The most essential part of any of my shabu meals are the sauces and Nagomi’s ponzu and goma sauces definitely did not disappoint. The sauces available are:

Ponzu (Japanese Vinegar)
Goma Sauce (Sesame sauce)
Thai Chili Sauce
Nyonya Sauce
Wafu Dressing (Japanese Vinaigrette)
Shoyu Dressing (Soy bean based dressing)
Kyuri Dressing (Cucumber based dressing)

Live Australian Yabby lobster (Seasonal Item)

These alive and kicking lobster kept finding their ways to escape. Some of them managed to crawl out from our shabu shabu pot too!

Halfed Slipper Lobster

Whole Pomfret

Fresh Fish Slices

Fresh Sashimi Slices – available from 8pm-9pm daily.

Various Chilled Shellfishes

There’s prawns, clams, oysters, scallops, mussels, etc.

Assorted sushis and cooked food

All prepared diligently by Nagomi’s sushi chef.

Tofu shooters

Deep fried crab legs

Chicken, lamb, beef and duck slices

Fish balls, fish cakesand assorted deep fried items

Noodles, yam slices and vegetables

Watermelon

What sets Nagomi Shabu Shabu Buffet apart from the other steamboat places is the fresh selection and confortable dining environment. The spread was being refilled from time to time; so  there’s no need to fight for your food. Hence, it makes a great place for friends/families gatherings. The only thing i dislike about this place is after you eat the smell of the shabu shabu follows you.

Shabu-shabu Buffet @ RM32.80++ (not including drinks)
Children 5 -12 year-old RM18.80++
Only available @ Nagomi Menara Hap Seng
Available time: Weekdays (6.00pm – 10.00pm), Weekends & Public Holidays (12.00pm – 2.30pm, 6.00pm – 10.00pm)
Open on Sundays as well.
Parking in Menara Hap Seng is at a flat rate of RM3 after 5pm, Weekends & Public Holidays.

They are also currently having the Carlsberg Beer Promotion, with Carlsberg per bucket on sale (5 bottles) for only RM30++.

Nagomi Shabu-Shabu @ Menara Hap Seng
Suite 1-19, 1st Floor,
The Podium,
Menara Hap Seng,
Jalan P Ramlee,
50250, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact No.: +603-2141 6332
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri (6 – 10pm), Sat – Sun & Public Holiday (12 – 2.30pm, 6 – 10pm)
Website: www.nagomishabushabu.com

I just had an awesome weekend with the girls at the Qba courtyard. Thanks to the invitation extended by Ming and Yoke May from the Westin Group, we were given the privilege to indulge in some delectable Latin America food and free flow of alcoholic beverages.

B4 is the abbreviation for Beer+BBQ+Banda+Bandido. True to it’s name, it was a joyous night of beer, cocktails, grilled food and intensely good music.

Stand boasted of being the first restaurant in Malaysia that offers al fresco buffet dining, patrons get to enjoy the chefs in action behind those live cooking action. Everything is made to order to ensure ultimate freshness and taste.

And the best part? For only RM148 ++, we get to enjoy free flow of alcoholic beverages and cocktails!

wine – anakena
cocktail – bandido, frozen qba libre
beer – carlsberg draught (carlsberg beer glass), chang beer (bottle), corona beer (bottle), tuborg beer (bottle)
tequila
soft drink
juices

margarita bandido – a famous Mexican cocktail

Our bottles of Corona with traditional garnish of lime wedges. Push it down and voila! The foam rises really fast and we have to down it real fast! It was a very refreshing experience.

Apart from the tantalizing varieties from the live cooking stations, we have Irish oyster and shellfish ice stands (included in the buffet) brought to the table.

The freshness of the seafood was brought up by various qba salsa’s (habanero & tomato relish, jalapeno and lime crema, shadow benny, avocado).

#1 crustacea seafood stall

We also had cocktel de mariscos (Seafood Cocktails) from the crustacea seafood stall. It is a special combination of scallop tiradito, salsa verde, garlic chive cress and cashew nuts.

