As someone who loves Filipino food and always looks out for rare local spots, finding Yumbro, sharing a counter and kitchen with Thai Kitchen inside the 99 Ranch Market food court seemed promising. Unfortunately, despite positive online reviews, the experience was deeply disappointing.
The main issue is the food itself. Advertised as a Filipino-Hawaiian fusion, the dishes did not taste authentic to either culture. While sweet, salty, and sour profiles are standard in these cuisines, the execution here was completely unpalatable due to extreme saltiness. When I say extreme, I mean crazy amount of saltness.
Beef Tapa Loco ($15.95): The bottom of the bowl was completely pooled in a salty liquid sauce that looked like soup. The beef was drenched in a heavy, syrupy sauce so intense it tasted like salty candy. Even the rice and side tomatoes were overly salty, forcing me to rely on the egg and corn just to break up the harsh flavors.
Huli-Huli Chicken ($15.95): Equally over-salted. Squeezing a bit of lemon over the top only made it worse, as the sudden burst of acidity amplified the saltiness rather than balancing it out.
At $16 per bowl, I tried to force myself to finish the meal, but my dining partner and I ultimately had to leave a large portion behind.
The ordering process was also unnecessarily awkward. There is no overhead menu board or paper menu to browse while standing in line. they have a TV screen and some pictures along the side of some items with no pricing. When asked if there was a menu, they directed us to scroll through a small tablet kiosk mounted right at the cash register, while the cashier stands directly in front of you watching you order yourself.
Maybe the kitchen had an off day, but based on this visit, the food was barely edible. Given the price and quality, I'm not sure I would ever returning. read more