CRIZ BON APPETITE

Ever since my first visit to Sushi Mentai @ All Seasons Place, Air Itam, Penang, I’ve been quite a regular at the eatery whenever my craving for Japanese cuisine arises. With the affordable yet quality plates of sushi (RM1.80++/ yellow plate or RM2.80++/red plate) on the conveyor belt, one would be pleased with their available options. Let’s have a look at some of their options available on their menus.

What we ate indeed had the quality required and with such an economical pricing, who could resist not to consume more?

Sushi Mentai do also serve many other selections such as Appetizer, Salad, Sashimi, Special Maki (special roll), Temaki (hand roll), Yakimono (grill), Agemono (fried), Menmono (noodles), Donmono (rice), Wanmono (bowl) and Beverages. Let’s have a look at some of their hot selling items as below.

Just look at the thick cuts for the Salmon Sashimi (RM10.80++/5 pieces) or the Tako Sashimi (RM10.80++/4 pieces) and you would realize that both items were really value for money. On top of that, some of the great items would include the huge serving of Tori Katsu Curry Rice (RM13.80++), Chawan Mushi (RM3.80++), Asari Miso Shiru (RM4.80++), Chicken Teriyaki (RM9.80++), Salmon Mentaiyaki (RM14.80++), Tempura Moriawase (RM13.80++), Tori Teriyaki Don (RM12.80++), Kitsune Udon (RM10.80++), Riceless Inari Wrap (RM7.80++), Salmon Mentai Dragon Maki (RM12.80++) and more.

As for beverages, I opted for a set of hot and cold green tea (RM1++ each). It came with a jug of green tea and a bucket of ice cubes with free-flow of refills.

Overall, I’ve always happy with the quality of the dishes served here at Sushi Mentai, though it may not have the best flavors compared to some other high end Japanese restaurants with proper Japanese chefs. It was good enough to soothe my craving. All orders would be charged with a 6% GST and 10% service tax.

Sushi Mentai @ All Seasons Place is located on the ground floor at the left wing of the building. You won’t miss it as it’s strategically in between Summer Dessert Bakery and Tomyummy Noodle House. You can park your car at the basement car park as you enter the building or right at the front area of the building. If you still do not know how to get there, you can always check out the location maps and use their Waze function.

Name: SUSHI MENTAI @ ALL SEASONS PLACE
Address: 6G-1-13, All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Teik, 11500 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: For walk-ins only
Business Hours: 12.00pm-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 11.30pm-9.30pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.396963, 100.290707

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

I’m sure many have heard about Sushi Mentai, especially those from Klang Valley, Johor and Penang. Through collaborative alliances with strategic business partners, Sushi Mentai’s philosophy is straightforward to the point – To bring affordable and quality Japanese food, mostly Japan imports, to enable everyone regardless of status and income, to enjoy the gastronomical fares without worrying much about the high food bills as experienced in many exquisite Japanese restaurants in Malaysia. With the tremendous success of its first branch at Elit Avenue in Bayan Baru, Sushi Mentai has now opened its second Penang branch at All Seasons Place in Air Itam on 16 October 2015 to cater to the needs of the public. For those from mainland Penang, you would be pampered with Sushi Mentai’s wide spread of Japanese cuisine with the opening of its third branch in Bukit Mertajam real soon~ 🙂

Though Sushi Mentai’s may look simple with only 25 sushi options for both yellow plate (RM1.80++/plate) and red plate (RM2.80++/plate) category respectively on the conveyor belt, you would be in for surprises as they do occasionally come out with many other interesting and flavorful creations (not from the menu) to tempt the taste buds of its diners. Let me show you some of the recommended ones as well as new signature creations such as their Tamago Mentai (yellow plate – egg), Chuka Kurage (yellow plate – jellyfish), Salmon Mentai (red plate – fish), Ebi Fried Kani Maki (red plate – prawn) and Ebi Tempura Fountain (red plate – prawn). Wow! No wonder the restaurant went by the name Sushi Mentai as their in-house concocted Mentai sauce (a combination of mentaiko aka cod fish roe with mayonnaise and maybe with a light squeeze of lemon juice) surely did sharpen up the flavors in each of their creation. I quite like the distinctive flavors and textures in their Ebi Fried Kani Maki as the crispiness from the added batter fried prawns wrapped in some lettuce combined with the fluffy yet chewy vinegar added Japanese rice was just perfect. It had mild touch of sesame oil added and it made the whole concoction quite addictive in each bite. Another must note would be their Ebi Tempura Fountain, something so simple and yet brought out the real taste of sushi. It had sushi rice stuffed inari (fried bean curd pocket) topped with a whole tempura prawn and drizzle with a light touch of nikiri (Japanese sweet soy sauce) and mayonnaise, then garnish with some ebiko (shrimp roe) and some chopped greens.

