HIKINIKU TO COME OPENS ITS BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL BRANCH IN MANILA

It wasn't an easy sell for Michael Concepcion.

- NINO ANGELO COMSTI

It took some work for the creative director of The Standard Hospitality Group (SHG) to convince his father John, founder of the company, that there was something special about his recent Japanese discovery.

"I first tried Hikiniku to Come (HTC) on a trip to Japan with my family. I took my wife on a date there. We both loved it. It felt like a completely different experience — something so new, original, and just really well done. Hikiniku is theater. When you dine, you understand what I mean by that," he said.

As soon as he got back, he wasted no time in telling his dad that they should look into it. But he wasn't convinced. "He said it felt too niche, that the market might not take to a premium Hamburg given how common it can be. But I knew there was something there."

Still, Michael followed his instinct and held on to the hope of bringing it in. The following year, he found out that the Hikiniku team was connected to some people he knew in the industry.

Marketing manager Nicole with the staff that trained intensively in Japan for two months.

"I set up a meeting and told my dad and sister to come just to see it for themselves and keep an open mind. We went to their first branch in Kichijoji, about 30 minutes outside Tokyo. It was a cold January morning, and there was already a long line outside. You could feel the energy. We sat down, they served us our first patties, my dad took one bite, looked at me, and just said, 'Go get it.'"