Goku Raku Ramen, Gurney Paragon, Penang

While gekikara ramen from Yataimura will always be my favorite, i still opt to find other ramen shops and hope to find similar taste. The recently opened Goku Raku Ramen at Gurney Paragon has captured my attention and i decided to give it a try.

green tea RM2 and honey lemon RM4.90

jantama ramen (noofles in Goku Raku sauce topped with shredded pork, soft-boiled egg, leeks, spring onions and chopped onions (RM14.90 for small and RM18.90 for large)

Goku Raku ramen (noodles with pork, flavoured egg, onions, bamboo shoots, leeks and seaweed  (RM18.90 for small and RM23.90 for large)

spicy Tonkotsu ramen (noodles with pork, black fungus, spring onions, bamboo shoots, cabbage and seaweed (RM15.90 for small and RM19.90 for large)

pork RM7.90

rare cheese cake RM8.90

Unfortunately, i have to say the spicy ramen is nothing to that of Yataimura's gekikara ramen. The pork and rare cheese cake however was rather good but then again this is a ramen shop and not a dessert shop.

One visit could probably be it.

Where at?

163-D-1-05, Gurney Paragon, Gurney Drive, Penang

Tel no: 04-2260961

Website: http://www.gokuraku-ramen.com

Sushi Zento @ Precint 10, Penang

Precint 10; another new place to hang out in Penang has recently opened. This place adapts a concept pretty closely to that of Autocity in Juru, except that it is smaller.
We took the opportunity to dine at a rather pack restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

unagi roll in egg skin RM3.80

unagi sushi RM5.80

RM3.80

crab coleslaw sushi RM1.80

RM3.80

unagi temaki RM9

left: salmon garlic fried rice RM10 (recommended); middle: plain garlic fried rice RM5 (too garlic-ly taste); right: preserved vege garlic fried rice RM7 (recommended)

assorted vegetable tempura RM12

fried spinach RM6 (this dish came unexpectedly cold and i have never like cold vegetables)

age dashi tofu RM8 (texture of tofu is not that smooth)

I have yet to try the ramen but i would definitely make a second visit to do so as I saw many other diners ordered ramen. Service is very good with all the servers smiling and being very polite. Ocha is refillable and is charged at RM1 per glass.
Parking is charged at RM1 for the first 2 hours and RM1 for subsequent hours.

Where at?
Lot 10-A-11 & 12, Precint 10, Jalan Tanjung Tokong

Tel no: 04-8992725

Manila Grill, Dunedin, New Zealand

After a half day tour in the city of Dunedin under the cold and windy weather, we decided to have something warm.
The central city of Dunedin is very busy, perhaps busier than that of Christchurch, with lots of restaurants, cafes and pubs. We had our heads spinning before deciding to dine here at Manila Grill, a place which offers both Manila and Japanese cuisines. I could still remember the lady boss mistaken-ed me for a Filipino. :S

 miso soup - given free to every customers

 mixed seafod grill which comes with salad and a bowl of rice - $15

 tempura which comes with the grill chicken

 grill chicken and vegetable - $20

I actually kind of like the food there with the hostess being so friendly. However, i must comment that they have to change their style of food-serving. Knowing that miso soups are given free to each patrons, they should have served all at once instead of 1 bowl per customer (on the same table) in a 5-10 minutes interval and i absolutely have no idea why they are doing so. 

Where at?
8, Hanover Street, Dunedin City Central

Tel no: +643 4776335

Nippon Yataimura Japanese Restaurant (revisit)

If you could still remember sometime last year i blogged about this Japanese Restaurant for it being my favorite place to go. I love its mapo tofu (my all time favorite) as well as its gekikara ramen, my another all-time favorite.
I recently visited its another branch at the basement of Queensbay Mall, just right next to food court and was totally disappointed with what I got.
I am not sure if it was a different branch, different chef cooking problem but my gekikara ramen just didn't taste the same anymore. I used to have this tingling-happy feeling eating it but this visit certainly didn't bring me that. :(
Apart from that negativity, they have a whole new menu though; bigger hardcover book.

 chicken teriyaki set - RM17.90

 katsu nabe don - RM17

my disappointing gekikara ramen - RM17

A very useful suggestion here, if it is your first visit to Nippon Yataimura, you should visit the one at Pulau Tikus. That is the pioneer branch after all.

Soju @ Penang Times Square

Recently celebrated a friend's birthday at Soju, Penang Times Square. It is more a popular place to clubbing and drinking. But they also offer a variety of food as well.
For those of you who don't really know where, it is just located at the ground floor of Penang Times Square. If you are driving along Jalan Dato Keramat from Gama Supermarket, it is actually visible to you.

the birthday girl

chicken in mushroom sauce

barbeque chicken

yaki soba

There was not many people who actually went to Soju for eating purposes. The food would be rated on average only as well. So, perhaps, i would not go back again.

Anyway, it is no harm for those first timers to give it a try, just to experience the ambience.

Til then, happy eating!! ^^

Tsurukame Shabu Shabu @ Queensbay Mall

It was my first time to enter a Japanese which offers buffet steamboat. This is a newly opened restaurant on the third floor, in front of "Queens Food Market" food court of Queensbay mall. Very uniquely decorated which a selection to sit outside or inside of the restaurant.

entrance look from the second floor

main entrance

decorations

their menu

inari sushi-RM8

potato salad-RM7

agedashi tofu-RM6

nabe kimuchi-RM20

chi jimi-RM12

I would say the food is comparatively reasonable with that of other Japanese's. However, i don't quite find them delicious. And thus, i don't think i am going back again. Besides, the dishes for steamboat are put on the conveyor belt and they don't look as fresh.

Where at?
3F Queensbay Mall

Tel no: 04-6435260