Instead of just sushi, there are many other selections in their menu ranging from Appetizer, Salad, Sashimi, Special Maki (special roll), Temaki (hand roll), Yakimono (grill), Agemono (fried), Menmono (noodles), Donmono (rice), Wanmono (bowl) and Beverages. You can click on the menu link up there for their full range of dishes.

Let me share with you my dining experiences with some of the dishes ordered starting with an appetizer called Chuka Idako (seasoned baby octopus – RM4.80++). You can practically taste all the sweet and sesame oil infused flavors in each of the nicely braised marinated baby octopus. The best part was that the dish was served chilled to my expectation.

As for sashimi, I would always go for fresh salmon cuts and indeed their Salmon Sashimi (RM10.80++/5 pieces) was really value for money. Other than at some buffet spread where I could eat all the salmon sashimi I ever wanted, I’ve yet to find an eatery serving such thick slabs of sashimi at such a low price.

Their signature maki set of Salmon Mentai Dragon Maki (RM12.80++) was a hit on my list as the batter fried prawn rolls with torch burned mentai sauce coated salmon slices were heavenly to my palate of quality Japanese dishes.

For some grilled seafood, I opted for their Salmon Mentaiyaki (RM14.80++) which came with two piece of mentai sauce coated grilled salmon. The taste wasn’t that bad but it could have been better if the fish were to be of a thicker cut. Anyway, I’m not complaining as the price was quite reasonable compared to paying over RM20++ dining elsewhere for such portion served.

I wanted something light yet fulfilling at the agemono section, thus I tried out their Takoyaki (squid tentacle filled wheat flour ball – RM4.50+/5 pieces). I would say these were some of the good ones I had for awhile as each has just the right juicy bite and were dressed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise plus generously garnished with lots of nori and bonito flakes.

I had their Tempura Udon (RM13.80++) as my next dish. The dish may look rather simple with some udon in clear soup topped with some nori (seaweed) and two pieces of the Japanese fish cakes, on top of the two tempura prawns but the serving of udon was humongous. Instead of the standard serving of 120g for udon, the serving was almost 170g, which meant it was a big too much for small eaters whom would want to savor their other dishes. However, I would want to compliment them for the soup broth. This was the type of rich flavored dashi stock base I would love to consume with my udon especially on a humid day.

Sushi Mentai has the reputation of serving great Japanese curry, thus I also tried out their Tori Katsu Curry Rice (RM13.80++). Gosh! I was dumbfounded with the amount served for this dish. Are they sure that this was the portion for one person? The dish had half a plate filled with compactly cooked Japanese rice and the other half filled with loads of potato and carrot chunks in Japanese curry and topped with a whole deboned breadcrumbs fried drumstick. One glance at the dish and I was already feeling full~ LOL~ 😛 Anyway, for those big eaters, you would be happy to order this dish. Maybe it would be also be a great idea to share this dish with another friend so that you can consume more options. I loved the sweetness of both the potatoes and carrots with a light hint of citrus flavor enhanced non-spicy curry powder broth. On the other hand, the choice of using deboned chicken drumstick was ideal for this dish as the meat was moist and tender as it should be. The rice set came with a complimentary bowl of miso soup.

Instead of ordering the usual Chawan Mushi (RM3.80++) or Miso Soup (RM1.80++) as I normally would do, I saw one dish that was rather unique I have yet to see from other Japanese restaurants. It was their Asari Miso Shiru (RM4.80++). The bowl of soup was basically miso soup with added clams. I had it quite a few times at one Korean restaurant and had fallen in love with the richness and sweetness of the soup and finally I can find it at Sushi Mentai. For the price, it was a hearty bowl of soup filled with lots of juicy clams plus generous amounts of nori and bean curds.

As for beverages, I opted for a set of hot and cold green tea (RM1++ each). It came with a jug of green tea and a bucket of ice cubes – all free-flow. It was a great bargain.

Overall, I’m happy with the taste and quality of the dishes served here at Sushi Mentai. It might not be the best compared to some other upper class Japanese restaurants with proper Japanese chefs but it was good enough to soothe my craving when I needed some Japanese cuisine. The damage for the whole meal was RM109.75 inclusive of the 6% GST and 10% service tax for two pax. However, the amount of dishes we ordered would be adequate for 3-4 persons. With such economical pricing, do expect huge crowds during peak period of the day, especially during weekends. Please also take note that they would not entertain any prior reservations as their system is on a first come first serve basis. No worries as they do also provide sitting area right in front of the eatery while you wait for your turn.

