vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Posts tagged buffet
Munakata Japanese Buffet @ Life Centre, Jalan Sultan Ismail
Aug 11th
**Nov 2001 update: Life Centre is undergoing major renovations but Munakata is still open for business as usual.
About a year ago I went to Munakata‘s Japanese Buffet and I was happy with their authentic Japanese dishes served in the ala-carte buffet. Since then I have been to a couple of Japanese buffets with some even in Singapore.
Speaking from personal experiences I found that although the number of dishes served in Munakata is less compared to the rest, their food quality is hard to beat because they are fresh and only prepared upon order. This is especially true for the cooked food, Teppanyaki and Sashimi (albeit only Salmon Sashimi is available in Munakata)
I am also glad that there were no complaints on Munakata since it was posted, while the others were still bombarded with bad experiences and comments every now and then (eg. Tenji). Recently, Munakata updated their ala-carte buffet menu by removing some unpopular items according to customer feedbacks and introduced some new dishes. So I thought it is a high time for me to revisit to try the new dishes while keeping in check the food quality.
Starting with the new items, Yakinasu No Nikumiso Kaka (Japanese style grilled brinjal topped with minced chicken meat & soya bean paste) Despite being grilled to a soft and tender bite, the eggplants were still able to be picked up and held as a whole using chopsticks, while the toppings actually resembled sambal minus the spiciness.
TAO Eat All You Can Ala Carte Buffet @ Sunway Giza, Kota Damansara
Aug 1st
Finally TAO has opened a branch in Klang Valley at Sunway Giza mall, Kota Damansara. When it first opened in Penang it created a buzz among buffet lovers, as the variety of food was considered to be fresh and unique for us – not to mention tasted great too. I have anticipated this day long enough, for a Penang based restaurant to make its mark in Klang Valley.
But first of all let me just clarify that TAO is not a Japanese restaurant serving Japanese buffet, despite always being referred to as ‘TAO Japanese Buffet‘. Actually the dishes served at TAO are Asian specialties including mostly of Japan, Thailand and Chinese.
My personal experience with TAO at E-Gate a few years ago was a good affair and I still could remember some of the dishes I had that day like the Lamb Teriyaki and Spicy Mayo Scallops. The main difference with Penang’s TAO and KD’s is that the latter have a self-service sushi and sashimi counters, which is definitely a good news for sashimi lovers. We had the lunch buffet @ RM42++ per pax, which comes to RM48.30 after including the 5% gov tax and 10% service charge.
The entrance to the restaurant, quite grand. I like how TAO designs their restaurant giving a nice, calming ambiance. But I think they seriously need to change the songs they are playing.. 90s boy bands songs ain’t cool yo.
Kuishin-Bo Authentic Japanese Buffet Restaurant @ Suntec City Mall
Jun 11th
Kuishin-Bo was the last Japanese restaurant in Singapore I went before coming back to Malaysia. The restaurant is popular for its Japanese buffet. Unless you want to risk not having any seats, reservation is a must especially during weekends.
Sushi and sashimi, very good quality and fresh for a buffet.
Tempura prepared with really huge and meaty prawns, some fried items and Yakitori.
Japanese Fried Chicken, soft shell crabs and squid.
Among the cold seafood the sweet mussel is said to be a specialty but I found it to be sandy and chewy.. not my type of seafood. The prawns were enjoyable though, sea-fresh and succulent.
Surprisingly I found that I liked the Kaminabe (Japanese Paper Steamboat) the most. The soup stock was already very flavorful on its own, made even sweeter with the additional seafood thrown in. A
Free Munakata Japanese Dinner Buffet – Submit Comment And Win
Apr 15th
Contest has ended! Thank you all for your time and effort in taking part, the winners are:
1. BRIAN LIEW, winning entry:
M – Making me crazy!
U – U will never forget how good it taste!
N – Never make me down!
A – Allow me to take how much i want!
K – Keep me healthier!
A – Always fresh!
T – Tips free!
A – All japanese food lovers’ heaven!~M.U.N.A.K.A.T.A~ the place i always want to be.
regards,
Die.Hard. Japanese Food Lover.
2. OngQH, winning entry:
Guess I’m the first few to comment. So, here goes.
I would like to win the Japanese dinner buffet because I absolutely love the dishes served at Munakata, especially the sashimi and sushi. The Salmon sashimi slices are cut so precisely and the fish is so fresh that since my first visit I’ve always wanted to go again. The best sashimi I’ve tried in KL!
The second best thing there would be the unagi which is grilled just nice. Other dishes such as the grilled beef, chawan mushi, tempura and fried oyster make me hungry just by thinking about it. After a hearty meal, I would like to end it with a green tea ice cream.
I’d have been to other buffets, Shogun, Jogoya, Yaki-yaki and few other. But Munakata certainly beats all of them, although only 40 dishes served, but the quality of its food is the best I’ve ever tasted.
So, please do pick me. I’m a student in KL and I’ll be graduating in June. Certainly would like to bring my girlfriend to Munakata once before I leave.
Thanks.
2. Chin Ga Mei, winning entry (lucky draw):
Dear Vkeong,
I would really love to win the Japanese Dinner Buffet at Munakata because
1. I’d never eaten pure Japanese buffet before. Like Jogoya offers other type or cuisine too. And in my opinion Jogoya SUCKS !!! They have a lot of choices but then the food are just not up to standard.
2. I would really really really like to try the fresh, thick sliced salmon with marbled fats that I saw in Vkeong’s blog! So tempting !!! * slurpssss* and also my ultimate favourite unagi !!! Since Munakata is managed by Japanese, and it’s been surviving in KL for such a long time, I bet the food must be really good to maintain regular customers as well as to attract new customers.
3. I can’t believe that my boyfriend who is just working at Shangri-La KL ( opposite Munakata only) had never tried Munakata before! I really wish to dine with him at Munakata if I get to win this. I want to show him that Munakata can be as awesome as Zipangu too! In fact, more value for money and with unlimited order!
4. I can’t really afford to eat at Munakata eventhough I really wish to because I’m still a student ( limited pocket money ) =( I’m ashamed to say this but I’d never been to Munakata before =(
And lastly…
5. I want to have my LAST great food feast at Munakata before I officially start my diet plan XD ( which I wanted to start ages ago but never succeed)
Really hope that you pick me! Arigato!
In conjunction with my blog finally achieving 1000 feed subscribers, I have managed to persuade Munakata to give away free Japanese dinner buffets to three lucky couples worth RM140+ each. Thank you for your immense support and this is the least I can do to show my appreciation. Two couples will be selected by Munakata Japanese Restaurant based on the most appealing comments, while I will be selecting one randomly (lucky draw). Please note Munakata is a PORK FREE restaurant.
The rules are simple:
-
1. Submit a comment on why you want to win the Japanese Dinner buffet at Munakata in this post. Or a simple comment if you’re aiming for the lucky draw.
-
2. Two winners will be picked by Munakata’s management team. And they are allowed to bring one companion to the dinner buffet.
-
3. Contest will run until 1 May 2010. Winners shall be decided by 8 May 2010.
-
4. Contest is open only for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur people only, as the restaurant is located at KL.
-
5. Good luck and have fun!
p/s: Please make sure you enter your name and email address correctly in the comment. Else, I wouldn’t be able to contact you.
