It took two years for Minori Japanese restaurant, located at Royale Chulan Damansara, to attain its halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), but it was worth the effort.
There's a big market for halal-certified Japanese cuisine in Malaysia, given that Japanese restaurants often use mirin, or rice wine, which contains alcohol, in their food preparation.
But halal certification isn't solely about omitting food and elements that are not permissible to be consumed by Muslims. It's also about hygiene, ingredients storage and according to the owner of Minori, up to the water filtration quality, to ensure that everything is Shariah-compliant, from start to finish.
The perks of having a halal-certified restaurant, says its director Hairul Azizi Junid, is that the restaurant becomes the place to go to, when companies hold dinners and mixed families hold their get-together.
"The certification opens our doors to new customers, especially Muslims looking for halal-certified Japanese food," he says.
The restaurant is plush and comfortable, and unlike typical Japanese restaurants with small chairs and minimal furnishing, Minori greets you with its comfortable leather seats and spacious interior.
It's located in a quiet corner of the hotel, a bit hidden, even, which makes it a great place for gatherings and dinner parties.
EAT
Minori serves typical Japanese fare and all your Japanese staples, from sushi and sashimi to tempura and teppanyaki, are available here.
The food tastes great, although it seems like the food is skewed towards the local palate. It's sharper than your usual Japanese fare and that's good news for those new to Japanese food, or those who think the food is bland.
The Japanese curry is a good example. Normal Japanese curry tastes lame to me but Minori's chicken katsu curry don is delicious and appetising that it surprises both my husband and I.
The deep-fried chicken katsu is fresh and the curry tastes more local than Japanese, which we both appreciate. It's thick and not as sweet as Japanese curry and it matches perfectly with the bed of sticky and starchy Japanese rice it comes with.
PICK
Our son Murshid thoroughly enjoys the restaurant's tempura, which is light, crispy and goes well with Japanese rice and miso soup. The prawn is also fresh and the fluffy batter gives it a delicious crunch.
I'm on a high-protein diet, so my choice is sashimi and grilled fish. We try the kampachi and butter fish sashimi and both are fresh. The grilled saba is good too. Beef teppan is soft and tender, served with a side of vegetables and corn on cob. You don't need rice to eat it with. The grilled beef is so good you can eat it on its own.
Japanese rolls, to me, is always a good idea, because they pack carbohydrate, protein and vegetables in one dish. They can seldom go wrong in taste, especially if the protein is prawn or eel.
Minori's dragon roll is no exception. Deep fried prawn is placed on a bed of Japanese rice with mayonnaise and lettuce before all that are rolled together, garnished with avocado and cut into small rolls.
PAY
Minori's prices are on par with other Japanese restaurants at hotels. It doesn't offer simple bento sets, so expect to pay around RM100 for two persons.
VERDICT
It's a great place for a quiet meal or for family gatherings.
I SAY
Come here for the halal-certified food and the quiet ambience and escape the hustle and bustle of crowded malls.
FAST FACTS
MINORI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
First floor, Royale Chulan Damansara, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya.
TEL 012-2282268
OPENING HOURS 12noon to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm
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