Japanese Food @ Izakaya Ichiban, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Tempura Roll

No Ramadan Bazaar post for today - sorry! I reckon I'm approaching the end when it comes to these bazaars since I've covered almost all of them which is relatively easy for me to access. There are some new ones which I do want to explore like Datuk Keramat, Taman Melawati, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and etc but those will be for the weekends only when we have the time. In the meantime, for a change here's some Japanese food.


Wagyu Beef Don

The El Presidente of the Japanese Food Kawan Association may be away for some R&R (rest and relax) but the quest for Japanese food continues. Here's a place which I tend to end up for dinner. It's not too fancy a place but serves pretty decent Japanese food. Having tried quite a few items on the menu, I reckon they do two things best - Wagyu Beef Don and Kaki Mayo Yaki.


Unagi Don

This place used to be at Desa Sri Hartamas but relocated to the shopping centre which is more accessible. Aside from the regular menu, they also do board specials so do check with them what's good. Run by a Japanese fella who you will see behind the sushi counter, this place attracts locals and the Japanese expatriates. I reckon they also get quite a lot of spill over customers from Rakuzen which is forever packed with people.


Kaki Mayo Yaki

Let's start with lunch - they do a Combo Set Lunch whereby you pick and choose items from a menu with choices for sashimi, teppanyaki, tempura and pan fried items. Prices range from RM18++ to RM33++ depending on how many items you picked. Although you get a nice variety bear in mind this is a set lunch so portions can be tiny. For instance, the salmon sashimi item will be 3 pieces and if I remember correctly the deep fried scallop, they'll only give you one for the set. All the sets come with rice, miso soup, chawan mushi and fruits.


Sashimi Set

Their dinner sets are also pretty decent. I usually try their Sashimi Set which is served with a selection of raw fish. Can't remember how much it is but it should be in the RM20 to RM30 range.


Salmon Sashimi - Set Lunch

They serve a selection of makis which are farly decent. The Tempura Roll is kinda like the Groovy Sushi items as the maki is coated in a tempura batter and deep fried. The Dragon Roll which we tried has avocado, prawn tempura and unagi which was not bad.


Mentaiko Spaghetti

Since we tend to frequent this place for dinner, it's always a simple rice or "don" items. I've tried the Unagi Don (it's abt RM26 if I am not mistaken) which was not bad - shredded omelette and juicy unagi which topped a portion of rice. The Tendon is also pretty decent with a selection of deep fried tempura items. However, the best and our all time favourite is their Wagyu Beef Don - juicy pieces of tender wagyu beef lightly coated with their special sauce topping white rice. It's a must order for us when we dine here.

Other items we have also tried - Asparagus Cheese which is asparagus sticks with cheese powder and deep fried. Not much of a cheese flavour and the asparagus they used had woody or hard bits. I've also tried their Lamb Miso Steak - lamb shoulder with a miso sauce served on a hot plate. There's deep fried onion rings on the side. A bit salty and the cut of the lamb was a bit tough. A favourite of mine is the Mentaiko Spaghetti - it's a bit different here and kinda reminds me of the Chinese style of cooking pasta sauce. The salted cod roe coats the spaghetti strands which gives it a slight bite that is nice.

Another must have is the Kaki Mayo Yaki - oysters which are pan fried with sliced mushrooms and green peppers. It's placed back in the shell and topped with mayonnaise which is then grilled. Absolutely delicious!! Do give it a try and remember to order the Wagyu Beef Don (RM28) and Kaki Mayo Yaki (RM15) which never fails to dissapoint us. The restaurant also issues a frequent customer card where you accumulate points based on the bill you spent. Once you hit a certain limit, you're entitled to free food. Takes some time to achieve this as it's a lot of points to accumulate so don't expect free food straight away.

Izakaya Ichiban
Lot P-3M
Plaza Ground Floor
Hartamas Shopping Centre
Jalan Sri Hartamas
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 6201 5905

(Pork free. To get here, from the ground floor of Hartamas Shopping Centre where Paddington House of Pancakes is located, go up the escalators till the top. Walk straight towards the glass doors. Turn left and you will see Starbucks, Bagel Station and finally Izakaya Ichiban.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Japanese Food + Hartamas

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