operators of Ramen Sora and Tokotaro in Japan and the United States. The owners are Japanese chefs Yoshi Ishise, Tomio Hakada and Nori Suzuki.

Prime Pacific will open the first branch of Ramen Sora along Waterfront Road in Subic next week, with subsequent branches to open in Cebu, Makati, Alabang and Quezon City.

Yakitori, meanwhile, is set to open its maiden branch in A.S. Fortuna in Cebu early next year, with the next to be put up in Pampanga sometime in April 2015.

“There is so much out there which Filipinos need to enjoy and experience. We are bringing the best of ramen and the best of yakitori. Everything will be authentic,” said Gerry Apolinario, president and chief executive officer of Prime Pacific Grill.

“The Philippines is only the second branch of Ramen Sora overseas and our first partnership with a foreign company. We are confident that Prime Pacific can deliver the same kind of quality dishes which our loyal customers in Japan and the US enjoy,” Ishise added.

Ramen Sora (Sora means “sky”) was founded in 2003 in Sapporo, considered the culinary capital of Japan and goes by the motto “No Ramen No Life.” Its Las Vegas branch opened three years ago.

Unlike its foreign counterparts, the Ramen Sora branch in Subic will offer popular Japanese appetizers like gyoza and sushi. About 90 percent of the menu’s ingredients and equipment will be imported from Japan, Apolinario added.

Yakitori Binchotan is named after a special kind of charcoal called Bincho-Tan used to prepare yakitori, which means skewered food, usually chicken. That kind of charcoal, according to Apolinario, is found only in Japan. This kind of white charcoal produces high heat and does not emit smoke, and thus allows the full flavor of the food to come out.