Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant KLCC

Back to one of our many #KEVDA food adventures last year; this was in Oct which I remembered quite well cause it was part of my belated birthday celebration. I love the fact that one of the common things we share is our love for Japanese food, definitely makes it easier when it comes to deciding what to have when we are out. 

UMAI-YA has been around since 2007 with currently 3 branches running in Klang Valley. Their extensive menu offers up to 200 food and beverages selection ranging from sushi to yakitori as well as authentic and contemporary fare.

Working hard behind the sushi counter is Executive Chef H.M. Yau who has been working in the kitchen since 1987 and has great passion towards Japanese cuisine.

Started off our meal with these fat juicy salmon sashimi and uni. The salmon sashimi was really fresh and its buttery taste just literally melts(!) in your mouth. 

The uni (sea urchin) is one of their seasonal dishes and it will be priced according to the current rate as well. Since I have never eaten sea urchin before, Kevin suggested that I should try it since it's available during our visit. I would say the taste was rather unique cause I was actually expecting some fishy taste but boy was I wrong. It is a combination of ocean briny taste with a subtle sweetness and texture of a creamy custard; no wonder it's so pricey!

Salmon Kimchee Maki which is basically kimchi, seasoned scallop wings with raw salmon and cucumber.

Bikkuri Maki which is tuna, salmon, shiro maguro (which is actually white tuna), cheese and cucumber rolled with dry fish. Their sushi rolls are definitely one of the best I've ever tasted, their not so typical combination turns out to be just amazing. It felt like party in my mouth with every single piece, I kid you not.

My all time favourite Chawanmushi (*＾ڡ＾*) 

Lastly, we ordered Gyu-tan Teppanyaki as well; thinly sliced beef tongue cooked over a grilling pan. Yes, you read it right, it's BEEF TONGUE. Initially, I was grossed out by the thought of it until Kevin convinced me that it's actually tasty. And so I had my very first slice and mmmm I jizzed in my pants! It was soooooooo good, taste like beef but ten times better.

I definitely see myself coming back to try out some of their other signature dishes. Weekend lunch buffet (RM58++ with free flow beer) is sadly not available at KLCC but you can always head over to their Puchong or Damansara Utama outlets. Overall, I think their food is quite fantastic and worth every cents we paid albeit on the pricey end. Their service could have been better if the waiters are more attentive to their customers.

UMAI-YA (Suria KLCC) 
Lot No. 428, Level 4, Suria KLCC
Jalan Ampang,Kuala Lumpur.
Tel No: 03 2161 3939
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 10pm daily
Official FB page: HERE

xx

Mitasu Japanese Restaurant

Located in the heart of the city center, along Jalan Sultan Ismail is this Japanese Restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat ala carte buffet without burning a hole in your wallet. Priced at only RM59.90++, I personally think that it is really reasonable for their wide array of food ranging from sashimi to cold cuts and nabemono, not forgetting desserts too! To see the full menu, feel free to check out their Facebook page. It took us a while to decide what to order but we both agreed to not waste our stomach capacity on sushi and rice // eating buffet also needs strategy okay. Charges will be imposed for food wastage so be sure to not over order too. 

Kicking start our meal with Chuka Idako; seasoned baby octopus.  

Smooth silky Chawanmushi is my staple when it comes to Jap food.

Takoyaki topped with bonito flakes. They did it with just the right amount of batter with generous filling.

Kev's favourite Saba Shioyaki which he claimed was just so-so. 

The highlight of the meal would be their gorgeously sliced (and fat) sashimi! 

We tried Tuna, Salmon and Butterfish sashimi, equally fresh and succulent.

Chicken Gyoza.

And not to forget these ebi tempura in delicate and lacy gold batter that was fried to perfection; not too greasy. We had to have two servings of these!

More salmon sashimi please! 

Juicy bite-sized beef cooked in Butteryaki style; one of our favourite dishes too.  

Lamb Butteryaki.

 

Fresh shrimps served on ice; definitely worth the order. 

Decided to try their udon too and it was pretty tasty, love the soup especially.

Agedashi tofu which was nothing extraordinary.

Despite being stuffed to the brim, there is definitely still room for dessert. I chose the matcha (like duh) ice-cream while Kev tried out the black sesame ice-cream. Their ice-creams are quite decent, I must say!

A well fed kid is always happy! :D trying to hide my bulging tummy at the same time HEH

It can be quite packed over the weekends, so do call in for reservation beforehand to avoid disappointment. Overall, it was quite a satisfying meal at Mitasu but I must admit that we kind of overestimated ourselves and went overboard. We had to stay away from Japanese food for a while. But surely we will come back for another visit if we are up for a buffet challenge, maybe with a better strategy (haha!) larger group people so we can try out more dishes.

