Fuji Japanese Restaurant @ Bangkok, Thailand

August 24, 2009 | 4,478 views

Spacious, modern and pleasant decor – Sip on your hot cup of ocha, and ends your meal with some fresh-cut fruits.

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A Lai I Japanese Restaurant @ Ipoh – Let the Saga Begins …

August 20, 2009 | 5,494 views
Kizuna 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. Read the rest of this entry »
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Seeking Solace in Penang – Azuma Japanese Restaurant @ Queensbay Mall

April 1, 2009 | 5,632 views
Escaping from Langkawi (that sounded harsh you say? It was NOT your idea of a routine holiday, that’s for sure! Click HERE for previous post if you’re having doubts!) after 5 whole days on the island, or rather, IN a camp ON the island, we flew back to Penang for a timely restoration-cum-relaxation period. Nursing sore muscles, scratches, blisters, and fatigue, we checked into our hotel the instance our plane (Firefly) touched down at the airport. Penang’s air has never smelled this good … The Air of Freedom?
The Krystal Suites @ Bayan Lepas, Penang
The Krystal Suites (www) is a hotel situated at Krystal Point, in Bayan Lepas, Penang. Krystal Point houses a dynamic range of restaurants, featuring cuisines from all over the world, from Japanese food to Thai food, and Western fare to Chinese cuisine. A query to any Penang flogger: Has Jurin moved from Krystal Point? I did not notice its existence this time around.
For only RM238/night, you can stay in a 2-bedrooms suite, with one King-sized bed, and another room with 2 single beds. Suite amenities include individually-controlled air-conditioner (all 4 of them, one in each room and two in the living room), ASTRO channels, mini fridge, microwave oven (yup, read that right!) free broadband internet service, and free parking space for one car per room. 1 Bedroom Suite starts at RM178/night, with the same amenities except the second room.

Azuma Japanese Restaurant @ Queensbay Mall, Penang Read the rest of this entry »
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Akamomiji – The Latest Japanese Restaurant in Ipoh?

February 22, 2009 | 24,677 views
Akamomiji has piqued my interest since its renovation period sometime during the Chinese New Year. Located in Medan Ipoh Bistari (yup, don’t you get that sense of deja vu ….), this latest addition to Ipoh’s line up of Japanese restaurants opened few days ago to much fanfare, almost fully booked every evening, and prior reservation seems to be the norm, lest you decide to casually waltz in and capitalize on the furore/chaos that is surrounding almost all newly-opened outlets. Josephine Cafe and David’s Diner come to mind, naturally.
Occupying 2 shoplots of space, the restaurant is brighter than its counterpart, Kizuna, and a tad more spacious. With a sushi bar that can seat about 5 guests
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Starting the Year Off with a Bang?! (Tenji Japanese Buffet @ Solaris Mont Kiara)

January 8, 2009 | 1,994 views
A break from the Melaka post, and rewind back to a week ago …. the dawn of a new bullish year. I said BULL-ISH, according to the lunar calendar. Not Bullsh*t. Though given the current economic downward spiral trend, the latter may suit our prospects for the coming 365 days more ….
So, how was YOUR new year celebration? Mine = Ruckus. Should’ve known better than to spend it around the Golden Triangle area in KL. The seas of revellers flooded the streets around the city(which fortunately, were closed for the celebration since evening. If not? Refer Xmas Gurney Drive pandemonium).

