Kirishima

February 2009

I must say, although I love Japanese food I am tired of being charged Japanese prices for it, especially in our top hotels. Some of our five star establishments have some formidable Japanese restaurants with high quality produce, great service and contemporary settings but despite the pleasure enjoyed during the meal the bill at the end is beginning to grate, and that’s not great. I think some of our hotels and their restaurants are fabulous but when I get charged the same in KL as I do in London, New York or Tokyo someone is taking the proverbial. KL the same staff costs as New York? The same square footage price as Tokyo? The same food costs as London? They answer themselves, don’t they?

So it was with interest when perusing the reasonably priced menu of newly opened Kirishima outside Dua Residency on Jalan Tun Razak how the food would compare to the over-priced big boys in town. The setting is airy with typical light wood furnishings and cool relatively private booths which are worth booking for especially when you have kids if you worry about disturbing others. I couldn’t resist the special of the day. It’s not every day I get the chance of trying braised chicken grunt fish which just for clarification is all fish and no chicken. It was extremely fresh, a bit bony for my liking but tasted terrific.

I ordered a little scatter-gun as I wanted to get a full overview of things so garlic rice, prawn tempura, crab salad, salmon, mackerel and yellowtail sashimi as well as a great Kobe beef served on its own hotplate ensued. All in all the quality of food is excellent. The fish was immaculately fresh but then again I was there on a Tuesday, and Tuesday and Fridays are when the new shipment of fish arrives from Japan so box clever and make your reservations on those days. The menu may not be as imaginative as some of the top hotels but the staples are all there and there is plenty of choice. The service was as good as I would expect with one or two very knowledgeable waitresses and the remainder friendly and attentive. The setting is good, though not a five star experience but it’s pleasant, clean and best in the booths. Probably around 30 per cent cheaper than the top Japanese’s in the hotels and in my view negligible difference in the food quality. Certainly worth a try if you, like me, want to start saving some sen in the current crazy climate. Graham Paling

Awards

Kirishima was shortlisted in the Best Japanese Restaurant category of the Time Out KL Food Awards 2009. Our food awards are 100% voted for by the people of KL. This way, we guarantee that popularity and consistent performance is rewarded.