Another cocktail was the prawn and coconut ceviche where the seafood is “cooked” by the citric acid in lime and grapefruit juice.


#2 two fires: grilling the latin american way……

The next food station was the Latin America grill that uses wood fire and cast iron.

We had the seared salmon fillet with corn cakes, rosemary skewered prawns and red peppers, griddled goats cheese with spiced olives as well as the calamari and burnt tomato. Warm, gooey, melty goat cheese with a light and thin outer layer, I can just have the griddled cheese all day!

#3 Parrilla – the asadero open grill

What’s Grilling?
Angus sirloin steak
Chipotle marinated chicken
Lamb cutlets
Glazed beef short ribs
Sea bass in banana leaves with achiote and orange
Gold band snapper kabob a la diablo
Chorizo sausage kabob
Spit rotisserie whole lamb

The chef prepared a myriad of sauces to complement the grills – brazilian criolla, tequila habanero bbq, red chimmichurri, pico de gallo & jus,  herb butter, smoked chilli butter, herb and spice curry butter. Yes, they took their butter seriously. Have you ever tried chili butter? It is a very interesting combination.

We have some sides such as the cowboy baked cannellini beans, escallavida vegetables, columbian style baby potatoes, tomato and olive salad to go with the meaty meal.

#4 Taquero – tacos

Taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. There were many choices of fillings:

Grilled fish, citrus flavours, mango salsa
Grilled lamb carne asada, red onion escabeche, habanero salsa
Chorizo sausage, scrambled egg, grilled spring onion
Chicken al pastor(vertical spit gyro), roasted poblano rajas, sweetcorn
Red mole usda beef short ribs

#5 Arepas – south american filled corn cakes

We called it the Latin America burger. Some of the fillings to go with the corn cakes:

beef and green olive hash
black bean and cheese
grilled eggplant, dried tomato and feta cheese
perico, turkey ham and cheddar cheese

the arepas looks like pacman isn’t it?

#6 giant torta – south of the border sandwich

with achiote spiced chicken, pickled jalapeno, mango salsa, guacamole, roma tomatoes, monterey jack cheddar.

it’s actually longer and bigger than it seems

#7 arroz – rice

That part of the world loves their rice too. We have paella, the spanish rice infused with saffron. There’s also a generous amount of chicken, prawns, live black mussels and little neck clams and chorizo found on top of it. The mussels and neck clams, freshly imported from New Zealand were so fresh and sweet!

picadillo con heurvos – cuban nasi campur We have beef hash ragout, steamed rice, braised canary beans, avocado pineapple and cacao salad, hot salsa, crisp plantains, takari and caribbean lamb curry.

some of the selection that we picked from the live cooking stations

and more

Last but not least, the ladies were anticipating the dulces (sweets) because we have already set aside the extra stomach space for it.

tropical fruit paletas popsicles, coffee chocolate mousse and cinnamon churros and coconut macaroons

We adjourned to the bar area after our dinner. There are two floors to Qba, with the lower level acting as the bar.

We were mesmerised by the voices of the Colombian band ‘Piel Latina’. Chris even took up a 10 minutes salsa lesson with one of the hot ladies up there.

Upstairs house the cigar and wine bar with elegant leather seat, maroon coloured curtain and beautiful chandeliers.

We reckon that Qba is the place to go if you wish to get a taste of some authentic Latin America food. At Rm148++, the price might sound steep but if you are a (great) drinker, it is a great value for money. A tequila shot could easily set you back at RM20 out there!

Qba B4 Buffet
rm 148 per person
rm 99 per person for starwood privilege member
rm 74 per child (9 to 18 years old)
complimentary for children age 8 years and below

Westin Hotel KL
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur, Selangor
For reservation, please contact Westin Dining at 03-2731-8333 or log on to westindining.com.my.

At RM45++ for lunch and RM 58++ for dinner, the pricing is not too bad. Advance booking is almost a mandatory because we were here on a Monday night and the place is packed to the brim!