Sushi Mentai @ All Seasons Place is located on the ground floor at the left wing of the building. You won’t miss it as it’s strategically in between Summer Dessert Bakery and Tomyummy Noodle House. You can park your car at the basement car park as you enter the building or right at the front area of the building. If you still do not know how to get there, you can always check out the location maps and use their Waze function.

Name: SUSHI MENTAI @ ALL SEASONS PLACE
Address: 6G-1-13, All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Teik, 11500 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: For walk-ins only
Business Hours: 12.00pm-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 11.30pm-9.30pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.396963, 100.290707

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Tao Authentic Asian Cuisine, an upscale restaurant that serves All-You-Can-Eat buffet with specialties ranging from Japanese, Chinese, Thailand and other foreign or ethnic food plus a different concept outlet by the name of Yea Japanese BBQ & Shabu Shabu, has officially opened another branch at Penang Times Square recently on 25 September 2012. The latest branch, which is also a pork-free outlet, was the biggest amongst all the branches and can accommodate more than 150 pax at one time with quite a handful of private cubicles for private functions. Priced at RM46++ for lunch*, RM62++ for dinner* and child (90cm to 140cm in height) having to pay half price, this branch has the most buffet spreads (other than the ones ordered from the menu) amongst all their outlets in Malaysia. Currently, they have an “early bird” promotion where a 10% discount would be given to those who had checked in between 5:30pm and 6:30pm from Monday until Friday.

Important Note (*): Please check the time and price as stated right at the end of this post for more detailed information as they can differ on different days.

The unique part about dining in this branch compared to their other branches would be that this one has an almost a full buffet spread without even having to order from their ala carte menu. Let’s start by studying what they have to offer at their appetizer section. Firstly, it was the cold section where you have options for fresh mussels, oysters and cooked prawns, followed by a vast variety of sushi for just anyone. Fresh seafood and sushi lovers would surely love this section.

The next section along the U shaped counter would be the cold cuts and other appetizers. Sashimi lovers would love this section as it had fresh cuts of white & red tuna, salmon, smoked squids. On top of that, there were some sugar coated cashew nuts for you to munch while waiting for your food to be prepared at a later stage. Next to those cold cuts would be some appetizers for the day. Those appetizers would be like chuka wakame (pickled seaweed), salmon salad, salted anchovies with peanuts, honey lotus roots, jellyfish salad, flavored deep fried sakura ebi and 3 layer egg.

Opposite would be the section for salads and some precooked dishes. You would have some greens and fruit to create your own salad with the dressings provided. There would also be the Oden stove for you to savor those skewers of goodies. Basically the stock was made out of a light soy based dashi stock with additional flavors emitted by the skewers of meat, fish cakes and vegetables. That was the Japanese way of having “Yong Tau Fu” during winter. Two dishes of precooked dishes were provided on that day and they were Sweet & Sour Salmon and Beef Stew.

The next section was the Kushiyaki (skewer grill) and Teppanyaki (iron griddle cooking) section. There were a large variety of skewed items and raw items at the counter. Just pick whatever you like and the chefs would cook them perfectly to your preference and send to your table.

Finally, you have the dessert section to pick what you like. There would be the chocolate fountain, pastries, jellies, “tong sui” and King’s ice cream to look out for.

Now let’s have a look at some of the common dishes that would be available in the Ala Carte Menu throughout all the branches. The menu would have different categories such as cold cut, soup, agemono (fried dishes), yakimono (grilled), itame mono (main dish), nabemono (noodle soup), mushimono (steamed) and temaki (hand roll). Since the buffet spread were already real impressive, we just tried out some of the dishes in the menu. We started with the Abalone Slices. It came with some salad dressing. The dish’s name might be classy and pricey but what we had were actually mock abalone which had the common name “gui fei” abalone. They were processed squid meat, cut to have a standard shape and thickness.

I quite love the next dish which was the Pickled Papaya Salmon. The slight sour sweet papaya pickles wrapped with a fresh layer of salmon and dressed with a tangy dressing was perfect for my meal.

I have always been a fan of Chuka Idako (Seasoned Baby Octopus). The preparation was not like those I have tried at other Japanese restaurants. The ones here had a more personal touch with a more coarsely prepared homemade sauce. However, I found them to be lacked of a unique flavor – toasted sesame seeds. This addition would surely boost up the taste further.

The next dish was the Japanese version of croquette called Cheese Korokke. It was nothing fanciful except for some cheese flavored minced meat and potatoes with an over sprinkles of black pepper.

