[Review] Genki Sushi

 

The well-known Shinkansen sushi train has made its way to Jakarta. They are located at Plaza Senanyan, right outside Sogo Foodhall. At a glance, it looks like just another sushi restaurant, but don't let that fool you.

Genki sushi is known for their Shinkansen sushi train (though the ones here does not resemble one); where the food are delivered to each table by a "bullet train". You order the food through the provided iPad, and then the food will be directly sent by kitchen.

At first, it was interesting, as it was kind of like having a new toy to play with. After a while, we slowly got disturbed when the food comes one by one as you need to push the button to send the train back. Another concern for us is that it's not 'elderly' friendly, in the sense that the older generation might not be used to ordering trough an iPad.

Now, to the food! They were pretty average, slightly better than Sushi Tei but lesser choice. One thing we'd like to highlight is the Salmon Fish Head (35thousand). They were uber juicy, and they served a bigger piece than the ones we've had so far. Though a tad sprinkle of salt would made it so much better.

Overall, we had a good experience. We'd probably be back with other first timers for them to experience the "Shinkansen sushi train". :) 

 

 

Genki Sushi

 Plaza Senayan, B Floor

Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8

Jakarta Selatan

Telephone : (021) 5790 0063

Operation Hours

Monday - Sunday : 10Am - 10PM

[Review] Hide Yamamoto

Hide Yamamoto, a renowned Japanese Chef, has cooked for 3 generations of US president, Reagen, Clinton and Bush. He has finally set sail and opened his sixth restaurant here in Lotte Shopping Avenue, less than a month ago. We were more than excited when we saw his name show up on the screen while browsing through the restaurant index.

The restaurant is divided in sections where patrons can chose where they would like to sit, namely Sushi, Robata, Teppanyaki and a dining area. Where you sit does not limit the food that you are allowed to order, it just gives a different vibe as they have chefs stationed at each section side for the dining area. 

The have 3 lunch set menu which they serve everyday, ranging from 200-350thousand; and a teppan set menu that they serve all day everyday at 300thousand. They also have an extensive a la carte menu for more choices. 

We went for 2 sets of the lunch set menu, where we selected different items for more variety.

 

First Course, salad and sesame paste tofu. Between the 2, we recommend going for the Tofu, the texture is denser than the regular tofu but it has a distinct taste that would make us come back for more.

Second Course, assorted sashimi & roll, and vegetable and tiger prawn tempura. Air flown sashimi from Japan's very own Tsujiki Market, with fresh wasabi; and a plate of good ol' tempura. Though choice, but personally we'd go for the tempura, their dipping sauce is different from the ones we get from anything we've ever had. It's light but still has that kick in it.

Third Course, mini soy based ramen and mini kaisen don. Hands down the kaisen don win this round, however the ramen is not to be missed as well. The ramen broth is made with chicken stock, yet it's milky thick which made us thought it was pork based. The ramen itself is the problem, so a little improvement on the noodle would made it much more delightful.

The perfect dessert to end the meal, raspberry and lemon sorbet.

Overall, we had a good hearty lunch. Though the price might seem a little steep, but given the reputation and quality it was definitely worth every cent. Their service is also one to take note off, which we totally appreciate.There will most definitely be second visit. Do stop by earlier to get the prime middle seat of each station.

Hide Yamamoto

Lotte Shopping Avenue

5th floor - 02

Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav 3-5

South Jakarta

Telephone : (021) 298 89500

Operating Hours :

Monday - Saturday : Lunch 11AM - 3PM // Dinner 6PM - 11PM

Sunday & Public Holiday : Lunch 11Am - 3PM // Dinner 5PM - 10PM 

(Last order is 30minutes before closing time)

[Review] Sakura

 

Our review on Kamogawa seems to be a big hit amongst the readers! This time we're back with another Japanese Restaurant that serves a pretty authentic taste, although with a more modern twist. They also have private rooms, tatami seating, karaoke (2 rooms), and reflexology! Talk about being a one-stop-shop. A good place to wind down with the family on a weekend.

Tuna Salad - 45thousand

Boiled tuna mixed with mayonnaise, a simple dish served with fonzu sauce.

