Back to one of my favourite Japanese restaurants! The quality of food here has remained consistently high since my first visit in 2012. After trying numerous items on their menu, I'm glad to report to none has disappointed me so far.
You can conveniently view their food and drinks menu here - less time spent reading the menu at the restaurant means more time to enjoy the food!
Even though it was packed Saturday night, our orders were promptly taken and food arrived within 10 minutes. Service here is always attentive so you can expect polite servers checking in often to refill your tea & collect empty dishes.
Let's makan!
Kanpachi Carpaccio (5/5)
Fresh slices of Kanpachi is served with a ponzu sauce mixture and olive oil. The result? A well-balanced bite with just enough zing from the ponzu to cut through the richness of the fish and olive oil. Highly recommended!
Kirishima Mori (5/5)
Seven varieties of sashimi - Salmon, lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, yellowtail, snapper, lightly torched scallop, and sweet shrimp. Aside from the visually appealing presentation, the sashimi is also served with freshly grated wasabi. Not to be missed if you're a fan of raw fish.
Wagyu Saikoro Steak (4/5)
Juicy chunks of diced wagyu beef served on a sizzling hotplate. The beef was well seasoned and flavourful but just short of melt-in-your-mouth tender. Nonetheless, still very delicious.
Unagi Soba Takikomi Gohan Set (4/5)
This set comes with unagi, soba, braised rice, salad, cold tofu, pickles, chawanmushi (missing from photo), dashi served in a teapot, and cut fruits. The unagi was really succulent and tasty but I wish the portion was bigger - perhaps 6 pieces would be more satisfying? Nothing special about the soba and braised rice but both were tasty enough. The dashi was enjoyably refreshing and always fun to sip from a teacup!
Soft Shell Crab Temaki (5/5)
Ordered this towards the end because I was still feeling a bit peckish. The soft shell crab was served fresh out of the fryer and didn't taste greasy at all. I particularly liked the sauce that provided just enough sweetness to the handroll. It's not dessert but definitely a good way to end the meal.
Overall, the food is authentic, fresh and sumptuous. Their prices are on the higher side but it's worth every penny for the quality of food & service offered. Ambience wise, the furnishings are slightly dated (they've been operating since 1998!) and it can get a bit noisy during peak hours. Nothing too uncomfortable but it might not be the best choice if you're planning on a quiet weekend dinner. Be sure to make a reservation before you go as they are closed irregularly.
Sabbylicious Makan Rating
Food : 4.5/5
Price : 4/5
Environment : 3.5/5
Service : 4/5
Must order : Sashimi, unagi, sushi
Operating Hours Lunch: Daily 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Dinner: Daily 6:00pm - 10:00pm
(Closed irregularly. Call +604-370 0108 to make a reservation.)
Location
Kirishima Japanese Restaurant, Cititel Penang, No.66, Penang Road, 10000 Pulau Pinang.