The fireworks display (a fix affair over at KLCC every year), and the aftermath of ‘WAR’ along Jln Sultan Ismail …. had us cowering in fear of sprayed with snow.
Since early evening, Astro started the ball rolling by staging a show outside of Sg Wang Plaza, with mostly local and some international Chinese artistes performing. Over at Pavilion, booming loud music was emanating from some boombox around the giant Xmas tree at the entrance. Xmas was … in fact, a week’s old story though.
But really, it was cool to see Malaysians from every race and background, as well as generation, celebrating amidst the turbulent times, for one night only ….. albeit the un-ruliness. But hey, all in the name of fun, no? 🙂
Tenji Japanese Buffet Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara
On the 1st day of 2009, I was still reeling from the previous night’s experience, walked miles after miles of unnecessary pilgrimage with thousands of others, as I chose to take the train, seeing that most roads were closed off to traffic.
However, on the day after, things started to pick up, as influenced by the many rave reviews of Tenji’s buffet promotion, we crawled, traversed and scrambled our way to Mont Kiara. (Side note : Do ask or search for directions beforehand, if you’re not familiar with the way. Mont Kiara can be seen from the highway, but took us a few extra rounds to find our way there from town. It’s in fact, rather near to Hartamas).
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Got Me Sayin’ ICHIBAN-desu !!! (Ichiban Boshi @ Pavilion, KL)

December 15, 2008 | 2,132 views
Back to a KL post for today. A slow …. soul-less Monday. Imagine an office with less than 50% capacity. Maybe 20-30% inhabitants only. Holidays come early for most?

Not unlike the conventional conveyor belt sushi outlet … albeit with a twist
Eating out in Pavilion can be a chore. Especially peak hours on weekends/public holidays where everywhere’s crowded. From Madam Kwan’s to Tony Roma’s, and a snaking line (though not as obvious as few months back) at JCo’s, and the ever-congested Food Republic, choosing a place for lunch can be rather … indecisive.
Thus, we settled for Ichiban Boshi. Have yet to step into the Japanese restaurant, but judging from the overwhelming business on most days, can’t be any worse than Sushi King/Sakae Sushi/Genki Sushi right?
Salmon (smoked, maybe) sushi with melted cheese and roes

Salmon Avocado Roll
Starting off with some sushi, the salmon and cheese combination may sound weird on paper, but worked just fine. The creamy cheese complemented the smoked salmon well, though one can’t really taste the freshness and natural sweetness of the fish. But I’m all for fusion-ized items.
The salmon and avocado temaki roll was good, though sucked presentation-wise. Clever combination of diced fresh salmon with creamy avocado bits and served generously with mayonaise, the portion was slightly larger than the other contenders’ abysmal, mini versions. Still remember the last time I had a temaki in Sushi King, and the rice outweighed the fillings by a whole lot.
Egg Crepe Roll with Bacon and Lettuce
A case of ‘over-fusionized’, the temaki rolled with thin egg layer, and consisting of rice, lettuce and bacon did not fare as well. And dipping the roll into the shoyu did not result in a positive outcome either. Probably should have asked for more mayo instead.
Hiyashi Chuka Soba (RM14.90)
Ichiban Boshi’s trump card lies in their freshly made-on-the-spot soba, or buckwheat noodles. The display counter at the front end of the restaurant functions to exhibit the chef’s skills in making the aforementioned noodles, but photography is not allowed. =(
Served either cold, or in a bowl of piping hot soup, the noodles are springy, light, and deemed nutritious. The Hiyashi Chuka Soba consisted of cold buckwheat noodles served with duck meat, crab stick, julienned cucumber and tomatoes, as well as eggs. A bowl of cold and spicy sauce accompanied the serving of noodles on the side, hence you have the option of either dipping the noodles into the sauce, OR pouring the whole bowl of sauce into the noodles. I did the latter, and the resulting concoction had me smacking my lips in recollection.

Thin, springy (QQ) buckwheat noodles with multiple garnishing and ingredients thrown in

The strips of duck meat were not chewy, nor gamey. Sprinkled with lots of sesame seeds, the shredded meat and vegetables were perfect companion to the cold noodles, and the slightly spicy and sour sauce enhanced the overall experience a notch. Recommended, for the noodles alone.

Tempura Moriawase (RM13.90)
A plate of mixed tempura consisted of 2 big prawns, and the usual suspects of sweet potato, brinjal, capsicum and such, coated with tempura batter and fried to a crisp. Yet, managed to retain the moisture of the ingredients within. Nothing out of the ordinary, but deserving of a mention here is the attentive and accomodating service, whereby I requested for another bowl of the tentsuyu sauce, and the waiter gladly complied, returning with a steaming hot bowl of it.