Apart from the simple buffet line of salad, sashimi, sushi, teppanyaki and dessert, one can also order from the ala-carte menu that features more than 80 dishes. Place your order with the wait staff, and he will print the receipts and place it on your table. As the food arrives, the wait staff will remove the receipt from your table. I reckoned that it is a pretty efficient and fast way to avoid confusion.

Drinks selection are limited to ice lemon tea, orange juice, mango juice, peach tea, green tea, cappuccino and chocolate. No qualms on that; as we got unlimited refills and orders.

The only bummer is the bad lighting. It is almost impossible to snap a good photo, which reminds me that we need to get an external flash! So I’ll just feature food that we thought was good.

motoyaki scallops, grilled butter fish, grilled salmon and abalone slices

lamb chop, sake clams, unagi togu and mini cheese tarts

The service was impeccable too. The wait staff were very attentive and they will change our plates every 30 minutes or so. Please note that if you are looking for some authentic Japanese cuisine, Tao Cuisine is not the place for you. Most of the ala-carte items are prepared in such a way that catered to the Malaysian tastebud, i.e. clever use of various dressings and sauces. We wouldn’t mind at all, as long as the food is good

Tel: 03-6148 2826
Fax: 03-6148 5826

Lunch
11.30am till 02.30pm (Monday to Friday)
11.30am till 04.00pm (Saturday, Sunday, public holidays and eve of public holiday)

Dinner
05.30pm till 10.30pm (Monday to Thursday)

05.30pm till 08.00pm 1st section
(Friday to Sunday, public holidays and eve of public holiday)

08.30pm till 11.00pm 2nd section
(Friday to Sunday, public holidays and eve of public holiday)

look at the spread! only a fraction of what we had!

Few weeks back, we went for Munakata’s Buffet Dinner (RM 60+) in the company of people who like to eat as much as we do. Nothing tops our mutual understanding and  shared sense of purpose, that is getting the most out of our $$.  We went there with high hopes and empty stomachs and went home with stomachs on the verge of exploding.

Vkeong’s glowing review on Munakata Buffet has ignited our interest and we manage to secure a table on the following week. I can’t believe that I’ve never noticed this place despite the fact that I work nearby. Well, the outside looked a bit run down and it is a traditional Japanese restaurant with simple setting, something like Saisaki, the fame Japanese Buffet place.

We ate so much that it’s almost impossible to elaborate on every single dish one by one. I’ll just categorize them under the good, the mediocre and the bad part.

THE GOOD

The one and only Salmon Sashimi – thick cut, fresh and literally melt in your mouth.So good that we had 27 servings of these  (1 serving = 3 pieces). No kidding!

Salmon Teriyaki – the skin crisped up beautifully, helped by the thin layer of fat and juicy meat.

Gyu Saikoro Steak – the steak was beautifully done, so juicy and tender.

Enoki No Butter Yaki –  Excellent sautéed with butter, love the fragrant from the slightly burnt butter.

Unagi Kabayaki – can’t go wrong right?

Kaki Furai -  The deep fried oysters were extremely delicious even if the coating was a tad too thick.

Shira Ebi Karaage (deep fried Japanese Glass Shrimp) - great beer food.

Tori Tsukune Yaki – these chicken meatballs were surprisingly delicious!

THE MEDIOCRE

Tempura Moriawase - the tempura batter was way too thick and so oily but the prawns and veges were actually quite fresh.

Furai Ika Ring (deep fried squid rings) – thick batter with chewy squid rings.

Hotate Butter Yaki – the scallops were fresh but the outer layer was too thick and oily.

Shisamo.

Nigiri Sushi (Salmon) - the sushi rice was a bit dry but the thick cut of salmon made up for it.

Wakame Salad.

Edamame.

THE BAD

When I mean bad, I mean really bad. The sake teriyaki (mackerel) was so dry and it has a strong fishy smell to it, the Age Shu-Mai’s skin was too thick, the Umagi Tamago was overwhelmingly sweet, the Ankake Age Dofu (deep fried bean curd with thick starchy sauce) was weird, the tori no karagee (deep fried chicken) were charred, and I’ve never tasted such bad green tea ice cream.

