Sushi Buffet @ Mizu, TTDI Plaza, Kuala Lumpur

claw your way here for a relaxed buffet..

The long weekend was a great break, we caught up with friends and family for very long lunches and dinners. Filled with lots of great food and fun, I reckon I have enough to keep all of you entertained for quite some time. Before I launch into today's review, I received a nice update from Sunny Lim who informed me that Krispy Kreme fans don't need to wait long. The first outlet in Berjaya Times Square should be rolling out its first sweet and sticky glazed doughnut next month. Can't wait to go try the sugar laden goodie even though I'll be away for the first week of April.


"order as much as you like" nigiri sushi

Back to today's review, been a while since I blogged about Japanese food that I am definitely suffering from withdrawal effects. Mizu in Bangsar Village has always been my regular dining spot. Food is always great and we have our regular favourites; the super tender beef cheek, mizu special roll, saba shioyaki, thick cut salmon sashimi with sweet and delicate dobin mushi. I first heard about the buffet from

Klue's website, hence I asked the people in Bangsar's Mizu, what it was all about. The sushi buffet is on for Sunday (lunch and dinner) and unlike the other places in town, here you pick what you want from a list of items. It reminds me a little of Iketeru's buffet also but unlike Iketeru no limit on how many orders you place at one time.


grilled shishamo fish with treasure within...teeny weeny eggs

Priced at RM100++ per pax, not a lot of people are queueing up for this buffet and surprisingly the people patronising it are the Japanese. When we dined here, we only saw 3 tables ordering the buffet and we were the only locals. The start you off with the first course and the 2 most expensive items - toro (tuna belly) and uni sushi, which can only be ordered once followed by the soup of the day. Then it is up to you to select from a list of items that range from snacks like edamame, a large variety of makis (handrolls or cut ones), vegetables, grilled items, sashimi, tempura items and etc. Seperate pieces of paper will be given to you to fill up what you like for nigiri sushi (chutoro, maguro akami, toro binchou, kanpachi, madai, shime saba, sake aka salmon, sake harasu tataki, aori ika, hokkigai, tako, ebi, nama hotate, kani kama, amaebi, akagai, aji, kinmedai, hirame, hamachi, mekajiki, mentaiko, unagi, tamgo, inari, shime kohada, ikura, negitoro and tobiko). We had a lot of food since there was 3 of us eating - shishamo fish with its cholestrol laden eggs, loads of buri (a type of yellowtail) sashimi, salmon sashimi, salmon carpaccio, makis, grilled cod, oden, fried beef, deep fried oysters, unagi and etc, etc, etc, etc. To view our gluttony, see the Flick set.

our favourite buri sashimi, each order gives you 3 thick slices

The verdict on this buffet - it is good for those who like to relax rather than fight with people or queue up for their food. Here you order in a leisurely style and also eat in an easy pace. However, the list that you have to choose from features only the dish's name and its Japanese name, so those unfamiliar with Japanese terms will be very confused and find it difficult to order unless they keep asking the wait staff. Freshness is definitely better here with grilled and deep fried items delivered straight to you after it comes out piping hot. The price of it will also deter a lot of people but considering the first course of toro and uni sushi will already set you back for RM50 here, it is still a good deal. While most of the items were fresh, one item fell foul with us was the binchou butsugiri as it was a little too soft and flaky for our liking. Another thing we didn't like was communicating with the service staff especially getting a booking was very painful as they don't seem to understand English very well. Note also they seem to give you an extensive selection for nigiri sushi and makis vs sashimi; I reckon this is just to fill up your tummy quickly with rice.

Mizu
C-2-1 TTDI Plaza
Jalan Wan Kadir 3
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03-7728 6498

(Pork free. Call ahead to book a space as the service staff seems confused if you don' book ahead even though you won't find it fully occupied. Price is RM100++ per pax. You will also be charged for any wastage. Discounted prices are also available for kids.)

*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: buffet + Japanese food

Japanese Buffet Promotion @ Xenri D'Garden Terrace, Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur

Japanese buffets at heavily discounted prices seem to be in vogue nowadays. Just heard that Xenri D'Garden Terrace over at Menara Hap Seng is set to roll out their Japanese buffet extravaganza (with claims of more than 100 dishes) on 21 February until 29 March, 2009. To kick off that momentous occasion, a 50% discount is available for 1 month only, hence prices are slashed as follows:

Buffet lunch for Sunday - RM27.50++ (50% discount from RM55++)

Buffet dinner for Sat/Sun - RM34++ (50% discount from RM68++)

Believe me, word has got around about the promotion that phone lines are jammed up and it only seems to go towards their voice mail. It will be interesting to see, if the buffet lives up to its name like its infamous Old Klang Road outlet's buffet (which I have heard loads of praises), as this place didn't impress the last time I dined here. Wonder if this is just a promotion gimmick like Tenji or can we see other places slashing prices down? For more on the Japanese restaurant, read my previous review here. If you do want to give them a call to book, you can dial Tel: 03-2078 6688 but I do suggest a personal visit instead as it is nearly impossible to get through.

