Yamabuki has shifted to a new location at Bangsar effective from April 2016. New address: 12, Lorong Ara Kiri 2, Lucky Garden, Bangsar 59100, Kuala Lumpur.
Yamabuki Udon & Japanese Restaurant – This new eatery at Bandar Baru Sri Petaling KL is not about exquisite, Japanese fine dining, but healthy, homemade Japanese comfort food that bring smiles. Humble profile, hidden location but surprisingly delicious dishes. Definitely deserves more attention from the neighbourhood nearby, as well as food lovers.
Yamabuki is located along a quiet alley two doors away from Coffee Coffee Cafe Sri Petaling, next to the newly built roofed parking lots. The restaurant is managed by a couple, whom the husband has been working in Japan for more than 20 years and decided to return to home country for F&B business; while the wife, a Japanese, is a lovely lady who can bake very nice Japanese cakes, pastries and ice creams.
Since Yamabuki keeps most of the designs left by previous local cafe, the raw & rustic interior can be a mismatch to the cuisine here but this doesn’t really matter much. In fact, it seems to create a touch of uniqueness for Yamabuki. Wide food selections here, covering from don, udon, tempura, grilled dishes, etc..
Ontama Udon 温泉蛋乌冬面 RM12
Among all on the menu, Yamabuki highly recommends their authentic sanuki udon, which is freshly made daily using high quality wheat flour imported from Hokkaido Japan, going through two-stages aging before becoming ready udon. While for soup, no MSG or no chemical seasoning is added, just special recipe with natural ingredients.
Tried Ontama Udon from Kake Udon list, and immediately get blown away with the soup. Clear soup with almost no trace of fat oil, clean taste, helmed with pleasing sweetness from kelp, bonito and iruko. Each bowl of noodles weigh about 200g, a portion which is good enough to fill an individual’s for lunch or dinner. Spot that Onsen Tamgo! Must have!
Niku Bukkake Udon 牛肉浓汁冷拌乌冬面 RM22
Special hot udon such as Tonkatsu Char Siew Udon, Tonkatsu Aburi-bara Char Siew Udon, Buta Cheese Katsu Curry Udon, Tonkatsu Soup Udon and KamaTama Mentai Butter Udon are also available, to give a twist from the classic hot udon. Continues to flip through Yamabuki Udon Menu, there is a list of cold udon too but frankly speaking, level of acceptance for cold udon in Malaysia is not as popular as the hot version.
Salad Udon 沙拉冷拌乌冬面 RM17
Despite so, we enjoy their Niku Bukkake Udon ( Cold udon with stewed beef served with thick broth) and Salad Udon( Tuna tamago salad udon with toasted sesame dressing) a lot. The former gets plus points for the flavourful broth while the later, mix together plenty of texture – crispiness of lettuce, chewiness of udon, juiciness from tomato, creaminess from mayo tuna, umaminess from bonito flakes, all in one plate.
Buta Katsu Curry Rice 千层猪排咖喱饭 RM21
In case you are a person who can’t miss rice for any meal like Summerkid, Yamabuki hears you. So they sum up 15 rice bowl for you to pick from. Had a taste on one of the more common Japanese Cury Pork Katsu Rice and felt that it wasn’t rich and creamy like some other Japanese restaurant, but more liquidity, more spicy, packed with spices. A short talk with the friendly boss and we we told that they make their own curry, slightly modified to result in thinner curry.
Aburi Bara Char Siew Don 炎烤玫瑰肉日式叉烧饭 RM15
RM15 for three large slices of grill Aburi Bara Char Siew and halved Ajitama on a bed of fluffy Japanese Rice, finished with drizzles of sauce, definitely worth the price! Another cheap dinner below RM20 option checked! Char Siew is marinated for one day, grilled upon order. Chewy meat, slightly dry and too lean for us. Good but we prefer to have more sauce for the rice.
Ebi Tempura 明虾天妇罗 RM14
Jumbo size ebi tempura, our all-time-must-order item in a Japanese eatery. Yamabuki version may not be the best we had tried but considered fairly decent. Deep fried to golden brown, very crunchy breaded outer layer jacketing bouncy prawns.
Enoki Tempura 金针菇 RM3
Other tempura choices included enoki mushroom, eggplant, half-boiled egg, lotus root, sweet potato, Japanese pumpkin, sweet potato, mixed vegetables and more.
Chicken
Saba isozuke Yaki 烤味曾青花鱼 RM12
Never expect the grilled mackerel to be so excellent. Paper thin crispiness on the skin layer, laced with very minimal smokiness. Take a bite, incredibly satisfying mellow juiciness comes through, followed by miso flavours. What makes this saba notably good is definitely the texture, just be careful with the fish bones.
Buta Marine Roast 香烤腌猪肉 RM13 Roast Pork Marinated Berry Sauce
Pork belly marinated with Yamabuki special sauces and different kinds of fruits like berries and pears, grilled slowly and finally dressed with thick sauce. Give me a bowl of rice to douse the sauce with!
Come for their savoury dishes, stay for their dessert. Awesome cakes they have, all made by the lady boss. Selections may vary on different days and during our visit, there’s New York Cheese Cake, Cheese Souffle, Raspberry Cheese Cake, Fondont Au Pecan, Black Cocoa with Milk Chocolate Ganach, Tart au Figues, Caramel Nuts Tart and more, all priced within RM12.
Le choix Gateau au chocolat
No lies. This chocolate cake is soooooooooooooooooooo sinfully delicious!! Made using high quality imported chocolate with three layes of texture – softer at the upper layer and getting denser towards bottom, very rich and creamy, with deep chocolaty slowly melt in the mouth.
Caramel Nuts Tart RM12
Tart Au Figues RM12
Summergirl likes their Tart Au Figues, a less found dessert in Klang Valley. Sticky chewy fig filling nestled within crumbly tart, not too sweet, just nice with lots of dried fruit like bites from fig. Caramel Nuts Tart is equally good too, more crunch from the nuts brimming over the tart, laced with caramelized sweetness.
Comments: Honestly, we like this restaurant a lot. Dessert here is high recommended, even though udon and Japanese main dishes carry a bigger role here. Must-visit ya.
Photography: Summerkid
Write Up: Summergirl
Address:
Yamabuki Udon Japanese Restaurant (Same row with Coffea Coffee)
5 Jalan Radin Bagus 3,
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact: 03-9055 3719
Operating Hours:
Tues-Fri: 11:30–14:30, 18:30–21:30
Sat-Sun: 11:30–21:30
Contact: +60 3-9055 3719
Email: yamabuki.sripetaling@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yamabuki.kl/