With some hits and misses in the ala carte menu, I will still go for Rakuzen’s unlimited ala carte Japanese Buffet (only for Sunday lunch, with more varieties) if I have RM60 to spare . Munakata has only one type of sashimi to offer, while the rest is mostly grilled or deep fried items. However, you can always go for those that we labeled as “The Good”. I’m sure that you’ll get your money worth by having 27 servings of thick cut salmon sashimis.

Japanese Restaurant MunakataMezzanine Floor, Life Centre,
No. 20, Jalan Sultain Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-21667441 Fax: 03-21667825

Yaki-Yaki Grand Opening: 50% on All Dining Period

From: 16 Mar 2009 – 30 Apr 2009

Price (before discount): Lunch RM65++, Hi-Tea RM55++, Dinner RM75++, Supper RM65++

Yaki Yaki Japanese BBQ Buffet Restaurant

Ground Floor, Federal Bowl,

Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03- 21428111

*Terms and conditions apply.

Limited 2 hours dining time

With 5% government tax and 10% service charge.

Daidomon Special Washoku & Yakiniku Buffet (50% OFF)

From: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 – Mon, 6 Apr 2009

Price (before discount): Adult – RM 68++, Children – RM38++

Daidomon  Charcoal BBQ Japanese Restaurant

Lot 4, Level 3, Great Eastern Mall,

No 303, Jalan Ampang,

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 43528155

*Terms and conditions apply.

( Monday to Thursday dinner only)

(Week end & Public holiday Lunch only)

It seems like more all you can eat buffets at half the price are coming our way! Have anyone tried these? Do leave us a comment and share it with us.

It seems like the talk of town is no longer Tenji Japanese Buffet as everyone has changed their attention to Xenri – with a larger buffet spread and a much lower price instead! Read from boo’s post that said it’s really hard to get through to Xenri’s line and this is so true! I’ve been calling them for the past few days and the line is either engaged or you’ll get directed to voice mail.

Since Menara Hap Seng is fairly near to my office, so I went to check out the place during lunch time. What greeted me is……a big notice that reads “50% Buffet Promotion is FULLY BOOKED. Thank You”. What a big let down and it’s really amazing that how efficient is KLites when it comes to good deals! They do accept walk-ins, provided that there is a last minute cancellation. The chances are probably low……

Is there anyone who manages to secure a place or two? Can we tag along? RM 27.50++ for lunch and RM 34.00 ++ for dinner seem so reasonable. We have been to their first outlet at Wisma Elken and RM30 can’t even buy you a proper bento set. Do let us know your buffet experience here.

Read our review on Xenri here.

1. Everyone sing the birthday song and have the birthday child sing along.
2. The birthday is deep in thought, hmmm I wish for more toys, more candies, (more chicks)……
3. Awwww so cute!
4. The portrait of a happy family.

We adjourn to Heritage Bay Club at Pulau Duyong for High Tea buffet after that. The RM300 million a year yacht race called the Monsoon Cup (some say the F1 of yachting) has left us behind Heritage Bay Club (Kelab Teluk Warisan Terengganu). Other than accommodation, Heritage Bay Club offers sailing facilities as well.

Idris Yusof, the ex chief minister of Terengganu.

The restaurant that we are heading to is Ulek Mayang Restaurant, located at the club house of Heritage Bay Club, overlooking the South China Sea.

At RM 25++, the buffet spread revolves around Malay delicacies such as mee soto, rojak, ayam kunyit, roti canai, ais kacang and a niche selection of western starters and desserts.

The food was surreally bad, not all of them, but most of them. Quite simply, there is no excuse for unattentive service in such a prestigious club but it happened. Our finished plates are never cleared and we have to squeeze for table room. Nevertheless, we would love to thank KampungBoy’s sister in law for buying us the meal.

Bar Area

Sleekly Designed Indoor Dining Room

Alfresco Dining at the Patio

With KampungBoy’s Parents

After the meal, we walked around the deck for some cam whoring session and to catch a glimpse of the prize-winning boats from the Monsoon Cup competition. Such a stunning place isn’t it? It better be, so much of money was spent on it!

