Kai Zen Japanese Restaurant @ Bandar Puteri.

Ahh, Jappie food. I love Jappie food.

Read on to find out what Kai Zen has to offer!

First of all, I'd like to remind everyone that looks can be deceiving. Prior to entering Kai Zen, I was a little sceptical bout the restaurant, since the sign board umm.. Has room to improve. It doesn't do Kai Zen justice.

Anyway, the moment I walked in, I went all @@
What sorcery. The interior does not match the signage at all.

The Ground Floor. 

I personally prefer the First Floor as they've recently renovated it. Very comfy and spacious, with huge mirrors to take #ootds!

First Floor: The interior is not your typical Japanesy bamboo decor. 

Kai Zen has a large menu. I do not know how well do they cope with that, but should be alright since they've been in business for 6 years.

Ocha! 'Coz that's what I always drink at Jap restaurants.

Their wasabi's shaped like a ball. Reminds me of green tangyuan haha. Quite unique.

Here's a display of the different types of sashimi you'd usually get:

I have no idea what's what except for 5 of them.

Thanks to the Head Chef, Danny Chua, I had the opportunity to sample a few of Kai Zen's bestsellers :D

How can one have a Jap meal without ordering sashimi?

The sashimi platter consisted of Shima Aji, Tai (seasonal), Toro Tataki, Salmon Belly, Bottan Ebi and Kapachi.
For those of you who would like to try, but are afraid of weeping upon seeing the bill, I'd suggest you try at least these two: Salmon Belly & Toro Tataki.

I guess it's an acquired taste to fully enjoy the rest of the platter. Especially the Bottan Ebi (fresh prawns). Don't get me wrong, everything's super fresh, but just not my cup of tea.

This isn't in the menu. You'll have to order it separately.

So fascinating how you can see the layers :O :O :O

This is the Toro Tataki I liked a lot!
They didn't serve it raw like they did the rest. For this, the Toro fish was briefly seared over a hot flame so as to enhance the natural flavours. Super juicy and yummy :D
Highly recommend!

I was extremely amazed by how fresh everything was. Heck, Kai Zen actually has a huge aquarium where they keep live oysters. 

These were DELICIOUS. The texture was soft and fleshy, yet crisp to taste. The lemon complemented the oysters perfectly. I cannot emphasise enough how fresh they were!


While we're on the topic of shellfish, here's another dish that made it onto my favourites list.

Huge scallops, prepared Teppanyaki-style, drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. At RM20 for 2, it may seem a bit overpriced at first, but trust me, these were so so so good! I loved how the meat was tender and succulent. The sauce paired so well with the scallops. FYI, I finished the remaining sauce. #noshame


On to sushi!

I suppose most of you are familiar with Dragon Rolls. They're everywhere O.O
This was okay. Nothing to shout about. Oh, and the cut pieces prepared were impossible to consume in one mouthful. Had to split into 2 servings. This proves that the portion is quite reasonable, yes? So you know you're getting your money's worth :P

Another roll! Man, aren't we on a roll?! (I think I'm so punny sorry)

This was more manageable than the previous one in terms of size. I like bite-sized stuff. At least you don't have to worry about the mess. But again, taste-wise, pretty ordinary. The homemade sauce was fairly pleasant though. 

For those of you on a diet or just want something light:

Fresh prawn salad. I enjoyed the homemade miso dressing. It was sweet and slightly savoury, with a hint of crunchiness thanks to the fish roe. There was a generous amount of prawn bits as well. 

  

Priced at RM26 for one prawn, this Ebi Mentaiko dish smelled heavenly upon serving. Unfortunately, I was busy snapping photos/camwhoring and the dish became cold. -.- So wasn't as yummy as it could have been.

Also, the prawns were slightly overcooked by a new chef, so the meat had stuck to the shell and it was a pain to remove.

If you're a fan of BBQ, you might want to try the Kobe Beef. Priced at a whopping RM50 for just 3 pieces, they were well-marinated and juicy. 

As for the pork, they were alright.

According to the staff at Kai Zen, customers tend to order the Shoyu Ramen. Picture above is just a mini version as the chef knew I couldn't eat anymore :P

The broth was tangy, savoury yet fairly light on the palate. The noodles could have been springier, in my opinion. 

At last. Dessert! 

This mango pudding was prepared by the Head Chef himself! 

It wasn't smooth like the more commercialised ones you'd normally find. This had more of a pulpy texture, as Danny blended pure mango. I found it refreshing and not cloying at all. The sweetness was just nice. Plus, I think the pulp managed to trick me into thinking it's a lot healthier haha! Human nature.

Okay, done with food!

Now on to other things I'd like to point out.

• THEY HAVE FREE WIFI.
• The toilets are REALLY clean!

It's awesome how they pay attention to stuff like that. Having clean toilets and free wifi makes a huge difference.

Taadaa! A picture with the Head Chef! He's got over 20 years of experience preparing yummy Japanese dishes :O 

30, Jalan Puteri 2/4,
Bandar Puteri,
47100 Puchong,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.

603-8063 5118

Business hours:
11.30am - 2.30pm
6.00pm - 10pm


This is a sponsored food review, but all my opinions are honest. The Teppanyaki Hotate was very good okay!!

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