Ume Tei Japanese Restaurant @ MyTown Shopping Centre

We were strolling through Ikea one day to get some furniture inspirations.  It has been quite a while since I've visited or bought anything from Ikea...and even longer that I've not visited MyTown even though the mall is pretty close to where I stay.

After we were done, it was time to get some dinner before heading home.....and I remembered a place that choiyen.com dined in that looked rather good.  So, that's how we ended up at Ume Tei Japanese Restaurant @ MyTown Shopping Centre that evening (they used to be in Amcorp Mall PJ before moving here).

The restaurant is located inside BookXcess, a bit hidden from view, so you have to walk towards the centre of the bookshop before you come across the entrance to the restaurant.  The place is actually tastefully furnished with a nice, quiet environment to dine in.

I had the Beef Steak Set @ RM40 which was served with, rice, miso soup, salad, braised radish, pickled takuan (daikon radish) and dessert.

The beef steak comprised of beef cubes that were cooked with quite a bit of chopped garlic which I appreciated.  I'd say the doneness was probably between medium to medium well (I don't remember being asked on how I want my beef done).  I found the beef to be a bit chewy but still considered sufficiently tender and fair quality for the price paid.  Just wished it arrived at my table a little hotter (it felt like it had been sitting on the pass for a little longer than it should).

You can upgrade the white rice to fried rice at no extra charge and, of course, I did.  The fried rice with sticky grains was alright in taste.  Did you notice what's in the little saucer next to the fried rice?  That was most surprising as it was a condiment of chopped garlic and bird's eye chillies in soy sauce (this may not seem authentically Japanese but obviously to cater to local tastebuds)...lol!

The fresh salad was made up of very finely shredded white and purple cabbage, carrot, radish and lettuce tossed in a roasted sesame sauce.  The appetiser of pickled takuan was nice and crunchy while the braised daikon was soft and juicy.  The miso soup could also have been warmer when served.  The dessert (which I initially thought was nata de coco) turned out to be agar-agar (jelly), one red bean, the other lemon-y (yuzu maybe) in taste, something sweet and refreshing to end the meal.

The other set selected was a full-on meal of Chicken Kaarage Set @ RM28 (or RM30 with add-on sashimi) that featured 8 items.  It came with almost the same side dishes like the previous beef set with rice, miso soup, braised daikon and carrot, potato salad, pickled radish and 5 pcs of fried karaage (or Japanese fried chicken), of course.

I could see that the karaage was freshly fried to yield a crispy texture and there were at least 5 large-sized pieces, so no complaint on that...but wished it was accompanied by some kind of dipping sauce (like Japanese mayo or even a spiced mayo).

It would be foolish not to add-on the value-for-money fresh sashimi for just an additional RM2 as what came were thickly cut sashimi slices of salmon, butter fish and lightly seared maguro (or tuna tataki).  I didn't partake in the tasting of this set as I was struggling to finish my own set.

All the side dishes were almost similar to the earlier beef set except there was an extra Japanese potato salad with very thin slivers of cucumber, carrot and onion.

Their menu has quite a bit of variety from donburi to noodles, sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, yakimono and more...but the more popular items are their affordably-priced set meals ranging from RM25 - RM40 with lots of choices that cover almost all the major proteins you seek from beef to chicken, fish, prawn, squid, oysters, unagi and more.

My Personal Opinion

Based on what I had (the beef set and similar side dishes), I found the food to be average tasting (and thought that the Google rating was perhaps a little too generous).  Then again, their ratings could have been contributed by patrons being satisfied with the big and fulfilling portions + reasonable prices for a set meal filled with 7 - 8 items (even a guy will feel full to the brim if he eats up everything!).

Although the food was decent, I just wished that the restaurant had served them (and some of the side dishes) a little warmer which I would have appreciated more for a better meal experience.  Even the green tea was lukewarm (maybe I was just unlucky that day). >.<

Having said that, if you happen to find yourself in MyTown looking for a place to eat away from the maddening crowd, this is still a good option primarily for the portion and price. ^_~

Ume Tei Japanese Restaurant

Lot L1 - 012 1st Floor MyTown Shopping Centre

Jalan Cochrane

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-247 7911