Sushi Mentai @ Pandan Indah

When restaurant chain Sushi Mentai opened an outlet in my neighbourhood, people flocked to the place for its cheap and affordable conveyor belt sushi.  We did too...and the place was always running full.

Then Sakura Sushi came offering even cheaper sushi (by a mere 10 cents a plate) and people shifted their focus.  We did too (when we felt that Sushi Mentai weren't as generous with their mentai as they used to be). And then Sakura Sushi fell prey to the same thing...they got stingy with their mentai and quality control slackened (when the owner was more focussed on setting up another outlet).

So, it was back to Sushi Mentai (for us)....and so was the crowd.  Since I blogged about this place in 2015, they're doing so well now (there's a queue even on weekdays' dinner nights) that Sushi Mentai @ Pandan Indah moved out of its one-lot premise and expanded to two lots just a few doors away.

Sushi is still priced at RM1.80 (for the yellow plates) and RM2.80 (for the red plates)...and we'd have our fill with some of our usual favourites.

Salmon Sushi

Tamago Mentai & Ebi Mentai

Inari Mentai

Unagi, Tuna Mayo & more Salmon

White Tuna Sushi

Some kind of Fried Prawn Sushi

Hard-Boiled Egg (encrusted in batter) topped with mentai

Potato Salad

Edamame

There are also special maki rolls from their menu that you can order like this Salmon Mentai Dragon Maki (4 pcs) @ RM12.80.  This is a prawn sushi roll topped with salmon and torched cod roe.

Besides sushi, we always complement each meal with some orders from the a la carte menu, of course.

The consistency of the Chawanmushi @ RM3.80 is quite well done and it's always served piping hot which I really appreciate.

Looking at the price of the Miso Soup with Clams @ RM4.80, I should have known that it was too good to be true as the clams weren't fresh.  Skip this.

Though the Salmon Mentaiyaki (120g) @ RM14.80 can be a little dry, the mentai makes up for it to give it that luscious creamy feel.

I prefer the Salmon Head Shioyaki @ RM9.80 grilled with just salt though there's also a teriyaki version if you like.

Though there isn't much flesh to get at, I still like to order this coz when it comes well charred, it has that smoky flavour that I love.

The pan-seared prawn and vegetable dumplings or Ebi Gyoza (3 pcs) @ RM7.80 were gummy and doughy in taste, so I won't be having them again, that's for sure.

The Yasai Tempura @ RM6.80 is a usual order for us as this assorted vegetables tempura batter is quite nicely done and crispy.  There's usually at least one piece each of brinjal, pumpkin, carrot, ladies finger, yam and sometimes even a sweet potato.

I was surprised by the Tori Kaarage @ RM8.80 as the rather generous-sized chicken pieces came out well fried, fragrant and juicy.  We have been ordering this quite a few times.

Sometimes when we tire of having sushi, we'll go for their very affordably-priced rice bowls.  The Salmon Teriyaki Don @ RM14.80 featuring grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce on rice is a favourite of mine (and at such a great price, you'll be forgiving even if the salmon turns up a little on the dry side)! ;D

The Spider Tempura Don @ RM16.80 wasn't as nice as the yasai tempura coz somehow the batter of this one was much thicker and the sauce drizzled on the rice wasn't to my liking at all.  I must remember not to order this ever again.

As for the Unagi Don (80g) @ RM19.80, it'll still satisfy if you don't have unrealistic expectations of good quality eel for that price and you'll do just fine.

My favourite meal here is the salmon teriyaki don when I'm looking for something light with a controlled portion that doesn't end up too filling.

And if I'm feeling a bit more peckish on some days, I'll add a chawanmushi to my rice bowl for a more fulfilling meal.

Imagine having 10 plates of sushi for only RM28 (even cheaper for me since I can only handle about 5), so if you're eating sushi alone, it ends up to be a really cheap meal.  But if there's one thing I dislike about eating at these cheap sushi places is you also tend to bump into people who have no proper etiquette when it comes to dining on conveyor belt sushi.  I've witnessed myself some of these improper behaviour like:

1)  They'll put the sushi covers anywhere they like on the conveyor belt (even on top of another plate of sushi!) instead of in its designated stand purposely meant for them.

2)  The children like to play with the sushi covers.  I've even seen some of them put the covers over their faces (before putting them back)...and that's just gross to see! >_<  And yes, while all this is happening, there's no intervention from the parents.  I once saw a mother oblivious to it all as she was just concentrated on her phone.

3)  Apart from that, the children also open, take a peek at the sushi and then close the covers while the sushi is moving around the conveyor belt...and that's unhygienic! >.<

4)  I've even seen some customers take a plate of sushi onto their table and then put it back on the conveyor belt after they decide not to have it.

5)  Some even hoard the containers of pickled ginger and wasabi on their table until they decide to put it back on the belt much later (I don't even want to contemplate what happened with the containers while they were on their tables).

My Personal Opinion

Their expansion proves that there's still a market out there for basic, no frills, cheap sushi/Japanese food with prices that are accessible to everyone judging from the high demand for them.

I guess people are more than willing to sacrifice a bit of taste and quality for something that they can have more regularly with budget constraints in mind.  And for people who have not had better (and more expensive) Japanese food, why not as they'll think it tastes great too.

It makes for a cost saving, casual dinner for us on a fairly regular basis...even when we have had better.  So there! ;)

Sushi Mentai
No 12 & 13G Jalan Perubatan 2
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2856 0385