CRIZ BON APPETITE

Just like our Malaysian Nasi Lemak, various versions of ramen are ubiquitous throughout Japan, from small roadside stalls, restaurants to even within 7-Eleven shops. Each region in Japan would offer their unique versions of ramen with their “secret” soup base which might consist of a mix and match of salt, soy sauce, pork bones and fermented soy beans (shio, shoyu, tonkotsu and miso), served with various toppings. With the globalization of the ramen, competitions had found many eateries serving innovative versions of the noodles with peanut butter or coffee infused broth or even making the ramen into ramen burger. However, Menya Miyabi @ Queensbay Mall, Penang, still insist on pepping up their authentic Hokkaido ramen, using mostly imported ingredients, to ensure that diners would get the best ramen experience as how the people of Hokkaido would consume. The flavors of the ramen dishes are so strictly monitored that the big boss (with 4 other ramen chains in Hokkaido) would fly in every quarterly to check on the food quality. A 10% service charge would be imposed on all orders.

The first dish which was the Hokkaido Chilled Ramen Salad (RM19+), had us all at cloud 9 with its unique combinations of flavors and textures as most of us had never tried out chilled ramen before. With just some al dente textured ice-chilled ramen with some goma mayo dressing, served with sides of hard-boiled egg, julienned chashu, cucumber, buttered corn kernels and tomato slices, it was a simple yet appetizing salad for everyone.

For our main, we had their Signature Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Broth Flavor – RM23+). Wow! I’m impressed with the rich and creamy broth which was filled with collagen with a light tone of natural saltiness. The ramen dish has slices of nicely braised chashu, served with some wood ear fungus, marinated soft-boiled egg, nori (seaweed) and some light sprinkles of spring onions. It was indeed a hearty bowl of perfect ramen, obvious from the time consuming and tedious processes of slow simmering the choice pork bones.

We also tried out their Yaki-Miso Ramen (Fried Soybean Paste Flavor – RM23.50+). The broth was similar to the Tonkatsu Ramen but with some added fried miso paste to give the broth an extra earth flavor. The toppings were somewhat different slightly with bamboo shoots replacing the wood ear fungus as the former. Taste wise, it was indeed the authentic taste of Japan, which was a bit heavier in saltiness.

Somehow, the Kara Miso Ramen (Hot & Spicy Miso Ramen – RM24+) tasted superb. Though the broth tasted almost similar to that of the Yaki-Miso Ramen with added chili paste but the overall flavors were quite balanced up with no overpowering saltiness. I guessed raw miso paste was added instead of the fried miso paste which would surely contain more concentrated sodium content. The ramen came with toppings such as chashu cubes, marinated soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, salted mustard stems, nori (seaweed) and some chopped spring onions. For spicy lovers, this might be your ramen dish to go for.

For those who prefer rice over noodles, you can always try out their Katsu Curry (Katsu Kare – RM24+), a steaming hot Japanese rice dish with non-spicy Japanese style curry gravy, topped with a piece of breadcrumbed deep fried pork cutlet and served with some pickled daikon. Now only was I aware that traditional Japanese Curry would be served plain without the addition of potato and carrot bites as I had consumed elsewhere. The most important ingredient in a Japanese kare is to extract the sweetness from the caramelized onions and traditional recipe might just include only onions, flour and oil. From a clarification by my Japanese friend, potatoes and carrots were later added into the recipe to make the filling bulk when rice supplies were scarce during one period of the past.

To add on to our orders of ramen, we ordered some Croquettes (Korokke – RM9+ for 2pcs). The potato cakes had a concoction of mashed potatoes, minced meat and some finely chopped vegetables before being coated with panko breadcrumbs and deep fried to perfection. Though the korokke was simple and tasty, I somehow prefer my croquettes to contain more coarsely mashed potatoes such as the Indonesian/Malaysian Bergedil with more bites.

We also ordered some Gyozas (RM12+ for 6 pcs, RM18+ for 10 pcs). Each bite was filled with the nice juiciness from the well marinated minced meat within. If I were not told by the chef, I would not have realized that each piece was machine made. Menya Miyabi is the only Japanese eatery in Penang having that customized machine specially imported all the way from Japan.

Overall, I quite like the simplicity of the dishes served at Menya Miyabi. It might depend on the taste buds of the locals to accept a more authentic style of Japanese cuisine which would be stronger in flavors. With mostly imported ingredients used in their cuisine, the prices of their dishes are still competitive on the market.

Upon entering the main entrance of Queensbay Mall (Central Zone), turn right and walk towards the North Zone (J.Co, Morganfield, T.G.I. Friday’s, Maybank, etc). Take the escalator to Level 1 and you can see Espresso Lab kiosk. The restaurant is just opposite the kiosk on the right.

Name: MENYA MIYABI – HOKKAIDO RAMEN
Address: 1F-152, Level 1, North Zone, Queensbay Mall, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-645 3811
Business Hours: 11.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.334311, 100.306685

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

Just in the month of December 2011 alone, Penang has another two new venues opened up with more eateries. One would be the Precinct 10 located at Tanjung Bungah just next to the Island Plaza, whereas the next one would be the Gurney Paragon Mall located along the seafront of Gurney Drive. Goku Raku Ramen with its first branch at Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur has finally set its foot in Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang, since 24 December 2011. This restaurant is believed to serve one of the best broths for ramen, especially with its rich and aromatic Tonkotsu broth which had gone through ten of hours of tedious preparations and slow simmering.