Sakura Salad - 40thousand

Sliced smoked duck and salmon salad, served with sour and hot spicy dressing. We recommend this as starter out of the two salad , it was more flavourful and the duck was smoked really well. We think it's more bang for you buck. Though again the term 'hot spicy' term is lightly used here, Le Sister had no problems with it. If it's misused another time, we'd start thinking that Japanese have low tolerance for spicy food.

Cantik Maki - 100thousand

Avocado, eel and cucumber roll. A simple dish that is light on the taste buds, not to mention healthy too!

Volcano Roll - 55thousand

Sliced cucumber, avocado, crab meat roll served with mayonnaise and hot spicy sauce. We saw the table next to us devouring it, so we just had to try it too. It was ok, save for the 'lava'. There was too much mayo sauce on it that eating 2 piece would've been more than just enough.Oh! It's salty too, both the sauce and the roll itself. Not sure if it's just a one time mistake, or originally so.

Niku Udon - 60thousand

Udon served with sliced beef. The overall taste of this dish screams 'old school', the soup is light yet full of flavours at the same time, you could taste each ingredients. Though the beef was tad tough, and the udon wasn't as chewy as Marugame; we still enjoyed it. 

Yaki Gyoza - 42thousand 

Grilled pork and vegetables dumpling. Thin skin, juicy meat. 'Nuff said.

Kaisen Chirasi Don - 120thousand

Don means rice is Japanese. This particular one was served with sliced tuna, mackerel, prawn, salmon, octopus, and egg. If you're a fan of sashimi like Le Cousin J, do try this! She loved it.

Sanma Shioyaki Teishoku - 60thousand

Grilled sanma fish. It was fragrant, seasoned and grilled really well. Le Aunt P, and avid foodie too, mentioned it being one of the best she's tried, not a lot of places here in Jakarta does it this well.
We took away another 2 portion to bring home for Grandma. :)

Sake Kabuto Yaki - 50thousand

Grilled salmon head with salt, shoyu sauce and lemon. First off, it's huge! Huge. I can assure you it's definitely bigger than the one served in Sushi Tei and Edogin's buffet. We expected it to be around the same size, thinking it's the norm, boy were we wrong. Worth every penny I tell ya! It was fresh, juicy, fragrant and cooked to perfection.

Overall, we had a great meal. The food was great, we couldn't ask for more given the price. Will we back? Not in the near future, no. Not because of the food, but the location. They're located quite a distance from us, and including the traffic jam, it could take up up to 2 hours. No joke.

Sakura

Jl. R.A. Kartini (T.B. Simatupang) No. 09

Lebak Bulus

Jakarta 12440

Telephone : (021) 751 1193

Operation Hours

Monday - Sunday : 9AM - 11PM
(Last order at 10:30PM)
Reflexology : 12PM - 9PM

[Review] Yellowfin

Nestled nicely at a corner of Senopati area with Japanese lanterns hanging on the trees, it's not to be missed. We've passed by every time we're in the area but never seem to have time for it. On a Friday night we decided to give it a go. TGIF!
First off, we'd like to apologize for the picture, the place wasn't exactly dim, but we were seated at a corner; and we're depending on our phone camera. So, yeah ;)

Ebi Tempura Spicy Salad - 48thousand

Chopped shrimp tempura with lettuce served with creamy spicy sauce. The tempura was crispy and coated with cream sauce, while the lettuce was lightly drenched with teriyaki sauce, which goes really well, giving it a fresh burst, as opposed to what the name suggest, spicy.

Agedashi Tofu - 35thousand

Unlike the regular agedashi tofu, this was served in bite-sized cubes, which we appreciate, since it tends to be difficult to tear apart its' skin. We liked this dish as the skin was crispy, and the tofu is soft, together with sweet soba sauce. A classic Japanese appetizer.

Sisamo Yaki - 38thousand

Sisamo is a Japanese fish, with roe still intact in its' belly, giving it a grainy texture. Similar to tobiko, that is used often in sushi rolls, but in a drier consistency.




Volcano Roll - 45thousand
Deep fried shrimp roll with spicy mayonnaise sauce; not sure if Japanese have lower tolerance for spice, but this wasn't spicy as well, Le Sister could eat it just fine.

 

Soft Shell Crab Roll - 47thousand
Deep fried soft shell crab, with avocado and cucumber.