Japanese food @ Jyu Raku, SS15, Subang Jaya

absolutely delish stuff, perfect for carb-less diets also - Jyu Raku Roll (RM28++)

Recently, when we were exploring Subang Jaya for food, we noticed Rakuzen had re-opened after renovations and right next to it was a new Japanese place. Looking very similar to Rakuzen with an almost identical menu is Jyu Raku. From what I read, it seems the former chef from Rakuzen opened this outlet. It is amazing how all these Japanese restaurants survive, as within a one block radius, you find 5 of them trading together - Tomoe, Ryu Men Tei, Jyu Raku, Rakuzen and a little further away is Hyotan. The one that seems to be the most popular among the Japanese is Tomoe and the locals seem to prefer Rakuzen, which is perpetually packed all the time. Dining at Rakuzen, definitely needs tons of patience (don't go with an empty tummy) as not only is it difficult to get a space to sit, you have to wait for your food for quite some time.


assorted kushiyaki with teriyaki sauce (RM35++)

Last night, we decided to give Jyu Raku a try to compare it with Rakuzen. The menu features very similar items hence, if Rakuzen is packed to the brim, you have an alternative place to turn to. However, not everything is spectacular here probably because we didn't order their specialties.


light tasting - hotate no isoyaki (RM25++)

Let's start with the positive side of things. What stood out in taste and uniqueness - their Jyu Raku Roll. The maki is a nice and light (good for those avoiding carbs!) as it omits sushi rice. Instead, a piece of cucumber is wrapped around cabbage and a mix of unagi, prawn and sashimi. Topped with salmon roe, it is refreshing and delish. They must have treated the cucumber also, as it wasn't too crunchy or else it wouldn't have been easy to roll. I definitely would not mind returning for this again and again. A+ for this dish.


a little different, the gyuniku tataki (RM25++)

The other dishes didn't stand out as well as the maki but were pretty decent tasting. The gyuniku tataki was a huge portion of sliced beef lightly seared drizzled with a soy sauce. For those who hate raw beef, don't take this as it can be very reddish looking. I also liked the kushiyaki or yakitori items. We ordered a variety - mushrooms, green Japanese peppers, asparagus, minced chicken balls, chicken with leek, scallops and etc. My favourite were the green Japanese peppers. However, the teriyaki sauce they coat the items with is not as sticky and sweet compared to Shun, hence you find it a little bland. The hotate no isoyaki, which is essentially steamed scallops with mushrooms and their special sauce was very light tasting. You can't distinguish much of the sweet taste of scallops though.

The one item we totally hated and it was badly done was their tempura. We ordered tempura soba to share and the assorted tempura that accompanied it had a heavy batter. Another no-no was the batter was more golden yellow vs light yellow. Kinda sad, as the bowl of soba was a generous portion with moutain vegetables (sansai), nameko mushrooms and seaweed topping it. While we hated the tempura here, we wouldn't mind returning to try the other dishes like the kamameshi rice (rice cooked in an iron pot) and another order of the Jyu Raku roll. They also do a Japanese version of yee sang here, which looks pretty interesting. More pixs are in the flickr set.

Jyu Raku
13, Jln SS15/5A
47500 Subang Jaya
Selangor

Tel: 03-5633 3819

(Pork free. Open from 11.30am-3pm, 6-11pm for Monday to Thursday. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, open from 12noon to 10.30pm.)

*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 + Subang Jaya

Other reviews:

• KaFilicious moment...

Tenji Updates...

Went to Tenji, last night to scout around since we dined at Providore (fingerlicking hickory smoked pork ribs) round the corner. The place was quite enormous and surprisingly even packed at night. They have started a new promotion per the pictures below, so do book ahead. Saw a few walk-ins doing their booking and from what I gather, spaces are already filling up fast. Weekends seem to be very popular (this weekend it is fully booked for lunch and dinner).



Loads of controversy about Tenji started yesterday as an article emerged in the NST Streets Section that used Precious Pea's pictures i.e. the sushi and crab without her permission. Tsk! Tsk!



Rumour has it, the people behind it used to run Jogoya. Sounds very possible especially since the person interviewed in the article is quoted as saying he, "received training in running buffet restaurants in Taiwan" (Jogoya is based in Taiwan).