Then there was the Coconut Shrimps. It was oily a bit without an underlay kitchen towel to soak the excess oil but can be palatable with some nice dressings.

We also had some Fried Fish Balls. It was just normal with some fish paste coated with some bread cubes and deep fried until golden brown.

The Tori Miso Yaki (Grilled Chicken Thigh) was rather impressing as the chicken pieces were well marinated and given a nice caramelized texture on the skin. Delicious!

Beef Bacon Skewers were served next. It was simple and yet fulfilling with a kani (crab) stick and some enoki mushrooms wrapped within the beef bacon prior to a light grilling.

We also ordered some Motoyaki Scallops. They were average as the sauce applied was on a saltier side.

There was also the Kyuri Wasabi Saba (Grilled Mackerel with Wasabi) which had a light grill. It was nicely done with a nice flavor and not fishy at all.

For lamb lover, you should go for the Teppan Lamb. It was heavenly delicious. I won’t mind having the dish with some garlic rice if not for the wide selection at the buffet line. LOL!

Carefully prepared with a light touch of spiciness, the Tsubu Gai Itame (Stir Fry Japanese Whelk) would also go well with rice. The chef did a great job of not cooking the sea snail meat to be too rubbery.

Their Chawan Mushi was simple but nice with light steamed egg. However, I still prefer the ones at Sakae Sushi with added toppings such as vegetarian shark’s fin and shimeji mushrooms.

Lastly, we tried the Jade Scallops. The steamed scallops had some seasoned glass noodles as base and topped with some sweet paste and chopped spring onions. Somehow, I prefer this version more than the Motoyaki Scallops.

As for beverages, it would be by order. Cold or hot beverages such as lemon tea, peach tea, green tea, coffee and more would be included in the buffet price. Other beverages may incur more cost into your bill. Please ask carefully on the free flow beverages available for the day prior to ordering.

Overall, I quite like the buffet concept here as I can choose whatever I like to eat at the buffet line (what I can see is what I would get) instead of wondering what I would get from the menu as most of the items are with Japanese names without further descriptions in English. For those Chinese educated diners, you won’t have this issue at all as Chinese names are available. Taste wise, there are still rooms for improvement as some of the dishes in the menu were not up to my expectations. They were rather towards the commercial taste rather than being authentic. Price wise, it’s a bit high for those who could not consume much unless you are a true oyster and sashimi lover to get your money worth. Moreover, there are the confusions of the applicable 2.5 hours time limit and pricing. Please digest the information CLEARLY before dining to avoid any disappointment. The pricing and time limit would differ even during the same dining period but on different days. Please take note of this important information as stated at the end of this post.

If you know how to go to Penang Times Square, you won’t have problem at all to find the Tao Authentic Asian Cuisine. The restaurant is located at the central atrium of Penang Times Square. Just walk towards the escalator within the mall and go up to Level One. You would see the restaurant on your right.

Name: TAO AUTHENTIC ASIAN CUISINE @ PENANG TIMES SQUARE
Address: Penang Times Square, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-228 5826
Business Hours & Price:
WEEKDAYS (Monday – Thursday)
Lunch: 12.00noon – 4.00pm (RM46++)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10:30pm (RM62++)
WEEKENDS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays)
Lunch: 12.00noon – 4.00pm (RM46++ for Friday ONLY/RM62++ for Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays)
Dinner Session 1: 5:30pm – 8:00pm, RM62++
Dinner Session 2: 8:30pm – 11:00pm, RM62++
Note: Early bird (5:30pm – 6:30pm) entitled for 10% discount. This offer is only applicable from Monday until Friday.
GPS: 5.411728, 100.324879

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 9/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Although I do get my Mum the best food around town frequently, it was a special day yesterday to bring her out for some live-on-the-spot dinner. After all, it was Mothers’ Day and she ought to be treated like a queen. We ended up having Japanese food at Nippon Yataimura which is located in Pulau Tikus, Penang. From the exterior, it looked like a normal restaurant. As we stepped inside, it was totally another world by itself with lanterns hanging everywhere on little roofs just like in a village. Now I got it why they had named the shop as “日本屋合村”, meaning Japanese House in a Village.

There were just too many choices available in this restaurant with even a specially created 9-course set meal priced at RM48+ just for Mothers’ Day but we ended up ordering some other set meals with a few dishes from the Ala Carte menu. Let me share with you the set meals that we had ordered. One of the set was Saba Syioyaki (RM25). This is one of the most ordered fish dish in Japan where a small mackerel was grilled to perfection while maintaining the moisture within the fat. The fish had a nice grill and with a squeeze of lemon juice and grated daikon (mild flavored white radish), it was good.

