Japin Ramen; 絕品 or the Best?!!

Japin絕品 is another Japanese restaurant that is putting ramen as its selling point. It's located at level 2 of Queensbay Mall. Passing by the shop for many times, Attila and I have decided to give it a try. We've headache to flip through their wide range of Ramen and we've indeed decided to go for the dishes that are marked with *Thumb Up*.

Our main course is the Kakuni Japin Ramen滷肉絕品拉面 or the soupy ramen that comes with the stew pork, black fungus and boiled egg. We like stew pork for its softness and juiciness whereby the meat has absorbed the tastiness of the soy sauce. However, the meat here is too fat and oily. I can't accept as well the boiled egg or so-called the 'exploding egg' with the un-cooked and watery egg white inside the hard outer shell. The soup is very flavourful that it's the reason for our thirstiness afterwards.

For sharing, Attila and I have ordered the Gyoza日式餃子 and Buta Katsu香炸豬扒. Both of us have rejected the fried dumpling as the skin is too crispy while the inner ingredient is too hard and dry. The crispy fried pork chop is quite ordinary, but I don't really like the sweet sauce.

We've never visited the restaurant again, after our first try as we can't find out any specialty about Japin Ramen. The food doesn't suit to the taste and deliciousness that we're looking for.

Nippon Yataimura; Does It Mean Japanese Village?

Nippon Yataimura will be another restaurant of our choice if we're looking for Japanese noodle or Ramen. I've always been wondering about the meaning of its name, does 日本屋台村 mean Japanese village? This restaurant is located at the lower ground floor of Queensbay Mall. I don't like the surrounding here as it's not cozy and more importantly, I don't like the smell. It's sort of alike the oil that has absorbed into the wood for years. The only attraction for me here is their Tonkotsu Ramen.

Tonkotsu Ramen or the pork bone broth is a type of clear soup ramen. The noodle is garnished with some thin slices of pork roll and bean sprouts. Additionally for the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen is the pork meat that has been cooked in the dark soy sauce and prawn. Attila and I like the sweet yet very refreshing soup whereby the soup itself is so flavourful that we're so satisfied with only the clear soup itself. It's even greater if the noodle is not over-cooked that it becomes too soft.

We've as well decided to try out their Gyoza or the Japanese Dumplings that are filled with mixture of minced pork and parsley. The skin is a little chewy and I prefer if the sauce is slightly saltier. The Gyoza is quite delicious but it's not the best dumplings that I've ever tasted.

Nippon Yataimura has a simple menu with a limited choices of delicacies. We'll visit the restaurant if we're thinking of hot soupy noodle and it's only 'Tonkotsu'.

English Bakery, German Bäckerei

Germans have always been so proud with their bakeries that are producing various breads everyday, ranging from the famous Dark Rye Bread, Sour Dough to the small round buns. Generally, German bread is normally hard and crispy on the outer skin yet very soft at inside. This is one of the unique food that my Boyfriend and German friends have been missing in Penang.

Finally... Bäckerei is the newly opened bakery that is located at lower ground of Queensbay Mall and it's just opposite Lazo Diamond. It's a small corner that is equipped with ovens and with plenty of baskets to display their breads. The breads are baked freshly for selling each day. You can find Sour Dough Bread, Wheat Bread, Muffins and also Pastries that are filled with fillings such as hazelnut, banana, or strawberry here. Attila and I have tried out their breads and we've been so satisfied with the quality. Hard yet soft, just fulfilling Attila's requirement.
Oh ya, the humidity in Malaysia will make the bread to get soft faster! Thus, do consider to eat the bread as soon as you buy it or to re-bake it after keeping the bread for some time.

OH, it's SUSHI

OH SUSHI has been opened since few months at Straits Quay and my Boyfriend has finally recalled that he hasn't brought me there. It's another collection into my food blog, thus we've decided to have our dinner at this Japanese Restaurant. Attila has indeed waited eagerly to try again their RM88++ for 2 person eat all you can Sukiyaki or Shabu Shabu.

Shabu Shabu here is the clear soup hotpot that consists of vegetable, mushroom and Tofu that is then being heated on a gas stove. The thin slices of beef and noodle are the unlimited servings that you can order as many as you can eat. Don't ruin the meat! Do just swish for few swipes and to be eaten with the dipping sauces. Both of the sauces taste great and they do smell good; One is the sweet blended white sesame while another is the salty soy sauce that is garnished with some spring onions.

Besides, I'm attracted and I've decided to order the Hokkai Chirashi. It's a bowl of rice that is served together with raw Salmon slices, Salmon eggs and crab meat. I like this dish for its simplicity, not too much taste except the freshness from the sea.

Shabu Shabu is a healthy choice of food that you can consider of. It's not oily, no carbohydrate and the majorities are the meat and vegetable for your lean muscle. Well, exercise is still needed ;)

Localize Shabu Shabu at Lolipot

Shabu Shabu is named from the 'swish swish' sound of cooking the meat in the pot. How to enjoy this Japanese hotpot? You can boil vegetable, seafood and of course various meat such as beef, pork or lamb into the hot soup that is normally ranges from Clear, Tomyam to Kimchi soup and then to be tasted together with dipping sauce. It's sort of alike the Chinese traditional steamboat except that you've your own pot and you can choose your own favourite soup.

Attila and I have decided to try out the Lolipot Localize Shabu Shabu that is located at Lorong Bayan Indah 3, 2 rows of shop houses behind Berlin's Bier Houz. They're serving 'Eat All You Can' of Shabu Shabu here. A wide selection of ingredients such as crab, mantis prawn, squid, jelly fish, seaweed, mushroom and noodle are published together with the title card on the conveyor belt. You can grab as many as you can but do remember that not to waste the food, else you can be charged additionally. I've chosen to take the Kimchi soup while Attila is going for their special Garlic soup that costs RM5 extra. Both of the soups are not really impressing yet we do quite like the refreshing garlic's taste. Oh ya, the meat is rolled and being served separately! I've forgotten to ask if the meat is as well buffet style.
Localize Shabu Shabu means the cili padi, chili sauce and the fried garlic?!! I'm not so fancy about this hotpot in Lolipot as it's not really tasty and the soup is indeed making me very thirsty.