Revisit: Tokyo Yakiniku @ Pandan Indah

Restoran Tokyo Yakiniku @ Pandan Indah (formerly known as Restoran Yakiniku...you can read my previous post here) moved to their own premises (and now occupies 2 floors) at a new location (but still in Pandan Indah) and reopened in June 2014.

Tokyo Yakiniku is still my 'go to' place for grilled meats in my neighbourhood.  A quick look around the new restaurant and you know you're in for a more comfortable dining experience, from its spanking new furniture to the new stainless steel exhaust vents, in a fully-closed air-conditioned environment.

As with any new opening, they have come up with a new menu incorporating more Japanese BBQ varieties (and a new set lunch menu as well) for your dining pleasure.  Among them are the more expensive cuts of beef on their menu with offerings of Wagyu and Kobe (not sure if these expensive cuts will 'catch on' in a neigbourhood-type of Japanese eatery though).

It's good to know that all our usual favourites are still here like this Unagi Don @ RM25.90.

Our all-time favourite and No. 1 item here, the Grilled Bacon @ RM7.90 is still just as good.

Not forgetting our other usual orders of "Tofu Pok" (Bean Curd Puffs) @ RM3.90.

There's also the Agedashi Tofu @ RM6.90 if you like soft, silken tofu.

This is the Salmon Shioyaki @ RM12.90 (you get only half a salmon steak)...it's ok but not quite near the better tasting salmons that I've had before.
 

I noticed a new grill item on their menu, Squid Heads @ RM9.90, and knew straightaway that we wanted to try coz we absolutely love squid...but we love the tentacles even more.  The squid heads came with a nice char flavour and was accompanied with a "limau kasturi" (calamansi limes) and a "sambal" that tasted like a Malay-styled fresh sambal.  [#Tip: A squeeze of lime does wonders to the squid heads.]

You could also go with a fried version, the Tempura Squid @ RM8.90 although the tempura batter here is not among the lightest.

This is the Fried Chicken Skin @ RM4.90 which was just too tempting to resist.  It was super crunchy...and unhealthy....but (then again) anything unhealthy always taste awesome =D

The Tempura Soft Shell Crabs @ RM11.90 (for 2 pcs of crab) were crunchy little morsels of delight.  Fried till crispy and served with some Japanese mayo on top, you can certainly polish up a few more of these little babies!

Apart from the usual Bacon Wazen and Salmon Bento Sets, there's also a new Saba Bento @ RM17.90 which comes with a pc of grilled saba, cold tofu, kimchi, miso soup and mango pudding if you're looking for an affordably-priced all-in-one-meal.

This is just plain grilled saba but you can request for it to come with some sauce (miso).

A budget worthy all-in-one dish is the BBQ Sauce Pork Don @ RM12.90 which is pork cooked in BBQ sauce with sautéed sliced green bell peppers and onions.  It was ok but the grilled bacon is still loads better!

Another value-for-money dish is the Tempura Don @ RM15.90 which comes with 2 tempura battered prawns and lots of tempura vegetables of sweet potato, brinjal, carrot and green bell pepper.  The tempura was crispy, served piping hot and fulfilling enough for one (small eater).  Only thing missing was a different dipping sauce for the tempura (it was served with the same dipping sauce for the grilled meats which is still a tad salty for my liking).

A simple and affordable dish is the Chasu Fried Rice @ RM9.90 which is rice fried with pork dices, egg and some vegetables.  At this price, it's value-for-money (coz 2 bowls of plain rice will cost you RM7 already)...and tastier too.  And what's even better, all the above rice dishes comes with a free miso soup as well.

This is the Tempura Ramen @ RM16.80 which featured ramen in a light broth served with 3 battered prawns.  The batter for these prawns was different from the tempura batter, this one uses Japanese breadcrumbs as the batter.

Our usual drinks of:
 

Iced Lemon Tea @ RM5.50

Fresh Orange @ RM5

 

Hot Green Tea @ RM3
Iced Green Tea @ RM3.50

My Personal Opinion

This is still a wonderful place for affordable grilled meats and more so now with a better dining ambience in a comfortable setting.  The food is still the same (except for a slight increase in prices) but that is understandable taking into consideration the revamped interior for your dining comfort.

With a new exhaust system, you can be assured that you'll not leave the place smelling like 'yakiniku' anymore....thumbs up...though I'm still gonna leave the grilling in the hands of the experts!  The grilled meats are still their best items here.

It will continue to be one of our favourite dining options (for dinner) during weekdays when we don't feel like venturing too far.

Restoran Tokyo Yakiniku

No 76G&A Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6B

Pandan Indah 

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-4295 4833