To start off as appetizer, I ordered their Pirikara Negi Char Siew (RM7.90++). It was just 5 thinly sliced Char Siew, laid on a bed of sliced romaine lettuce and leeks, garnished with their special spicy sauce, some sauteed onions, chopped spring onions and a sprinkle of deep fried garlic bits. I did not find this dish appealing, not because I’m not a total health freak who would take lots of greens, but because the whole concoction lacked a few distinctive flavors. The meat lacked a slight saltiness and fragrant that you would get from a bacon. The garlic bits did not have that aromatic strong flavor. The spicy sauce was not as spicy as I expected. One great example of a great meaty vegetable wrap dish would be the Korean styled Jokbal (족발) I had some time back at Sa Rang Chae (사랑채/舍廊居).

Since Goku Raku Ramen is also known as “The Ramen Haven”, no doubt it was a must to try out their specialty. I ordered a bowl of their signature ramen which was the Ultimate Ramen (RM21.90++ Big Bowl or RM16.90++ Small Bowl). You would have 3 options for the soup base such as the traditional Tonkotsu Soup (the mother of all soup bases with the rich creaminess coming from the long simmering of pork, chicken and fish bones), Shoyu Tonkotsu Soup (Tonkotsu with added Japanese soy sauce) and Miso Tonkotsu Soup (Tonkotsu with added miso aka blended fermented bean paste). I opted for the Ultimate Ramen with Miso Tonkotsu Soup. The bowl of ramen came topped with a few slices of Char Siew (Grilled Pork), half a flavored hard-boiled egg, bamboo shoot, black fungus, spring onions, leeks and garnished with fragrant blended burned garlic in oil. Although the broth was not as much as how you would get from other ramen shops, you can be assured that this was cooked with ultimate passion. Each drop of the broth was rich in flavors, leaving a trace of gelatin like creaminess that would linger in your mouth for some time. The mild touch of miso paste added in set the taste to a totally different dimension. It was indeed a great bowl of ramen! The only setback was the texture of the ramen. I could be sure that those noodles were not made upon request. They could be frozen-packed and send over from their main outlet in Kuala Lumpur. Somehow, it had that slight powdery texture that might be the cause of frost-bite due to improper storages. Well, that did not deter me from slurping off the whole bowl within a few minutes.

Note: If you prefer a stronger and creamier version of this ramen, you could always order the Goku Raku Miso Ramen (RM24.90++ Big Bowl or RM18.90++ Small Bowl). The Goku Raku broth has been simmered almost twice the time used in simmering the Tonkotsu soup.

Other than ramen, there are many other rice based dishes available here, either in a bowl or in a stone pot. I ordered the Stamina Don (RM17.90++). It basically had some pan-fried pork slices in their special sauce, topped on some steamed rice and garnished with a poached egg, some chopped leeks and sun-dried chili slices. There was nothing special about this dish except for some sweetness from the special sauce. I would think that their other sister company, Miraku Japanese Restaurant @ G Hotel, which is also under the Texchem group, did fair better in rice dishes. The rice set came with some pickled radish and cucumber.

Only 2 desserts such as the Annin Tofu (Almond Jelly – RM6.90) and Rare Cheese Cake (RM8.90) were available. I opted for the latter since it impressed me more as seen from the menu. Unfortunately, the experience turned into a nightmare. How could the restaurant serve me with “discarded” stuff? What I saw from the menu was not what I got! It was just another plain tasting cheese cake on a terribly presented twirl of blueberry sauce. Again the dish had the right name – RARE CHEESE CAKE! It was really RARE to see a part of the base missing (look carefully at the base of the cake towards the end). Moreover, it was RARE to see INVISIBLE strawberries and blueberries. On top of that, it was such a RARE occasion to guess the identity of the brutally severed fruit used as the décor. I presumed that was part of a plum since it has red skin with orange flesh. The whole ugly scene would have been avoided if the staff would just inform me on their shortage of fruits for the presentation instead of throwing me something that was not fit to be served. I could have just taken the whole cheese cake plain as it was. What disappointed me most was the chef’s lack of creativity in coming up with an alternative solution when faced with such a scenario. What amazed me too was that no one had the initiative to run down to the nearest supermarket (Cold Storage @ Gurney Plaza – 300m away) to temporary stock up whatever they were short of.

Just look at the menu photo. It’s a world of difference right?

As for beverages, I opted for just a plain tall glass of Iced Green Tea (RM2.90++) since I have been reviewing one too many dessert shops recently.

Overall, I’m not too happy with the choice of food served here as a large quantity of dishes and beverages served at the Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur outlet were not available here at the Gurney Paragon Mall branch. The whole menu would surely not worth my revisit unless I’m desperately in need of a good bowl of ramen soup. The pricing for some of the items is much higher than other Japanese restaurants, considering that it has an additional 10% + 6% tax imposed on all tags. Let’s hope we’ll see some improvements in the near future.

The Gurney Paragon Mall is just two blocks before the G-Hotel along the beautiful promenade of Gurney Drive. As you enter the place, you would see the east wing of the Gurney Paragon Residences/Condominium on your left and the west wing on the right. Walk right into the premises and you will see the skillfully reconstruction of the St. Joseph’s Novitiate which former used to house the Upland’s School. The restaurant is located at the left side of the building right up towards the end of the Gurney Paragon Residences/Condominium east wing.

Name: GOKU RAKU RAMEN @ GURNEY PARAGON MALL
Address: Lot 163-D-1-05, Gurney Paragon Mall, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-226 0961
Business Hours: 10.00am – 10.00pm
GPS: 5.436072, 100.311693

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 6.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 6.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)