This is how Cecile Zamora brought Tokyo’s must-have hamburg steak to Manila
Cecile Zamora has never been loud about her foodservice forays despite the fanfare her businesses attract. But she speaks volumes with her personal choices, peppering them with a straightforwardness that has made Pepper Lunch a local success since 2008 as well as a cross-cultural triumph when she launched cocktail bar and lounge Tencups in Tokyo last year.
“We actually have a Filipino chef from New York working at Tencups, so we have some longganisa on the menu as well as Boy Bawang in the bar chow,” she says.
But Hamburg Yoshi, the latest addition to her Philippine portfolio, doesn’t just follow in its predecessor’s footsteps, it also expands Zamora’s authority in understanding what Japanese food stories would resonate with Filipinos—even if it simply means rejoicing in her own gut feel.
“I feel this rush when I enter a place and experience the food and ambiance,” she says.
When asked about her motivations to bring Hamburg Yoshi to Manila, that same gut feel—or appetite or serendipity, really—led Zamora to the popular charcoal-grilled hamburger restaurant after seeing a picture of a burger on rice and again on a poster “on my way to my salon in Aoyama.”
“I feel this rush when I enter a place and experience the food and ambiance,” Cecile Zamora says
“So after my blowdry, my friend Nina and I walked over to Hamburg Yoshi. I just loved the experience and the food and immediately thought I want to bring this to Manila,” she explains. “That was in November 2023. Two months later, I was signing a contract with Mr. Yoshi himself. And here we are in BGC in March 2025.”
Though it sounds swift, anyone who has followed Zamora’s career arc in foodservice knows that while Pepper Lunch opened in 2008, it wasn’t until 2019 when she took over as CEO and president. “I had a lot to learn. That’s why it took me some time to choose another brand to open because I was trying to learn the business from 2019. I still consider myself a newbie in the food industry.”
Yet her dedication to determinedly learn has served her well.
“Our expansion into the Philippines was largely due to our relationship with our partner,” says Hamburg Yoshi founder Yasukawa Yoshinori. “She has a passion for business and is a reliable manager
“Our expansion into the Philippines was largely due to our relationship with our partner,” says Hamburg Yoshi founder Yasukawa Yoshinori. “She has a passion for business and is a reliable manager. After trying the hamburger at our store in Japan, she offered us the opportunity to do business in the Philippines. That was the deciding factor.”
All hyped up for Hamburg Yoshi
Bending the fast-casual segment with yet another Japanese franchise hinged on high-quality ingredients, the new companion to Pepper Lunch may be hard to snag a seat at (on most days) but it may even be harder to leave once you’re there.
Located in BGC’s most buzzing square at the High Street South Block, Hamburg Yoshi is home to hearty helpings of a tight selection of set meals that satiate cravings and recreate that feeling of Japan—particularly Harajuku and Omotesando—thanks largely to the counter seating, self-serve water and egg stations, and an upfront ordering method that evokes the vending machine point of sale system plenty of Japanese restaurants employ.
Located in BGC’s most buzzing square at the High Street South Block, Hamburg Yoshi is home to hearty helpings of a tight selection of set meals that satiate cravings and recreate that feeling of Japan
If this all sounds calculated, it is in a way. Hamburg Yoshi’s outside-the-mall location doesn’t just recreate the “crowd waiting outside Harajuku and Omotesando” but it’s also necessary because of the grilling requirements.
“We can’t be next to an apparel store unless we really plan the exhaust system,” she says, clarifying that the ventilation is still a work in progress. And so is the staff training. “We’re on soft opening, so some guests are unhappy about the service because the lines are really long and we’re trying our best to serve everyone. We hope to fix things one day at a time and make everyone happy.”
But make no mistake, this isn’t traditional Japanese as you would expect. This is Zamora’s Japan—unabashedly sleek and minimalist yet contemporary and cohesive. Together with Taka Terada who has designed the Pepper Lunch stores, she invokes the simplicity of Megumi Takahashi’s Hamburg Yoshi in Tokyo for the diverse BGC crowd.
All hands are also on deck in the open kitchen as servers pay attention to guests who take their seats while the staff at the near end of the space form cylindrical hamburg shapes right next to a glass-enclosed mini-chamber in the middle where all the magic of the charcoal grilling happens.
Fertile grounds every morning
As polished and precise Zamora is about Hamburg Yoshi, the food is as simple and fulfilling as it can get. The menu is uncomplicated but varied. It features high-impact set meals of regular, wagyu, and beef tongue hamburg as well as a skirt steak and beef tongue meals. All of which are served with a bowl of miso soup, pickled cabbage, and a raw egg that you can drop on fluffy white rice and drizzle with soy sauce to get an extra rich umami flavor.
In front of you, a warm demi-glace sauce and little condiment jars (salted lemon, green chili, red ginger) are meant to elevate your Hamburg Yoshi experience. Much of this may sound like mayhem for some but at the helm of it all is the freshly ground meat.
“Most hamburger restaurants buy pre-ground meat and prepare it, but we buy meat in chunks and grind it up in-house every morning to make hamburger patties,” explains Yoshi. “This allows us to bring out the full flavor of the meat.”
One thing to note though for those with a predilection for Western hamburger steaks is that Hamburg Yoshi’s 270g steak is more melt-in-your-mouth and less dense than what most may anticipate
For instance, the wagyu hamburg benefits from the charcoal grill that, while not remotely new, gives it an indulgent smoky (obviously) char mouthfeel. One thing to note though for those with a predilection for Western hamburger steaks is that Hamburg Yoshi’s 270g steak is more melt-in-your-mouth and less dense than what most may anticipate.
“Unlike ordinary hamburgers cooked on a hot plate, this hamburger is light and easy to eat,” says Yoshi. It’s virtually what Zamora has brought and built in BGC—a franchise unencumbered by imposing expectations yet always has one ear on the ground to continuously improve.
“Unlike ordinary hamburgers cooked on a hot plate, this hamburger is light and easy to eat,” says Yoshi. It’s virtually what Zamora has brought and built in BGC—a franchise unencumbered by imposing expectations yet always has one ear on the ground to continuously improve
After all, staying 17 years in the restaurant industry and expanding to more than 60 stores nationwide with your first Japanese franchise is a difficult thing to achieve without taking the rough with the smooth.
“Food is our love language, so Filipinos are really excited when new food concepts open up here. That’s why I think it’s great to be part of that excitement,” says Zamora about her place in the F&B industry.
This kind of optimism together with their made-every-morning hamburger patties is even better than any hamburger helper anyone could ever want.