Mitasu Japanese Restaurant (Pork-free)
B-01 , Central Plaza,
No.34, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel No: 03-2110 2833
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mitasu2012
Operating Hours: Monday - Friday: 6pm~10pm
                             Saturday,Sunday and Public Holidays: Lunch section :12pm~3pm
                                                                                            Dinner section :6pm~10pm

If you know any Japanese buffet places that are worth going, feel free to share with me in the comment box below! 

xx

Manmaru Homemade Udon @ Midvalley

For the past one month, I've noticed people posting about this new eatery in Midvalley over Instagram and what attracts me the most is that it serves udon, and mainly just udon. I'm a big fan of udon cause that is what I normally order when I go for Japanese food. The fact that it's in Midvalley is definitely a plus point, at least I have new place to eat besides Sushi Zanmai now HAHA So back to Manmaru! It's a first Japanese self-service concept Udon Restaurant in Malaysia. Their udon are freshly made daily using the finest ingredients that are flown in from Japan. 

The open kitchen where you can see the cooks preparing udon.

Since it's a self service restaurant, you'll have to do the ordering on your own at the counter. 
A variety of udon illustrated with simple description on the menu, available in small and large. 

After ordering the udon, you can DIY your own meal by adding any tempura ranging from RM1.50 to RM3.80 or side dishes of your choice and drinks before making the payment. 

You will then have to help yourself with the cutlery, condiments and the green tea at the respective labelled counter bars. 

Basically, I love the simple interior design and good thing that there is ample seats as you can see.

Can't wait to dig in their udon already, itadakimasu!

キムチうどん Kimchi Udon | RM13.90 (L) RM11.90 (S)
If you are craving for kimchi and udon at the same time, you could probably give this one a try. I personally like it very much probably cause I love kimchi jiggae. Not too spicy either, YUMS! 

ニクうどん Niku Udon |  RM14.90 (L) RM12.90 (S)
If you're big fan of beef, then this is definitely your bowl of udon. It's one of my favourite too, pretty similar with the classic udon with soy broth, just that it has beef slices in it. Every slice of the beef are equally juicy and tender! 

カレーうどん Curry Udon | RM12.90 (L) RM10.90 (S)
The perfect udon for you if you love Japanese curry. I find it a tad salty, the thick gravy and rich curry taste might make you feel satiated after a few mouth. 

ざるうどん Zaru Udon | RM10.90 (L) RM8.90 (S)
I don't really fancy when my food is served cold so cold udon is never in my order list. I still give this a try and surprisingly the texture of the udon is even more chewy when it's cold.

梅うどん Ume Udon | RM12.90 (L) RM10.90 (S)
If you want something different and refreshing, try this! Pair the udon with the pickled plum (that brown paste on top of the udon) for a hint of sourness.  

カケうどん Kake Udon | RM10.90 (L) RM8.90 (S)
When you're indecisive, it's always safe to go for the classic udon served in its simplest form. Simply loving it! Definitely one of my favourite too, just add in a few tempura and you're good to go. 

ぶっかけうどん Bukake Udon | RM11.90 (L)  RM9.90 (S)
One would either love this or hate this. Served with radish and ginger on top, I couldn't really take the fish broth taste. Plus, it's cold too. This is my least favourite udon among all.

鴨せいろうどん Kamo Seiro Udon | RM15.90 (L) RM13.90 (S)
Plain udon served with duck meat and gravy.

釜揚げうどん Kamaage Udon RM12.90
Another classic udon served with warm sesame sauce. You'll need to dip the udon into the sesame sauce before eating it. Some customers tend to pour the whole sesame sauce into the udon which is a big no no. Since I don't eat sesame, I just dip my chopstick into the sauce and tried it. The sesame taste isn't that strong but it's really fragrant. 

クリームコーンうどん Cream Corn Udon | RM 14.90 (L) RM12.90 (S)
I was a bit skeptical when I saw this bowl of udon, what an unusual combination. It turns out acceptable to me cause the gravy tasted like carbonara. So it's like something like carbonara udon. Pretty unique!

I guess what makes Manmaru really stands out is indeed the texture of the udon, totally different from the others udon I've tasted before. Chewy on every bite and note that their udon are extra long too.

| Tempura Items |

Lotus Root Tempura | RM1.50/pcs

Tori Karaage (Fried Chicken) | RM2.00/pcs

White Fish Tempura | RM3.00/pcs

Brinjal Tempura | RM1.50/pcs

Ika Karaage (Fried Squid) | RM3.30/pcs

Mixed Vegetables Tempura | RM1.80/pcs

Green Pepper Tempura | RM1.80/pcs

Ebi Tempura (Fried Prawn) / RM3.80/pcs

Since I love fried stuff, their assorted tempura are delectable to me, especially the squid and prawn tempura. Even better to eat them when it's piping hot, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. And another dish that shall not be missed would be their perfectly cooked Hanjuku Tamago! 

Hanjuku Tamago | RM2.00/pcs
I can't resist eggs like this, cooked white with runny yolk YUMMMEH

So if you're looking for a decent meal with reasonable price in Midvalley, I'll recommend you to drop by Manmaru Homemade Udon which is located just beside Machines. Also suitable for those who wanted something light for dinner or lunch. I've been there three times already within a month cause I keep craving for their udon, will definitely see myself coming back more often (:

Manmaru Homemade Udon
S-045A, Center Court, Second Floor,
 Midvalley City Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra,
 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Operation hours : 10am-10pm
Website: http://manmaru.com.my/

xx