The Heritage Bay Club Marina & Resort,
Pulau Duyong,
21300 Kuala Terengganu,
Terengganu.
Tel: 09-627 7888
Fax: 09-622 9903
E-mail: info@heritagebayclub.com.
Website: www.heritagebayclub.com

CAUTION: Not for the famished/starved and the on diets with weak determination!

Time flies, one week to go and it marks the end of my internship. I feel the fleeting of every moment, deeply. Everyone asks me, “Do you know what you’re doing after graduation? I feel a little bit overwhelmed because there are so many things to be considered, the pathways are blur – to continue with master or to join the rat race and ascending the corporate?

Enough of ramblings, let’s get back to the food. It was a lunch get together for the trainees aka cheap labour in my company. With a mere few hundred of allowances, we need to get a PLZ (peng leng zheng) place. Noble House lunch buffet is perfect for corporate slave with budget who emphasize on value! The RM 39++ comes with a bowl of complementary braised shark fin with crab meat and crab roe while the RM 50++ set entitles you to a bowl of double boiled stuffed shark fin in chicken wing.

As a fast growing restaurant group with a premium reputation, specializing in Fine Cantonese Cuisine, Noble house is the third outlet of Oriental’s Group of Restaurants. Noble House is awarded as The Best Restaurant 2007 by Malaysia Tattler too.

The peking duck wrap is a sinful indulgence, just arrange the crispy and oil laden skin on a large plate and serve it with pancakes and cucumber, spring onions and hoi sin sauce.

Garoupa fish fillet with pamelo pulps is very good. The fillets were exceptionally light and crispy while the pamelo pulps and lime sauce give it a very refreshing touch.

Kampungboy loves the smoked chicken. The delicate smoke add good flavor to the meat and it still remain tender and juicy.

Siu Yuk, the crispy roast belly pork is finishing really fast. The skin is very crispy (never stale) and the meat has the perfect balance of leans and fats.

Deep Fried Goodies

Adjourn to the hot pot selection with braised duck, braised fish, bak kut teh, la mien, ipoh hor fun, etc to fill up your tummy. Other than that, my friends gave two thumbs up to the porridge selection and pan fried section with yummy goodies such as dumpling (wo tip), cheong fun, radish cake (lobak gou).

I need not to elaborate much on the food as you can read WMW’s review here and Jackson’s 2 cents over here and here. The buffet spread is a good one, not to say stunning or exceptionally good, but for the price that we pay, it was a GREAT value for money. Perfect for a family occasion or friends get together.

Obligatory pictures of our usual delicious long haired kakis just for the team. A group shot of happy gluttons with bulging tummies and contented smiles.

NOBLE HOUSE
No.19, Jalan Delima, Off Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03- 2145 8822 Fax : 03- 2141 3822

That special day is here again, 26 August. On our anniversary I’d like to remind you how very special you are to me. You will never know how it thrills my heart every time I see you.

Over the pass three years, we’ve had our troubles and woes, but our love for each other had no attached strings. I am so very grateful for your unconditional love and support in a world full of conditions. I would like to dedicate ‘Everything’ by Michael Buble to you as the chorus matches the rhythm inside my heart so much.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.

You’re a carousel, you’re a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You’re a mystery, you’re from outer space,
You’re every minute of my everyday.

And I can’t believe, uh that I’m your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we’ll see it through,
And you know that’s what our love can do.

Happy anniversary. Looking forward to many more years with you!

I thought that we won’t be having any celebration this year as Kampungboy needs to work on both Saturday and Sunday. I made him a simple, hearty and filling dinner on Saturday night.

I was a lousy cook back then, my cooking skill is still pathetic till now but I guess when you love food, you should know what good food should taste and you pick things up along the way. Fortunately I have that cooking card up my sleeve for when I decide to come out with something decent. Black pepper pork blade steak with a side of mashed potato, fresh poached broccoli and angel hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce was served in a jiffy once he came back. Kampungboy has always appreciated my cooking, especially the love infused dinner on our anniversary eve. LOL

It comes to my surprise that he doesn’t have to work on Sunday and I get to hung with him the whole day. Feel like stuffing ourselves up, we headed to Rakuzen at Chulan Square for a little taste of Japanese elegance. The exquisite taste of Japanese food often comes at a price but not for the buffet lunch priced at only RM 55++ per head.