Next were two sets of teppanyaki (鉄板焼) style dishes. One of them was the Teppan Chicken (RM20). The dish came with some iron griddled mixed vegetables with some toasted garlic slices. The chicken slices were good with their special sauce and they tasted a bit like the spicy version of sate.

Teppan Salmon (RM24) was the other wonderful dish as the sauce was somewhat unique. It was slightly sweet and mildly spiced up. Even with the crisped sensation I had, the fish managed to retain its juice. It was beautiful.

Something caught my eyes in the set menu and I ended up ordering Pork Mayonnaise (RM20). The dish was real creamy with the flavors coming from the mayo and a hint of Lea & Perrin sauce. This dish was cooked with lots of sliced big onions. This would be good if taken with rice.

The above four sets came with side dishes such as a bowl of beautifully steam Japanese rice, Salad, Miso Soup, Chawan Mushi and fruit cuts. The Salad had a mildly gingered chili paste. The Miso Soup was thickly flavored with some tofu cubes and chopped spring onions in it. The Chawan Mushi (Steam Egg) came beautifully decorated and was silky smooth with a few chopped chicken meat pieces within.

Other than the above set meals, we also tried the Seafood Fried Rice (RM22). The dish came with freshly cooked squids, prawns and fish fillet. Although the taste of the rice was nice, I found it to be wet for my preference. It could be due to my liking for “wok hei” (high heat cooking) style of plain white rice rather than the usage of Japanese rice.

The next dish which was the Fish Ball Ramen (RM13) may look plain but one sip into the soup and you would yearn for more. The soup was richly flavored with a hint of fresh prawn juice. It was just like the Dobin Mushi I had at Penang Times Square. Even the portion of ramen served was rather filling. The dish came with fish balls, sliced wood ear fungus and some spring onions.

We also ordered some of the dishes from the Ala Carte menu and one of them was the Ocha Soba (RM13). We had a small serving of cold noodles served with cold soup, raw quail’s egg, spring onions and chopped fried garlic. We indeed left the quail’s egg untouched. One reason was that it was raw and the next was the 3640 calories it will bring into our bodies. The noodle was springy and blended nicely with the soup but somehow I still prefer the Tenzaru Soba I had at Penang Times Square as the soup was more flavorful.

Next side dish was the Agedashi Tofu (RM6). It was nothing special with some pieces of fried tofu garnished with nori (Japanese seaweed strips), spring onions and daikon, served in a pool of soy sauce but the tofu cubes were indeed silky smooth.

The Ishiyaki Kinoko Nomori (RM18) was my favorite amongst the rest of the side orders. The shiitake (Chinese black mushroom – 香菇) and enoki/enokitake (golden needle mushrooms – 金針菇) mushrooms were stone-cooked so perfectly with their special sauce while maintaining the fragrant mushroom taste. The gravy for this dish tasted great with my rice. Both mushrooms are believed to be great antioxidants.

The most wonderful dining experience in this restaurant was their free flow of green tea, either cold or hot at no extra cost.

I felt that the pricing here is reasonable compared to the quality of ingredients and portion served. After all, I was really filled up with each set meal I had ordered. The service here was good considering that almost all the food came within minutes upon ordering. There are more dishes which I would love to try out next from their ramen (noodles), gohan (rice), sushi (vinegar rice finger food), sashimi (raw cold cuts) and dessert sections.

There is another branch of this franchise restaurant located within Queensbay Mall up in Bayan Baru, Penang. The main restaurant which I had visited in Pulau Tikus, Penang, is located next to a service road along Jalan Burma. If you are coming from Jalan Burma into Pulau Tikus district, you would see a police station on your right. Drive on until you have reached the Jalan Cantonment/Jalan Burma traffic light. After the traffic light, you would see a row of shop houses. Slow down and keep a watch out for a service road on your left. Turn in the service road and you would see the restaurant on your left just next to Teow Chew Meng restaurant. Parking can be quite limited during office hours and weekends. You can either try finding some behind the restaurant or opposite along Bellisa Row. The worst alternative would be within the Bandar Baru Supermarket car park along Jalan Cantonment and walk back to the restaurant.

Name: NIPPON YATAI MURA (日本屋合村)
Address: 403-A, Jalan Burma, Pulau Tikus, 10350 Penang, Malaysia.
Business Hours:
12.00noon-2.00pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm (Weekdays)
12.00noon-10.00pm (Saturday & Sunday – No reservation on these days & Public Holiday)
Contact: 604-226 6018
GPS: 5.432746, 100.310593

RATING:
Ambience: 8.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)