During the tour, I did ask the person taking us around, are there any special days they bring in their fresh seafood. Seems they cart in all the seafood by specially ordered container as they import the items themselves. I guess that is how they keep the prices down by ordering by bulk. However, for salmon they still get them on Tuesday and Fridays like the other Japanese restaurants in town. Plans are also on the way to add Japanese hawker stalls at the terrace area in the near future.

Updated 19 January, 2009: Seems they now employ SMS to do bookings as they can't handle the volume of the calls. I got this from the solaris montkiara website, you can SMS these numbers: 016-9209007 & 016-9209008. Don't call them as it seems they won't reply. Hope that helps you all as I did see one reader desperately trying to call them. Suggest you ask them in the SMS to confirm receipt of the message before you proceed to go, if those dates are unavailable.

Japanese Food @ Kirishima, Dua Annexe, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

pick from the Japanese inscribed paper for Kirishima's specials

I have been very slack (head down in shame!) in posting.....very sorry, readers. Work and getting ready for the party for Xmas has meant, I abandoned the blog for a whole week. Yikes, very bad habit indeed. I don't even have pictures of the Xmas party spread, as I was so busy running around getting ready, collecting the turkey, preparing desserts the whole day (the lemon sabayon tart went down well plus the Valrhona white chocolate mousse) and etc, that we didn't get there in time for the party.

dobin mushi, madam? my fav clear soup filled with mushrooms, leeks, gingko nuts & chicken

During the long long break, we did get to relax and check out new places to eat, so I have a lot to blog about. On my list of to do places, has been Kirishima at the newly opened Dua Annexe, opposite US Embassy on Jalan Tun Razak. Located just next to Delicious, Kirishima is part of the restaurant chain, which also owns Ninja Jones and Yuzu at the Gardens, Mid Valley City. What made visiting them very attractive during this period, was their opening promotion discounts (valid till 31 December, 2008) - 10% discount for set meals, 15% discount for a la carte, 15% for chef recommended sashimi fish and 25% discount for shabu-shabu.

7 kinds of chef selected sashimi (RM98 for 2 pax - RM83 after the 15% discount)

Since we didn't get a booking at the hottest place in town at the moment (aka Tenji, the mega Japanese buffet, which you can eat till you literally roll out of the door) and it was fully booked during the long break, we opted for this instead. Eventually, we did 2 visits here, after we discovered the promotional prices and brought my mother here to try the food.

silky smooth cold beancurd

For our first visit here, we zoomed in on the sashimi moriawase (7 kinds of specially selected fish) - really good stuff but don't ask me what they served since I am a dunce with Japanese names. I did spot salmon, scallop. clams, snapper and etc. The next day, when a friend ordered the same thing, they were given a different selection, which had toro (tuna belly). We also had a cold tofu, something I preferred compared to the agedashi tofu they serve here with eggplant. A wagyu beef sesame salad was added - nice and refreshing together with my favourite soup - dobin mushi.

juicy and succulent wagyu saikoro steak

For our second visit here, we tried the sets - I had the really value for money Kirishima Gozen (RM48) and my mother had the Saba Shioyaki Set (RM25). My Kirishima Gozen set was packed with goodies ranging from a small portion of wagyu saikoro steak, 3 varieties of sashimi, 3 varieties of sushi, tempura moriawase, dobin mushi soup, assorted pickles, fried beancurd, a piece of chicken and fruits for dessert! Everything was very good except that piece of chicken, which tasted like it came out from the fridge hard and unappetising. My mother's grilled saba fish was also good - a pretty decent sized fish, which was juicy. Splashie Boy had a bigger version of Wagyu Saikoro Steak, which looked much better than the Wagyu Ishiyaki Steak.

If you are around that neighbourhood, go check out that place, tucked at one corner. It sports chandeliers (weird in a Japanese restaurant), Japanese fabric curtains and lots of mirrors plus one wall of those salt lamps in front. They also do an izakaya style spread for dinner (pick from the counter the food) and serve oden (a set for 2 pax) here. You may want to skip desserts here (the matcha tiramisu looks like an ordinary cream cake!) and head next door for Delicious' desserts instead. For more pictures of the other items we ordered, you can view the Flickr set.

Kirishima Japanese Restaurant
Lot 1.2, First Floor

Dua Annexe
211 Jln Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2162 8127

(Pork free. Open from noon to 2.30pm, 6-10pm daily. If you are coming from the Smart tunnel, this place is just after Bombay Palace and next to Dua Residency, before the Singapore High Commission.)

*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 + Dua Annexe