A Lai I Japanese Restaurant @ Ipoh – Let the Saga Begins …
August 20, 2009 | 3,277 viewsKizuna One (or Kizuna1 … or 1Kizuna, depends on how patriotic you are. Okay, bad joke, I know) recently opened its doors to the Japanese food lovers in Ipoh, right smack in the posh-est location of all, at the newly refurbished and reopened Royal Golf Club on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.
Of course, me being a mere peasant, with no skills whatsoever in handling (more like, manhandling!) a golf club, can only drool at the sizzling hot, newest Japanese restaurant in town.
Seriously …. I’m not crossing my fingers in anticipation. After a few bad reviews from all quarters, I’ll be glad to practise a wait-and-see approach, much like I’m salivating at the thought of a spanking new (back then, not now) Korean BBQ Buffet restaurant named Riche Montana in Ipoh Garden South, only to walk in and preview their selections one evening, and walked out with tails between my legs. Wrong metaphor? Whatever.
A little disturbing concept they have is that you’ll be charged RM5/pax more if you’re seated downstairs, nearer to the buffet spread, while the upstair’s crowd get RM5/pax shaven off their respective bill, as they’ve to carry their food up the stairs repeatedly. Hmm, they could’ve reached a compromise kind of situation, whereby they can serve the food on both floors, and charge a reasonable amount. For your information, RM29.90+ for the convenient crowd, and RM24.90+ for the slightly more active (and maybe kiamsap?) people.
Been in the business for a good 3 years now – A Lai I Japanese Restaurant has constantly missed my radar, although occupying a rather strategic spot.But this post ain’t about Korean food, but instead dedicated to some of Ipoh’s Japanese restaurants. Though to no one’s surprise, you can literally count all of them with two hands. (Sushi King NOT included, of course).
At the same row as Sushi East (another Japanese restaurant at Bandar Medan Ipoh Baru, though I do not favour the Japanese cuisine served there; being anything but authentic), A Lai I has operated for a good 3 years, and the head chef (he’s the ONLY chef, as I recalled from our conversation) Mr Lai, was in fact from the now defunct Moritomo Japanese restaurant in Jusco Kinta City.
But wait, didn’t all the chef, cooks and workers from Moritomo jumped ship to Kizuna when Moritomo closed down? Truth is, no. MOST of the workers from Moritomo started the Kizuna flagship, but not ALL. If any of you can recall, in my post on Akamomiji, I mentioned about the management of Kizuna had again, jumped the bandwagon and opened the former. Which, in reality, is partly true. Kizuna has 3 owners, or managers. One of them quitted and started Akamomiji. While another has recently opened Kizuna One at the Golf Club.
Confusing, convulated stories? Yeah, almost like a tussle-for-power type of TVB drama. Only with less bickering and bitching around. (I think). Let’s move on to the FOOD now, shall we?
Comforting, relaxing ambience with satisfactory level of service.Mr Lai Yip Meng is young, vibrant, and adventurous. Constantly seeking change, and some radical ones at that, he controls the business, and the kitchen in any ways he deemed fit. Which is a plus, given the vast experience he had, and a tendency to stray off the beaten path.
The extensive menu at A Lai I was impressive, covering various specialties not commonly available in other run-of-the-mill Japanese eateries here in Ipoh, for example the Dobin Mushi (soup in tea pot, Japanese style).
Kaisen Seafood Teppanyaki @ RM25One of their main selling point happened to be the Teppanyaki, or grilled meats and seafood on iron plates. The Seafood teppanyaki platter consists of prawns, squids, scallops, salmon, and vegetables. The accompanying sauce may be a little salty, when this dish is eaten alone without white rice. Generally tasty, with fresh seafood being cooked to perfection; ensuring the right texture, and sweet flavours of the seafood coming through. Other than seafood, you can opt for beef, or chicken to be cooked the same way.
Tempura Moriawase @ RM16The mixed tempura appeared a little lacklustre, amidst the yellowish lighting and all. Which explains the less than stellar quality of the pictures, sorry. The batter-fried prawns and mixed vegetables were of nothing particularly spectacular, but still decent enough to warrant an order, IF you’re a fan of tempura. But I’d certainly prefer more grated radish (daikon) to be served with the tempura.
Hiyashi Chuka Ramen @ RM12.80 and Complimentary Sushi RollsThe Japanese cold noodles, Hiyashi Chuka Ramen came in a far from dainty portion. With lots of fritters on top for that extra crunch, the combination of cold noodles and assorted vegetables in tare sauce (water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and sesame seeds) is a refreshing and light dish, perfect to be slurped on hot, humid days.
