Japanese buffet has been a hit recently with outlets like Shogun and Tenji popping up and serving great japanese cuisine in KL. Though we haven't try those yet, we heard rave reviews from friends, even my dad-in-law has been to Tenji !! These buffets are not cheap though, they can cost a whopping RM 100 per meal, but of course, you get to have all the sashimi you wanted.
Kampachi
Not losing out to KL, Penang has its own Japanese Buffet too, that also cost you a fortune, and also lets you have all the sashimi's you wanted. My company had a teambuilding there...(yeah, my company's teambuilding most of the time is having buffet, coz people are too lazy to sweat or think)...recently, and, what else?? it's snapping time !!
sashimi, oysters and idako
Sashimi !!! I'm still day dreaming of the sashimi i had at Sydney Fish Market, and i hope to try something equivalent here. First round, raw and fresh sashimi that are cut to just nice bite size. The tenderness of the salmon lingers inside the mouth makes you wanna eat more. Of course, it has to go with the ginger pickle and wasabi.
ongoing refill oysters
The oysters are one of the must have here...why? paying a dearly price of buffet without having these oysters will be a big joke. Splashing lemon juice over the oysters and then gulping these succulent flesh down the throat is heavenly.
teppanyaki
Another favourite choice is teppanyaki which consists of grill seafood and poultry. Lobsters are the most anticipated one until some of us are willing to wait until a batch of well-grilled lobsters are done. Situated at the same corner are a great variety of tempura which ranges from prawns, squids and vege.
grilled lobster, mussel, beef, vege and crispy tempura
Japanese cuisine is not complete without the stomach-filling sushi and temaki. I didn't try all but a few which i fancy a lot each time i patronize sakae or sushi king.
sushi corner
salad bar and sashimi corner as well
inari and spider maki
The good thing here is that the rice-based sushi are not overly filled with rice, not like other japanese restaurant. You get to taste the fillings and the toppings more this way. Now, this is what i call sushi. Some restaurant will just stuff the sushi with so much rice, that i feel like eating rice ball rather than sushi.
raw sushi
takoyaki, endamame, soft-shell crab temaki and all my favourite sushi
The handroll is only made upon request and i immediately grab 1 spider temaki. Wrapped with crispy seaweed, the fillings are super crunchy fried soft-shell crab with a little bit of rice and some cucumber shreds.
Another dish which i fancy a lot is sukiyaki. The hot soup with thinly sliced tender beef is indeed a perfect match. Each sip will give you warmth and hearth. The soup contain other ingredients such as leek, tofu and chinese cabbage. Well, you can add an egg too if you want. but for me, it's a no no, cos it's gonna be too filling. The key to having a smart buffet is, never eat one thing too much.
hot pot with sukiyaki soupbase
The beef will be cooked upon patronizer's request. The chef will shimmer the beef into the hot soup until they are well-cooked. To me, i prefer to shimmer it myself. For those who don't like beef, you can have chicken sukiyaki.
my beef sukiyaki...so warm
There is a corner where you can show off your culinary skills... :P haha..it's the cold/hot soba making. After shimmering the noodles in boiling water, pour in the ready made soup base. Finally, garnish it with shredded egg omelette, japanese fish cake, wakame and spring onions. I tried the cold soba which turns out not bad in taste.
D.I.Y cold or hot soba and udon corner
(drum rolls)...ta da..my creation of cold soba
After savoring almost all the appetizers and main course, it's time for dessert !! Desserts served in buffet are always nice to look at but not quite impressing in taste. It could be that we are too full to feed our mouth anymore of these sweet treats. Frankly, besides the fruits, red bean soup and ice-cream, i didn't like much of their desserts. May be my judgement was overweighed by my full stomach :P
desserts corner
some of the desserts we took
mini cakes
Cracking jokes and teasing around the tatami room is a fun-filled experience especially with my beloved colleagues. What's so memorable was crapping on the Kerachut hiking journey in the morning and getting to know each other more. I will definitely pay another visit to this restaurant as i like the cosy tatami environment with good Japanese food surrounding me.
Kampachi Japanese Restaurant is located at Equatorial Hotel , Bayan Lepas, Penang
Address: 1 Jalan Bukit Jambul, Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang, Malaysia
Business Hours: From Monday to Sunday- from Noon to 11 pm. Buffet only available on weekends.
Directions: From exit of Penang Bridge, make your way to Queensbay Mall. Take the left ramp to Bayan Lepas and you will reach a roundabout. Take the 2nd exit and you will see Kompleks Bukit Jambul on your right. Go straight till you reach the 2nd traffic light ( not counting pedestrian crossing). Turn right and go all the way up the hill to Equatorial Hotel
Price: 3/10
Ambience: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Food: 8/10
Cleanliness: 9/10
Entertainment: 3/10
