Chuka Zanmai

Went to the pre-opening of Chuka Zanmai not once but twice! =D Thanks to aunty who gave me the pre-opening invitation aka vouchers. Chuka Zanmai is actually the same company as Sushi Zanmai and Pasta Zanmai. Chuka Zanmai is a fusion of chinese and japanese food. It is actually opened on the 8th August 2008 at Sri Hartamas Shopping Centre. With the invitation aka voucher, you can actually go and "test" the food at 50% discount the week before their opening. Don't think the food is actually that cheap (one plate of yee mee actually cost RM25!!) but with the 50% discount, it is really quite worth it =D *Thanks aunty!!*

So, the first time I brought my sis and mimi there.

Yun & Mimi, Me & Yun *btw yun's top (available in black) is from http://miss-shopaholics-closet.blogspot.com/ - hehe do some promo*

Macha Genmaicha - Green tea with roasted brown rice. It’s actually quite a nice tea!! But it’s so weird that they limit one pot of tea to 2 pax and since there are 3 of us, we have to order 2 pots!! Anyway it’s only RM3 per pot lar and its refillable so never mind!! *hehe*

They actually have quite a lot of rice and noodles choices. There is also the more chinese dishes and 2 pages of the more japanese dishes. But we ordered mostly (actually all except for a bowl of noodles) from the japanese dishes section.

Tori Onsen Ramen, RM22 - Ramen with chicken and poached egg. I quite like it.

Chuka Zanmai Salmon in special sauce, RM16 - Its like normal salmon sashimi but with a different sauce unlike the Japanese soya sauce and wasabi that we normally eat with.

Gyu Yaki Garlic, RM25 - Beef with garlic sauce. The beef is tender enough and tasted quite good.

Spicy Soft Shell Crab, RM18 - Don't think it’s spicy at all and the crab is not crispy enough!! Was cold and soggy when served!! (I think a similar dish in Sushi Zanmai is much cheaper!! Why ar??)

Unagi Chuka, RM20 - Quite nice as well =D

Gindara Teriyaki, RM28 - This was the best dish!! The cod fish just melts in my mouth!! (Again a similar dish in Sushi Zanmai is so much cheaper!! The portion looks about the same to me too!! But this one was super fresh!! However, when I ordered this again on my 2nd visit it wasn't as good but still alright la... so why the price difference in Chuka Zanmai and Sushi Zanmai ar??)

Then I went again, but with Val, HF and YL this time! YL didn't wanna share food with us so he ordered rice with chicken in a hot pot (bowl). There was a burnt taste, not sure if it actually is supposed to taste like that or if the bowl was too hot that it burnt the rice!! He wasn't really happy with it (even though he finished everything!!) so he ordered a plate of yee mee but it tasted horrible as well!! And that horrible yee mee is RM25!! So not worth it lor.... Any tai chow restaurant taste nicer than that lor and only for quarter of that price!!

Rice with chicken, RM20 - that YL ordered.

We, on the other hand ordered dishes =D Again, I ordered mostly from the same 2 page in the menu at the japanese dishes section.

Salmon Yuke, RM16 - An interesting way to eat salmon sashimi. The raw salmon is actually minced and a poached egg is added on top! It tasted weird but in a nice kind of way!! First time eating it this way!! =D Not sure if we are supposed to mix everything and eat or just eat it like that!! But we just ate it like that cause scared that it will look gross if we really mixed everything!! Haha. But it tasted quite nice....

Salmon Karage Chuka, RM18 - Deep fried salmon with some special sauce. Not bad, not bad.

Unagi Chuka, RM20 - Had the unagi again.

Kaisen Goto, RM25 – The seafood is actually cooked with the heat of the hot stone (something like sauna!). They put a hot stone at the bottom of the pot and then the seafood on top. Then pour water into the pot and cover it. When the water touches the hot stone, it give out heat just like the dry sauna!! Keep the pot covered until it’s cooked – about 5 minutes!! Then you are to eat it dipping in a special sauce.

Ika Chuka Sauce, RM18 - Grilled squid with special sauce. Tasted alright la....

Gindara Teriyaki, RM28 - Have to order this again but then it wasn't as good as the one I had before....

All in all, the food (those that I ordered lar) was alright!! It won't be a place that I will crave to go again and again but definitely won't mind going back once in a while la..... I will stick to my japanese dishes section and definitely won't order those chinese noodles lar..... ramen is ok.... Haha.....