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Check out three of the best Japanese buffets in KL. Food blogger PureGlutton picks her favourites.
Check out three of the best Japanese buffets in KL. Food blogger PureGlutton picks her favourites.
Hanare Sunday Buffet Brunch: Fresh, succulent Japanese food in a cosy ambience
Hanare @ The Intermark gets its fresh seafood from none other than the Tsukiji market in Tokyo and they only serve freshly shucked oysters, never frozen ones. With such credentials, it’s no wonder that Hanare stands out as one of my favourite Japanese restaurants to go for buffets. The other plus point about Hanare is that it’s a very cosy restaurant and not teeming with boisterous diners although the restaurant was pretty busy on the Sunday we were there.
Hanare @ The Intermark gets its fresh seafood from none other than the Tsukiji market in Tokyo and they only serve freshly shucked oysters, never frozen ones. With such credentials, it’s no wonder that Hanare stands out as one of my favourite Japanese restaurants to go for buffets. The other plus point about Hanare is that it’s a very cosy restaurant and not teeming with boisterous diners although the restaurant was pretty busy on the Sunday we were there.
At RM148 per person (add RM28 for free flow of sake and draught beer), it’s pretty good value for money, considering that most of their offerings use top-notch ingredients.
We love the luscious and super fresh sashimi carved out with great care by Chef Akira. From the sashimi counter, take your pick of seasonal seafood ranging from oysters, maguro, salmon, kanpachi, amaebi, mongo ika and chu-toro … all at unlimited amounts except for the chu-toro, which is limited to 3 pieces per guest.
Appetizers prettily plated in delicate saucers and bowls are laid out for your picking at the sakizuke and salada counter. At the sushi counter, a wide variety of maki and temaki are freshly made and rolled – just give your order to the friendly chef or help yourself to some from the plate.
Zaru soba and zaru udon are laid out at the menrui table and next to that is the nimono counter, where piping hot stewed dishes like oden and yasai nimono are offered. The yakimono selection is pretty good, with my favourites being the fat shishamo, salmon and chicken bites.
The most popular counter is the teppanyaki counter. How can anyone resist fresh plump scallops, tiger prawns, and Australian wagyu? Chef Eddy Chong does a great job; the teppanyaki meats were done to tender, succulent perfection.
Although several types of Japanese desserts were available, we stuck to the ice creams simply because they were some of the best we have tasted. My absolute favourite is their goma (black sesame) ice cream, that is full of rich nutty aroma, and thick and creamy. The green tea and vanilla flavours were both good too!
Hanare | Address: The Intermark, 182 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-2164-2133 | Opening hours: Daily 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.00pm – 10.30pm| GPS Coordinates: 3.161620, 101.719670 | Pork-free
Genji @ The Hilton Petaling Jaya: Country-style Japanese cuisineOpened since 1988 and headed by Chef Richard Teoh with 23 years of experience, Genji Japanese Restaurant is well-established and popular. Over the years, its consistent quality and seasonal offerings have won it many fans.
The restaurant is segregated into several distinct areas. There is the tea lounge, sushi bar, main restaurant, two spacious teppanyaki counters and six private tatami dining rooms – just pick your preferred dining occasion and space!
Genji’s weekend buffets are extremely popular. The Saturday dinner buffet is available from 6.30pm till 10.30pm and priced at RM109 per adult and RM56 per child (5-11 years old). The Sunday buffet lunch is available from 11.30am till 2.30pm at RM99 per adult and RM49 per child.
The cold counters offer freshly sliced sashimi of salmon, butterfish, tuna and octopus. Freshly shucked oysters, cold appetisers, salads and soba are also available. There are several hot live stations offering fried delicacies like tempura, grilled delights at the teppanyaki counter, hot sweet soups at the sukiyaki corner and other popular cooked items such as garlic fried rice and noodles. My favourite is the grilled salmon bellies – thick slabs of rich fatty flavoursome bellies oozing with Omega 3! Don’t miss out the desserts – their mochi and green tea ice creams are quite legendary.
Take note that advanced booking is required.
Genji @ The Hilton Petaling Jaya | Address: Hilton Petaling Jaya, No 2 Jalan Barat, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan | Tel : 03-7955-9122 | Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 12noon – 10.30pm, Sun 11.30am – 10.30pm | GPS Coordinates: 3.102346,101.641066 | Pork-free
Kampachi @ Troika, Kuala Lumpur: A delicious semi-buffet to suit every palateSince its opening late last year, the chic Kampachi at Troika is a welcome haven for many Japanese food lovers. With a 40-year history, Kampachi needs little introduction as one of Kuala Lumpur’s established restaurants. Besides its set menus and omakase meals, their Sunday brunch is something to look forward to.
There is a twist to though as it is not the usual laid-out buffet. Instead, the Kampachi Brunch at The Troika offers a sumptuous semi-buffet, with a selection of special dishes featuring premium cuts of sashimi and beef, and succulent lobsters and king crabs. Dishes are ordered from the special menu set for that Sunday (it changes every week). Premium items like chu-toro, amber jack and sea bream sashimi are limited to 1 piece each per person. Unlimited servings or regular sashimi are available on the ice counter together with a good variety of cold appetisers and salads.
Each diner can select one hot dish from the “main kitchen” and choices include US lobster teppanyaki style, grilled Japanese Wagyu roll, grilled Hokkaido king crab, grilled tiger prawn with teriyaki sauce and deep-fried Hokkaido snow crab leg.
Unlimited orders can be made for other items on the menu such as tempura, teppanyaki meats, grilled fishes like cod, mackerel, salmon and shishamo, sukiyaki and must-haves like chawan mushi, unagi and scallops. They even have a very crispy and delicious fried chicken wings with black pepper!
The dessert is served in their Kampachi Platter style: a huge plate of assorted seasonal fresh fruits and green tea and black sesame ice cream flanked by mocha-like green tea jelly.
Due to its popularity, two sessions are available every Sunday and on public holidays: 11.00am – 12.45pm and 1.00pm – 2.45pm. The brunch is priced at RM150 for adults and RM85 for children (5 – 10 years old). Reservations are highly recommended.
Kampachi | Address: Lot G-3, The Troika, 19 Persiaran KLCC, 50450 Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-2181-2282 | Opening hours: Mon – Sat 12noon – 3pm (Lunch), 6pm – 11pm (Dinner), Sun 11am – 12.45pm (Brunch Session 1), 1pm – 2.45pm (Brunch Session 2), 6pm – 11pm (Dinner) | GPS Coordinates: 3.157884,101.718217 | Pork-free
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