The minimalist design of the interior reflects a traditional Japanese architecture. The dining space and wooden interiors appeal to those with a penchant for coziness and intimacy. It has an open concept kitchen that allows the chef to take the limelight away with all the slicing, tossing and flipping actions going on.

As starter, we order the spider maki, the crispy rendition of soft shell crab in the Spider Maki complement the rice and seaweed very well.

The miniature and reddish brown coloured octopus (chuka lidako) took some courage to eat but I found it quite delicious and not at all chewy. The thinly sliced seasoned scallop (chuka kurage) is crunchy and I love the welcoming hint of spiciness.

Our choice of taro sashimi is impeccably fresh and properly presented. The silky, custardy piping hot tofu squares in a clear soy sauce based sauce is absolutely delicious. How could I missed out my favourite, the yummy and healthy snack – Boiled green soy bean (Edamame)?

However, our assorted tempura was served lukewarm instead of pipping hot. We suspected that they made it in advance and piled them up because of the big dining crowd. It is soggy and greasy, a sign of old oil. The batter was not diaphanous but thick.

The assorted skewered grill (kushiyaki moriawase) was disappointing, they over grill the chicken, as it result in a hard and tasteless meat. I love to have my grilled chicken (yakitori) with some tare sauce (mixture of mirin, sweet sake and soy sauce) but it is not served in Rakuzen. The smelt (Shishamo) with huge egg sacs inside is utterly tasteless too. The grilled Shiitake Mushrooms is a total rip off too, dry and tasteless.

The unagi combines a rich flavor with an appetizing texture, crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. The flavour is too rich in fact, they must have splurge on the kabayaki sauce.

With a limited dessert selection, we settled for scoops of aromatic and macha ice cream and fruit platter.

The service was slow; we were informed by the serving staff that it takes longer time for the food to reach you after the first order was taken. Is it some kind of policy? Ambiance wise, Rakuzen has one of the most pleasant settings. The starter selection, sashimi selection and sushi selection was good but the same does not go to the skewered grilled item and tempura item. The quality of all you can eat buffet is not as good as ala carte. They adopt a more personal approach through their ala carte menu but it usually costs you a bomb. It actually varies across individuals, value for money or quality in food?

That special day is here again, 26 August. On our anniversary I’d like to remind you how very special you are to me. You will never know how it thrills my heart every time I see you.

Over the pass three years, we’ve had our troubles and woes, but our love for each other had no attached strings. I am so very grateful for your unconditional love and support in a world full of conditions. I would like to dedicate ‘Everything’ by Michael Buble to you as the chorus matches the rhythm inside my heart so much.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.

You’re a carousel, you’re a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You’re a mystery, you’re from outer space,
You’re every minute of my everyday.

And I can’t believe, uh that I’m your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we’ll see it through,
And you know that’s what our love can do.

Happy anniversary. Looking forward to many more years with you!

I thought that we won’t be having any celebration this year as Kampungboy needs to work on both Saturday and Sunday. I made him a simple, hearty and filling dinner on Saturday night.

I was a lousy cook back then, my cooking skill is still pathetic till now but I guess when you love food, you should know what good food should taste and you pick things up along the way. Fortunately I have that cooking card up my sleeve for when I decide to come out with something decent. Black pepper pork blade steak with a side of mashed potato, fresh poached broccoli and angel hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce was served in a jiffy once he came back. Kampungboy has always appreciated my cooking, especially the love infused dinner on our anniversary eve. LOL

It comes to my surprise that he doesn’t have to work on Sunday and I get to hung with him the whole day. Feel like stuffing ourselves up, we headed to Rakuzen at Chulan Square for a little taste of Japanese elegance. The exquisite taste of Japanese food often comes at a price but not for the buffet lunch priced at only RM 55++ per head.

