Rakuzen @ Sunway Velocity

They say third time's the charm, but I wasn't going to take any chance after my first two new restaurant visits to Sunway Velocity, Bentoya and Boxes, failed to impress.  I played it safe and opted for a reputable place this time, a tried and tested name, Rakuzen @ Sunway Velocity, for my third dining visit.

I've been wanting to visit Rakuzen for a while now (especially after being reminded about the place by phonghong's blog) but just never gotten round to doing it since most of the outlets are located a fair distance from where I live.  But now that not one but two has opened near me, there's no excuse not to try.

The menu here is endless for a first-timer.  It's so extensive you'll need a bit of time to go through the entire menu.  On top of that, there's also a separate menu for seasonal offerings.

First up, I was attracted to the Sakura Ebi no Chawanmushi @ RM15 coz I thought I'd give a non-common type of chawanmushi a try.  This is basically a Japanese steamed egg with Sakura shrimps in a special sauce.

As you dig into this chawanmushi, you uncover more and more goodies...starting with the Sakura shrimps that you can see on top, of course.

Then, there were the fresh shiitake mushrooms, not one but two pieces.


And also a good-sized fresh prawn + ginkgo nut.

As I dug further, it revealed more goodies.  I certainly wasn't expecting a fair-sized scallop in there!  In terms of taste, the special sauce was almost soup-like, so expect this chawanmushi to be more soupy compared to the usual chawanmushi.  Not that the seafood wasn't fresh but so much shrimps, prawn and scallop in a tiny serving of chawanmushi probably intensified the flavour too much that I detected a hint of fishiness in the steamed egg.  I think I prefer the common (and cheaper) type of chawanmushi....haha! ;D

Next, we couldn't resist ordering the Salmon Mentaiko Roll (6 pcs) @ RM26 which is a perennial favourite of ours.  This roll was stuffed with avocado and lettuce, topped with fresh salmon and mentaiko, and sitting on top of a drizzle of Japanese mayo.

The ever luscious roasted cod fish roe was well charred and divine tasting...and they weren't stingy with the amount of mentaiko either.

Soft shell crab is a weakness for me.  Whenever I see it on the menu, I'd be tempted to order and I succumbed to my temptation again.  The Fried Soft Shell Crab here @ RM38 is certainly not cheap for just one small crab.

But when it arrived, I was thankful to see a hunky slab of crab as opposed to the usual rather flat (and often deflated) soft shell crab.

Just look at how meaty it is!  Most of the soft shell crabs I've eaten so far weren't as meaty as this one.  Their bodies are usually fried to crispy perfection but often deflated.  This one, as you can see, was very meaty, in fact it looked like a normal crab, so if you like to eat meaty crabs without having to contend with shells, this may well be just the crab for you ^_*  I actually preferred the legs as they were a lot more savoury and crispier too! ^o^

It was served with a simple dipping sauce of Japanese soy and chopped spring onions (and probably a bit of vinegar in there as well).

This was followed by some carb-loaded tummy-fillers starting with the Sake Oyako Don @ RM30 which featured fresh salmon, salmon belly and salmon roe on a bed of sushi rice served with miso soup.  This warrants no complaints as everything was fresh and lovely.

Next up was the Sakura Ebi Chahan (Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice) @ RM15.  The rice grains were well fried and fluffy....simple yet tasty.  It even had a bit of that "wok hei" going on! ^.^

Finally, the Onigiri Mentaiko @ RM9 with a choice of Okaka/Sake/Ume/Mentaiko (bonito/salmon/plum/spicy cod roe).  It was stated in the menu as RM9 per pc but we got two instead, so a quick check with the waitress confirmed that the price is for two pieces.  This is a very filling onigiri, so order it only if you're super hungry, otherwise you may end up not finishing the second piece.

This is the first Japanese place that I've been to that serves complimentary green tea (refillable as well) which is a nice gesture, really.  After all, the cost factor isn't all that much to absorb.  More Japanese eateries here should emulate this as I hear this is the norm if you're dining in Japan.

My Personal Opinion

In the end, I went for a 'proven' name in Japanese food that have since expanded to 15 branches in and around the Klang Valley.  I guess they're doing well....and I did like what I've tried so far.  

Actually, Rakuzen is one of very few (probably the only one) in this mall that can be considered a more premium restaurant.  And, guess what?  It was almost full when we walked in on a weekend night while the more affordable restaurants were barely occupied.  So, what does that tell you?  Cheras folks have discerning "atas" tastebuds too.  That's why I feel that Sunway Velocity may have gotten their tenant mix (for F & B) wrong by concentrating too much on chain restaurants, lower end eateries or the common, tried and tested types.  I (personally) would like to see more original and higher end restaurants opening here.  

This was my first visit to Rakuzen.....and it certainly won't be my last.  After all, I can't see any other premium eateries in this mall that I can try (for now), can you? ;)

Rakuzen
Lot 1-28 Sunway Velocity Mall
Lingkaran SV
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9770 1170