Those who don’t fancy buffet food can still join everyone at Gen Japanese Restaurant as lunch bento boxes are available, writes Tan Bee Hong
JAPANESE buffets are popular here as customers get to try a variety of cooking styles or raw items such as sashimi and sushi.
One of the few places offering lunch-hour buffet at affordable prices is Gen Japanese at Sunway Putra Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the buffet, it also offers a Bento Business Lunch at RM39 nett, inclusive of unlimited refills of soft drink or chilled juices.
So if you’re not keen on buffet spreads, this is a good choice as you can pick from main courses of chicken, beef or teriyaki fish. Apart from this, the bento box is filled with tuna, salmon and octopus sashimi, tempura prawn and vegetables and nimono (stewed root vegetables with mushroom and chicken), rice and miso soup. The shake (salmon) teriyaki is a generous portion and cooked just right to stay moist and juicy.
VARIED SPREAD
But most customers prefer the lunch buffet. At only RM48 nett, it’s value for money as there are over 50 items on the table, from sushi and sashimi to hot dishes and dessert.
There’s salmon and butterfish sashimi as well as a few types of maki (tamago, maguro and crabmeat) and California Roll.
There are premade salads such as idaki (baby octopus), grilled chicken and pasta salad, teriyaki beef and soba salad and chilli crabmeat and grilled corn salad. Or you can create your own with the many types of lettuce, onion, capsicum and cucumber to go with a selection of dressings.
HOT MAINS
Placed in the middle of the restaurant are platters of hot dishes that include rice, noodles, chicken, fish and vegetables. These are changed daily on a rotating menu basis and there is always something to catch your fancy.
I see spring rolls, gyoza and grilled beef. Tempura prawns are always popular, together with tempura vegetables such as eggplant, lady finger and carrot.
The chawan mushi is kept hot in a bed of water. Smooth, silky and tasty, it has crabstick, chicken, mushroom and ginkgo nut hidden inside the egg custard.
Chicken teriyaki, saba shioyaki (salt-grilled mackerel), lamb and steamed fish are just part of the variety of dishes. I just love the saba shioyaki which has the right amount of salt for flavour.
CAKES AND ICE CREAM
Then there is dessert. There are all kinds of pastries, jelly, pudding, freshly-cut fruit and ice cream. Don’t miss the green tea ice cream. Eat this with the soft boiled red beans.
GEN RESTAURANT
WHERE: Sunway Putra Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Level 10, 100 Jalan Putra, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
TEL: 03-4040 9888
OPENING HOURS: Daily, 12.30pm to 3.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm
WHAT’S COOKING: Japanese lunch/dinner buffet
YOU’LL PAY: Lunch, weekday: RM48 nett (adult), RM24 nett (children)
Dinner, Friday and Saturday: RM98 nett, inclusive of 21 a la carte dishes and teppanyaki
ATMOSPHERE: Serene
SERVICE: Efficient
OVERALL VERDICT: Go give it a try