The minimalist design of the interior reflects a traditional Japanese architecture. The dining space and wooden interiors appeal to those with a penchant for coziness and intimacy. It has an open concept kitchen that allows the chef to take the limelight away with all the slicing, tossing and flipping actions going on.

As starter, we order the spider maki, the crispy rendition of soft shell crab in the Spider Maki complement the rice and seaweed very well.

The miniature and reddish brown coloured octopus (chuka lidako) took some courage to eat but I found it quite delicious and not at all chewy. The thinly sliced seasoned scallop (chuka kurage) is crunchy and I love the welcoming hint of spiciness.

Our choice of taro sashimi is impeccably fresh and properly presented. The silky, custardy piping hot tofu squares in a clear soy sauce based sauce is absolutely delicious. How could I missed out my favourite, the yummy and healthy snack – Boiled green soy bean (Edamame)?

However, our assorted tempura was served lukewarm instead of pipping hot. We suspected that they made it in advance and piled them up because of the big dining crowd. It is soggy and greasy, a sign of old oil. The batter was not diaphanous but thick.

The assorted skewered grill (kushiyaki moriawase) was disappointing, they over grill the chicken, as it result in a hard and tasteless meat. I love to have my grilled chicken (yakitori) with some tare sauce (mixture of mirin, sweet sake and soy sauce) but it is not served in Rakuzen. The smelt (Shishamo) with huge egg sacs inside is utterly tasteless too. The grilled Shiitake Mushrooms is a total rip off too, dry and tasteless.

The unagi combines a rich flavor with an appetizing texture, crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. The flavour is too rich in fact, they must have splurge on the kabayaki sauce.

With a limited dessert selection, we settled for scoops of aromatic and macha ice cream and fruit platter.

The service was slow; we were informed by the serving staff that it takes longer time for the food to reach you after the first order was taken. Is it some kind of policy? Ambiance wise, Rakuzen has one of the most pleasant settings. The starter selection, sashimi selection and sushi selection was good but the same does not go to the skewered grilled item and tempura item. The quality of all you can eat buffet is not as good as ala carte. They adopt a more personal approach through their ala carte menu but it usually costs you a bomb. It actually varies across individuals, value for money or quality in food?

The food choice is extensive to suit every tastebud, let it be Asian or Western food. Two thumbs up for their fresh raw seafood and Chatz Char Kuey Teow that was cooked upon request.

(Pictures from http://kualalumpur.parkroyalhotels.com/s14204/index.shtml)

This picture is for you, Cheesie! This is the first time for Jakun like us to came upon these extraordinary looking cheese.

I remembered vividly for having a blue cheese thin crusted pizza and it was nice. So I tried a slice or two of blue cheese here. A voice inside my heart was saying “To spill or not to spill?” Guess what I did at last? I swallowed it with a lot of pink guava juice but the smell still lingers on my mouth. O_o

An aphrodisiac is an agent which acts on the mind and causes the arousal of the mood of sexual desire, it can be found in nuts or wine, but not OYSTER! So guys please don’t simply take oyster just because of ahem some reason.

People with chronic liver disease, impaired immune systems or cancer should avoid eating raw oysters too. Kampung will never know the taste of raw oyster because he can’t take raw food! Hahahah

Sashimis and Cooked Ham

Malaysian Cuisine and Soba DIY

Ice Cream BAR

Fruits and Salads Bar and freshly squeezed fruit juice as thirst quenchers.

The desserts are nicely presented but sometimes look can be deceiving. Hehe! If I were to choose the nice one, it would be chocolate mousse and mango pudding.

Overall Rating:
Nice environment and excellent service. Food has the best presentation but food quality might varies.

Opening hours:
Daily – 6:30 am to 12:00 midnight
Lunch – 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm
Dinner – 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm
Hi-Tea – 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm (weekends and public holidays)

I bought him a bouquet of daisies..Reason? Coz orange colour daisies look more Macho than roses or what so ever flowers..

Pretty Girls from Faculty of Management..

Good Looking Accountants..Heartthrobs?

