Japanese Food @ Benkay, Nikko Hotel, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

1. brocade cloth decorations, 2. benkay 3. bright place to dine at

I never tire of Japanese food. Throw me in Japan and I'll be one happy camper since I love all kinds of Japanese food, whether it's raw sashimi, home cooked food like niku jaga (potato and beef stew) or yakitori. What I'll probably won't enjoy is the Windows 7 Whopper - Burger King Japan's tribute to Windows 7 launch. There's 7 burger patties all together for Yen777, for 7 days. Luckily it wasn't Windows 6, or else it'll be the devil's favourite numbers which will be so appropriate for Halloween. Eat Me Daily (my current favourite daily click of the day!) has pictures and a video of the Whopper. Watch how 2 people tackle the giant with various eating styles. Love the quip at the end, when the fella said he's glad it was not a Windows 95 launch.

1. smooth chawan mushi, 2. tangy corn salad

Since we don't have Windows 7 Whoppers here, it's all about Japanese food at Benkay, one of the places I've heard quite a lot about but yet to try. Being new to the place and because the prices here are more akin to hotel ones, we decided to be a little "kiasu" and go for the set lunch first. My theory was if the sets wowed us, we'll be back for the more expensive items and etc.

we love thee....humble chicken meatballs

Surprisingly, we were bowled over the simple yet delicious Chicken Yosenabe Set (RM55). Believe me, it's comfort food for your senses - large fluffylike minced chicken balls with finely chopped ginger and cabbage within. In fact, the soft texture reminded me a little of Taiwanese lionhead meatballs.

1. miso soup, 2. braised dish, 3. tuna and salmon, 4. my "hill"

My sashimi set (RM65) was artfully presented with lots of different coloured seaweed and even some purple cress on the side. I especially liked how they shaped a small little "hill" in shaved ice for my simple piece of cuttlefish. The sets all come with a braised dish of chicken with daikon and carrot, smooth chawan mushi, a tangy corn salad and fruits.

While prices are definitely on a higher side compared to other places, I must admit we were very satisified and would not mind returning again. Set lunches were also available during the weekend, which is a plus point. They have a new Japanese chef who used to helm Zipangu and Mizu, hence I'm sure food is good here, since we both love the other places.

Benkay Restaurant
1st Floor
Nikko Hotel
Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 2161 1111

(Pork free. Open for lunch and dinner.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Tagged with: Japanese Food+ Sashimi