Tebasaki ( 3pcs ) - 25thousand
This was a letdown, coming from the Yakitori section of the menu, we expect it to be grilled, a reasonable assumption no? Even its description on the menu says 'grilled chicken wings', but they came out fried. As a fan of chicken wings, you could imagine the horror on our faces when this dish was placed on the table.



Hamachi Kama Teriyaki - 140thousand
A grilled yellowtail head with teriyaki sauce, it is bigger and has more meat as compared to a salmon head. This was well worth its price tag, it was super smooth and flavourful.



Gindara Saikyo Yaki - 165thousand
Another fish dish - grilled black cod marinated with saikyo miso. It is well marinated, but we recalled it being ever so slightly overcooked.



Beef Katsu Curry Rice - 118thousand
You can select your own spice levels for the curry, Le Dad had wanted the medium, but the waitress suggests low since they are spicy. True to their consistency, it wasn't spicy. There's nothing to write home about both the katsu and curry, just that they weren't piping hot. 



(L- R) Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away - 35thousand
Castle in the Sky is a concoction of peach puree, peach syrup, soda water and grape fruit, while Spirited Away is lychee syrup, lime, mint and soda water. Between the 2, we'd say go for Spirited Away. It comes with real lychee fruit, which could double up as dessert. ;)

Sojus and sakes filling the right side of the entrance, they are available for consumption. You could ask the server to recommend one to suit your taste. Pretty sure there's one for everyone, be it hot, cold, sweet, bitter, or dry.

Slightly unclear picture, as we were trying to capture it in action, but failed. At the end of the meal, we were given this, on one side white tablets, and water on the other. Simply place the tablets into the water, they'll expand and become wet tissues. It wasn't the first time we saw these tablets, but definitely a first we've experienced given out in a restaurant in town.

The dishes served were of  izakaya dining, which is supposed to focus more on drinks. So the portion tends to run smaller and pricier, which is common. They are however, not enough for Le Dad, thus the Curry Rice off the lunch menu. It is a good place to wind down with colleagues after a day in the office.

Yellowfin Sake Bar & Kitchen

Jl. Senopati I no. 42

Jakarta - 12110

Telephone : (021) 722 0394

Operation Hours:

Monday - Sunday : 11AM - 2AM 

Note: This is the 2nd time we're typing this out. Le Sister accidentally deleted it, so the opinion may be slightly affected, since it is almost 2 months since we dined.

[Review] School Food Bloomingmari

A new place in Central Park serving Korean 'school food' - Mari, Ramyeon, and Tteokpokki. It is located just outside Gramedia. The place is nice and cozy, with ceiling to floor glass  window overlooking the Tribeca park, and Korean pop songs blasting on their speakers.

Blooming Mari - 65thousand

Mozzarella cheese, teriyaki bulgogi and rice rolled together with seaweed and egg.

We think it is expensive, even though you could get full. They tasted ok, but nothing beats the typical Kimbab you could get at any convenience store in Korea for a quarter of it's price.

Jigae Ramyeon - 45thousand

Spicy stew ramen with kimchi and School Food's special seasoning. We asked if it was instant noodle(Shin Ramyeon), and the server said no, they make their own noodle, so Le Brother went ahead with it. Alas, it was instant, with kimchi added to it. Both of us could easily cook up a gourmet Shin Ramyeon with eggs, veggies and spam, and it would still cost less than their 45thousand.

Calamary - 35thousand

 Fried squid rings served with Tartar sauce. They were good! And the salad greens did made us feel less sinful about eating fried foods. :p 

(L-R) Cotton Strawberry Athie (25thousand) and Fine Blue Athie (30thousand)

It's hard to mess up a strawberry drink, put some syrup and soda together they'd taste good. Not sure where they went wrong with this. The Blue Athie, which is actually pineapple, tasted good!

We didn't try their Tteokpokki, which is the house special, as we weren't fans of rice cake. We can't justfy the 55thousand for a plate of something that we weren't going to enjoy. The price could go up to a whopping 120thousand for the Spicy Chicken Cutlet with Cheese. So, it's your call if you want to try it out; it is a nice place to chill with friends.

School Food Bloomingmari 

Central Park Mall 3rd Floor

Jl. Letjen S. Parman Kav. 28

Jakarta Barat 11430