Surprise Part 2..While my arrival has caught his attention, his friends slam-bang the cake hard on his face..And a war of the cakes and creams happened in the KTV room..The girls have to do the cleaning up silently without the staff notice..SShhhhh

Poor cake gone into waste

Blueberry Cheesecake from Berry’s..Not nice one..

Buffet Time! It’s such a great deal at RM 10! Look at the varieties but do not expect too much since it’s only 10 bucks. The desserts are nice to see but not nice to swallow. We voted the assam prawns, sotong lemak and baked mussels as the best food around!

The Procedures Recommended – Taken from Jogoya Official Website

Pricing

Store Front

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Customers must pay prior enter and we were actually the first on the booking list. Their staff ushered us into a so called couple seat. It’s actually a little cabin where you and your partner are sitting next to each other and facing a wall. I urged KampungBoy to request for seats changing, and they lead us to a small table of two. Ahhh, feel more spacious now! This place is HUGE that I got lost for few times. (A bit exaggerating, main reason is I have poor sense of direction) Every table is given some metal clips to be dropped onto the counter when you want to order the cooked food. Just be patient because it takes time to be delivered to your table.

Most of their serving staffs are actually foreigners who can’t understand English. However, they are prompt in clearing your plates and getting you spoons or tissues. Oh, it’s heart warming because they say Thank You and smile quite frequently.

Everyone try the paperpot steamboat out of curiosity. You can choose your own choice of seafood and vegetables from the counter and the soup base selections are chicken and mushroom, miso soup and tomyam soup. There’s’ a portable burner on every table to keep your soup warm.

Citygal’s favourite : Sashimi

Pictures courtesy of whistler

They have various type of baked cheese in bowls.

Kampungboy with his cawan mushi

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Oysters big as palm size. This is the first time we tried raw oysters..Ermm..Dun quiet like it..

Stir Fry Beef..Delicious!!

Stir Fry Lala..2 Thumbs Up!!

Butter Prawn..The prawn is fresh and I love the butterly taste

Ikan Pari Bakar..Cute presentation..Kampungboy: Waste aluminium foil leh..

Must mention about the prawn tempura coated with crunchy batter and the grilled fish chin (direct translate from mandarin)

Fish Fillet with Teppanyaki Sauce..SO good that we ordered a second plate..

Dim Sum Section

Siu Loong Tong Bao without Tong..Haha

Jogoya is a Halal restaurant..But weirdly enough that it tastes like pork..

Variety and selections of food is HUGE as well, but not all meet up to the standard. KampungBoy and I just love their drinks from fruit smoothies, small coconuts, coffee, expresso, cappuccino, plum tea and ocha. For desserts, their mousse cakes and tarts are nothing special, but I love the tiramisu, plain cheese cake and Movenpick Ice Cream from Switzerland. I tried it at Marche, The Curve and fall in love with it there after.

Cute coconuts..Love it

Citygal had 3 cups of cappuccino

Movenpick Ice Cream..Drolling..@@

Desserts..SO tempting right??

Note : Phototaking of the food preparation counters are strictly prohibited. We were actually stopped by the managers few times. However we goes on for our reader’s viewing pleasuers. Haha

Can you imagine that two of us can actually gobbled down so much of food? We definitely get the RM 133.40 worth. We recommended this place to all the jap food lovers out there, and not to forget those with big appetite like us. Last but not least, thanks to KampungBoy for the treat, he’s probably going to survive on bread for the next few weeks.

Jogoya, T3 Relish Floor, Starhill Gallery (Phone No: 03-22971299 )

Brunch RM78++ *Promo Price RM68++

11:30am – 1.40pm (weekdays)11.00am – 2.00pm (weekends)

Lunch RM68++ *Promo Price RM58++

1:40pm – 4.20pm (weekdays)2.00pm – 4.20pm (weekends)

Dinner RM88++ *Promo Price RM78++

5:00pm – 9.30pm (weekdays)5.00pm – 9.30pm (weekends)

Supper RM88++ *Promo Price RM68++

9:30pm – 2.00am (weekdays)9.40pm – 2.00am (weekends)

* Promo Price ends on 31 March 2006.