And the friendly chap was kind enough to present us with a plate of sushi rolls, consisting of crabsticks, cucumber, carrot and egg, wrapped with a very thin layer of crepe and garnished with roes, and served with mayonaise and shoyu. Since this was on the house, I’ve no idea what’s the name of the rolls, sorry.
Other items I’ve been eyeing were stir-fried mushrooms with butter, and beef with butter sauce. The sashimi and sushi selection was impressive as well, as was the other cooked items such as teppanyaki, and mixed bento sets.
Location : A Lai I Japanese Restaurant @ 34, Jalan Medan Ipoh 4, Bandar Medan Ipoh Baru, 31400 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel No : 605-545 0412.
Closed on Mondays. Opens for lunch and dinner.
(P/S : Initially planned for a combined write up on A Lai I and a few other Japanese restaurants, but I guess I rambled on for too long …. I’ll save them for the next posts.)
(P/S again : Wondering what the name A Lai I means? Initially, it’s supposed to be Arai Japanese Restaurant. Made more sense right? But Mr Lai claimed that the name Arai had people mispronounced the name continuously, calling it Alai, Alai ……. =P)
I notice japanese food had been mushrooming in ipoh ecently, I wonder which ones are good, any recommendation?
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The teppanyaki looks delicious…long time did not have Japanese food already. lol
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Kizuna 1 is open to the public.
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hmm, I tried I Lai I, but I dont like the sushi here…I prefer Akamomiji sushi
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oh, i havent heard of this japanese restaurant till now.. will take my girl there one day..thanks for sharing..her favorite food is japanese food..
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Haha, I was about to ask you what the name meant when I read your footnote. That's so cute!
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alright, now u make me craving for jap food!
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the name sounds so CHinese
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haha dirt cheap compared to KL..
20++ for jap buffet!?
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for more 'kiamsiap' ppl?! LOL! Yes, you are right, I will choose that.
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What a coincidence. I've been to A Lai 1 just recently. As recent as a few days back???
I've no problem with the food except for my date who muttered under deep breath of a place elsewhere being better.
That's individual taste. I love the food here though.
Service here is excellent.
But…my only grouse is the tables being arranged too close together. Thus no privacy in conversation.
How serious is this grouse? Enough to prevent me from returning in the near and not so near future…
Sigh!
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Never know buffet can charge like that? o.O''
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BBO : i'd suggest Akamomiji for good food and variety, while Waraku seems to be the most authentic of the lot, run by a Japanese lady herself. Kampai offers cheap set lunches. Tomi and Tengood also not bad, but may seem pricey.
Food Paradise : they're everywhere in Penang, right? easy choice.
SimpleGirl : sushi-wise, I can't say much, as I only tried the ones on the house. but i do agree that Akamomiji serves good sushi, and sashimi.
Anonymous : thanks for that info. it seems MP Steamboat also opened up an outlet in Royal Golf Club. is that right?
reana : oh ic. it's on the same row as Sushi East and Yeolde English.
LFB : funny right? some more a catchy play on the owner's surname itself.
ai wei : good. so go grab some sushi to satisfy that craving!
thule : yeah, read last paragraph for explanation. it's supposedly to be Arai.
Joe : its Korean buffet. but given the lacklustre reviews, i'd think twice.
cariso :trust me, i would do the same as well. hahah …. IF i'm not going with my grandma.
ahlock : which place being better? heheheh … probably we bumped into each other without knowing it. bout the tables being too close to each other, a bit true. but when i was there, the place was rather empty.
mimid3vils : yeah, it came as a novelty.
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Save some of the places for me… would like to have some Japanese when I'm back
*hint hint Kampai
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Isn’t there a new buffet japanese restaurant near casuarina there? any idea on the food?
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[...] A Lai I Japanese Restaurant [...]
[...] course there’s the Kizuna which I have neglected since the first review, A Lai I that cooks up a variety of mean teppan yaki dishes, and Sushi East that well, best left [...]
The name of the complimentary dish in the A Lai I Japanese Restaurant is called the rice paper salad sushi … it’s not found in the menu … they have other new and nice food that is not in the menu, This is my favourite Japanese restaurant in Ipoh … Thumbs up for A Lai I!
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Oh rice paper salad sushi. Good to know that he’s offering many more varieties not commonly found in the menu. Least offer the customers with something different every time.
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[...] connections back then, and established relationships with Akamomiji and to some extent … even A Lai I. But everything dates back to the days of Moritomo; that fantastic Japanese restaurant in Jusco [...]
[...] co-owners went their separate ways. Hence Kizuna, Akamomiji and Kizuna One came into the picture. A Lai I on the other hand, was started by one of the chefs from [...]