Shogun2U.....Convenient Home Delivery!

I remember eating the Japanese buffet at Shogun in Sunway Pyramid (with some ex-colleagues) about 5 years ago and I remembered it tasting alright then.  But I can't remember how I stumbled upon this home delivery of Shogun2U (must have read it somewhere) and, more importantly, on their promotion of 40% discount (for all food and drinks) until the end of April....but I did!

I suppose this home delivery option sounds pretty attractive when the weather isn't too kind or you happen to be immobile for some reason or just plain lazy to drive out for a meal.  And so, on a weekend in March, we tried this home delivery service for the first time.

Ordering online at shogun2u.com is a simple process after you've created an account of your details and address.  After you've made your orders and chosen your delivery time (earliest being an hour later), you choose your payment mode (by credit card or cash on delivery).  Minimum order is RM25 and delivery is free.

Delivery was prompt and, right off the bat, the first thing I noticed was that our 'loot' was packaged nicely (no spills detected) in good quality, thick plastic and paper packaging.

Our first order was the Unagi Kabayaki @ RM23.90 with rice and a refreshing side salad of coleslaw (with fresh corn).  All prices shown here are before the 40% discount.

I was amazed at the quantity of unagi given (3 good slices) and, even though they may not be good quality ones, they were still edible (it tasted like some kind of dried fish that's been rehydrated in sauce).  The sauce on its own was a bit salty but not as bad when eaten with rice.

The Garlic Fried Rice with Tori Karaage @ RM16.90 was a huge portion that two small-eaters can easily share.  The large bite-sized Japanese-style fried chicken was understandably not as crispy (because of the delivery process) but also not as tender while the garlic fried rice was rather bland.

We also included a couple of side orders and two extra orders of Steamed Japanese Calrose Rice @ RM1.80 which we realised later we didn't need at all since portion sizes were very generous.  The side orders came in a sealed packaging which indicated to me that they were probably prepared and stored well ahead of time.

The first of the side orders was the Crispy Mermaid Fish @ RM6.80 (not sure why it's called mermaid fish...the brand name, perhaps?).  They were just slices of super crunchy (dried?) fish that had been tossed in a sweetish chilli sauce (much like a Thai chilli sauce) and some sesame seeds.

The other side order was the Myeolchi-Bokkeum @ RM6.80 which were pan-fried dried anchovies with peanuts and sliced green chillies much like a Korean banchan (side dish).  The first snack tasted better than this one coz some of the nuts were stale.

Miso Soup @ RM2.80

Honey Lemon @ RM4.80

On another weekend in April, we opted for this delivery service again for the second time...not because we were impressed with the taste of our first experience but more so for the convenience and to take advantage of the 40% offer that will end this month.

These were the goodies we ordered the second time round.

The Kobe Set @ RM26.90 from the sushi menu featured 13 pcs of salmon, tuna, unagi, octopus, hotate, butter fish, ebi, crab stick, tamago, inari and temaki (3 pcs) sushi together with a packet of shoyu and wasabi.

Let's just say I'd rather eat 10 plates of cheap sushi (not that I can eat 10 plates) for RM28 from Sushi Mentai (in my neighbourhood a mere 5 minutes drive away) than these below average ones.

Our next order was the Sake Fried Rice @ RM17.90 that has been fried with bits of salmon and egg (not sure why it's not called Salmon Fried Rice or if sake was added to the fried rice).  Again, it was ordinary...and still bland but better than the previous Garlic Fried Rice and my addition of some good soy (from my pantry) helped perk it up a bit.

We had a side order of Kani Karaage @ RM15.90 which were deep fried tiny crabs.  When they arrived, the crab legs were still crunchy but the tiny bodies weren't so...but nothing that my toaster oven can't fix.

I re-toasted them for 5 minutes and they came out super crunchy and so much better (though it needed a bit more salt).  Thumbs up for these addictive snacks...and sorry to these baby crabs short lives for the sake of our enjoyment! :'(

I was attracted by the pic and description of the Fruity Crunch with Peanut Sesame Sauce @ RM14.90 from their Shake & Go menu featuring bite-sized pieces of crunchy crullers, mango, pineapple, turnip and Japanese cucumber.

I thought I'd be getting bite-sized chunks of fresh fruits of mango and pineapple + some vegetables.  But what I got were hard, finely diced fruits and vegetables coz the fruits turned out to be raw/unripe mango and papaya including 'hardly there' thin (but at least not raw) pineapple strips.  Worst still, the crunchy crullers were hard and tasted stale though the peanut sesame sauce was quite nice.

Honey Lime @ RM6.80

FINAL COMMENTS

Cost

The total damage for our first order was RM65.60 originally but became RM40 after the 40% discount.  The second bill was RM82.40 initially...and RM50 after discount.  The discounted price certainly looks good value for food that can feed 2 - 3 persons.

Delivery
Although the earliest delivery is an hour from the time of ordering, note that it's not always possible (if the no. of orders are taken up for a particular time slot).  Based on my experience, I got a time slot 1 1/2 hours later for my first order and 2 1/2 hours later for my second order (on weekends).  So, if you decide to have this for dinner, it's best to order hours in advance where you have a better chance of getting the time slot you want.  But, having said that, it's also possible that your food might arrive sooner than scheduled (as I did, both times).

Temperature
I'm not sure of the location of their central kitchen though the website lists Jalan Kuchai Lama as their contact address.  So, depending (on your luck) if your order is the first or last on the delivery list of a particular rider, there's a great possibility that the food will not be hot (or even warm) when it arrives....and that's expected.  For my first order, I was last of the deliveries and second last for my second order.  So, both times my food was not even warm (but not cold) when it arrived...nothing re-heating can't fix (as they come in microwave reheatable containers).  And, if you're too lazy to re-heat, then you'll have to eat it barely lukewarm.

My Personal Opinion

If, for some reason, you need food delivered to your doorstep...this is a convenient option....though it's not a great option!  The food is edible but you need to seriously lower your expectations on the taste and quality.

Having said that, would I resort to ordering from Shogun2U again?  Well, the decision is super easy.  If there's still a 40% discount (after April)...perhaps (when I'm super lazy)....but if I have to pay full price, then the answer is a definite "no"! ;D