Kushiyaki Moriawase (RM15.90) for 6 pcs
The mixed grilled items on skewers came on a sparsely-presented plate. With a lemon wedge for that extra zing, the 6 pcs of grilled meat/vege on skewers were lip-smacking, mostly. The shishamo (grilled smelt) was packed with enough eggs, yet none of the repulsive fishy taste. The yakitori and black pepper yakitori (grilled chicken meat) were both tender, succulent and juicy enough on its own, but drizzled with the slightly sweet tare sauce, the flavour of the meat was subtly punctuated.
The tsukune (chicken meatballs) were the best of the lot, marinated well and very tasty. But only 3 were served on a skewer. Of course, one can opt for the items separately. The shitake mushrooms and tebasaki (chicken wings) were good in their own rights.
What’s attractive was that …. it didn’t cost us an arm and a leg to eat here. The meal for two costed only RM67.50 (after 5% gov tax, 10% service charge). I may return for more, in the near future, as they gave a Rewards Card, expiring on 30/4/2009, where I can get a stamp for every RM30 spent, and 3 stamps net a California Handroll, 5 will net you a RM15 voucher … and so forth.
Location : ICHIBAN BOSHI @ Lot 1.14, Pavilion, 168, Jln Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. On the lowest floor with Food Republic and the infinite eateries there. Tel : 603-2141 6621.

Merry Xmas …. in Advance.
Shopaholics out in full force. No holding back amidst the economic crisis. Or was there ever one?
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Craving for some Yakiniku?

June 25, 2008 | 3,829 views

The bacon was so good, we had 2nd helping … just ignore the streaks of artery-clogging culprit.

Staying over at aunt’s house in Pandan Indah in Kuala Lumpur has its pros and cons. Pros being the abundant of eateries existing AND mushrooming at an exponential rate, while Cons being too far away from HOT areas such as PJ and so forth.

One of the cheapest Japanese food I’ve eaten in KL, even by Ipoh’s standards, is this Yakiniku Restaurant which serves barbecued items over a stove, a DIY approach that may prove fun for a family outing. In case you’re worried of smoky environment that may leave you smelling of ashes and charcoal at the end of the meal, fret not. They implement an intelligent vacuum system over every stove on every table, ensuring your comfort while dining. Only gripe? The yellow lighting is a bit too dim, bad for snapping photos, AND indecisive when determining whether the meat is adequately cooked or not.

Australian Beef Loins (RM14.90), Pork Bacon (RM5.90) and Lamb Leg (RM7.90)

They serve ala carte items, as well as ramen, salad, and so forth. But the star attraction is of course, the barbecued items. From pork to lamb and beef, as well as squid and vegetables, the combination is endless, and each plate is individually priced (and reasonably too).

The dipping sauce for the meat is a secret recipe of their own, which complements the grilled meat very well. You can ask for refill (the sauce, not the meat) at no extra charge. I even pour some on my white rice.

BLUE fire? Of all magic, my hp does has some nifty trick up its erm, sleeve? =P

The meat are all thinly sliced, to ensure thoroughly and rapidly cooked. Just keep an eye for burnt bits while grilling the bacon, as the fatty portion tends to get burnt pretty fast.


Seafood Salad

Of course, there are various appetizers, snacks and even noodles as well as fried rice to complete your meal. The drinks segment is quite impressive, and the flavoured tea is served in a tall jar, adequate hydration guaranteed. Hehe ….

Various acknowledgements and accolades from the press

So, if you’re ever in Pandan Indah/Pandan Jaya/Cheras area, do drop by for some good grub. The choices are astonishing, from Pudu’s Fei Por chicken rice, Kin Kin Pan Mee, to Hong Kee Tim Sum, Tsim Tung & Axtivo for Hong Kong delights, Steven’s Corner for 24 hours coverage of mamak food, a good number of ‘Dai Chow’ Chinese restaurants, and not forgetting the cafes.

Location :
Restoran Yakiniku
20g, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/8,
Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.

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