Jogoya Japanese Restaurant @ Starhill Gallery, KL [31st March 2010]

It was the 26th birthday of Michael, on the last day of March 2010. We decided to dine in Jogoya Restaurant to welcome Michael's 26th. Jogoya Restaurant which is located in Starhill Gallery, is not something new amongst those residing in Klang Valley. In fact, it has been in operation for years and is the first Japanese restaurant in Malaysia that offer a Japanese buffet dine-in style .

There are few session to be chosen from. The buffet lunch starts from 11.30am to 4.30pm, buffet dinner from 5pm to 930pm while the supper session starts at 9.40pm to 12 midnight. Since it was on the weekdays, we chose the supper session to avoid getting stuck in the KL traffic.

Jogoya Restaurant at Starhill Gallery

At the time of our visit, there was a promotion going on at Jogoya Restaurant for the supper session. For payment made with UOB credit card. each of the head charge from the same bill will be entitled to a 50% off.

Queuing up time during the supper session

We were granted the entry sharp at 9.40pm. First thing I did was to look for their fragrant coconut.

Coconut being stored in the refrigerator

Refreshing, sweet and fragrant coconut

For the food, Mei Kheng and I proceeded to the section that serve authentic Japanese dish, the sushi and sashimi corner.

The shell food corner

Sashimi salad
Chunks of sashimi being served with seaweed.

There are plenty of choices from the Sushi and Sashimi corner. But for me, I am just interested with the sashimi. This is where I can get loads of fresh salmon, octopus and tuna.

Slices of fresh sashimi

Variety of sushi

And what do we get from the Sushi and Sashimi Corner?

Only sashimi
The sashimi were alright, not at the best but enough to persuade me for a few more helpings.

Next, we headed to the Fried Corner. When I mentioned fried, it does mean that they do serve Tempura as well but with a wider choice of other variety fried stuff.

The Fried Corner

Choices of sauce for dipping

Nuggets, wan tan, satay and pandan chicken

One thing that I liked about Jogoya is their tempura that are freshly fried from the wok.

Shrimp tempura and other tempuras
Crispy and succulent. What else more can I ask from a tempura that are fresh from the wok?

Besides the food that are readily available for you, there are also certain food that you need to order before being served to your table. Upon seated, each table will be allocated with table clips and you will need to those clips into the allocated bowl of your desired dish to mark your order.

Just drop the clip to the allocated bowl of your desired food

I called it the Steamed and Vegetable Corner because this is the corner where it serves freshly stir-fried vegetables and steamed fish.

Steamed and Vegetable Corner

Only if I can taste the Alaskan crab

I ordered a steamed fish, flower crab and a stir fried vegetable from this corner.

Steamed Red Snapper fish
Fish was fresh as the meat were still juicy and did not smell fishy. The gravy were well flavoured too, blending in well to bring out the best of the fish.

Steamed Flower Crab
It was rather a let down. The meat was rough. Clearly the flower crab was not as fresh as it could be.

Stir-fried Lettuce
Time to balance the diet, so a plate of vegetable should do just right.

Just right beside the Steamed and Vegetable Corner, there are those food that are readily available namely stirred fried broccoli, scallops, prawns and jelly fish.

Some of the readily available food
Nothing to shout about, in fact some tasted way below average.

The exotic octopus shape alike
I did not try it as I find it too cute for my liking.

Jogoya Restaurant, even being a Japanese restaurant, they do serve other type of food as well. Just for those that do not really fancy Japanese food, don't worry, because they have a section that serve Chinese food.

Dim Sum corner
The all time favourite such as Siew Mai, Har Kow, Loh Mai Kai and Yu Mai are there for selection.

They do serve fried raddish cake, fried dumpling, steamed chicken feet and a few more to complete the selection.

Pick your choice

A fan of Chinese dessert? You will be more than happy, because they have a variety of Tong Sui for your selection.

Chinese Dessert aka Tong Sui
Namely a few, honey sea cocunut, ginkgo barley, and ginseng sea coconut.

Dim Sum tasted rather pathetic

Next, I moved on the Roasted Corner. This is the section where the roasted food can be found. They have teriyaki, roasted lamb, beef, chicken and even satay to meet your demand of the day.

The Roasted Corner

Just beside the Roasted Corner, they are food that are readily namely stir-fried salmon fish bone, grilled sweet corn and mushroom shaped fish paste.

Ready food beside the Roasted Corner

Some of the food that I took from the Roasted Corner

Just in case you had not enough of fish, there is another corner that serve stir-fried and even grilled fish. I named it as the Grilled Fish Corner. There were a few choices of fish to be cooked in the pre-described style. Just drop your clip and wait for it to be served to your table.

Grilled Fish Corner

Unagi
Soft, sweet and juicy.

One of my favourite corner in Jogoya is the Beverages and Fruits Corner. At this corner, you can find plenty of beverages ranging from fruit juice to Chinese tea. Surely there will be one that fit in to your choice.

Beverages and Fruits corner

Coffee machine

Not a fan of coffee? Don't worry, because they have a corner that offer a variety of tea. Just pick your personal favourite tea bag and off you go with the tea pot to enjoy your favourite tea. Self-service though.

Pick your own tea pot

For those that fancies cocktail, rejoice because the beverages corner do serve a few cocktails as well.

The cocktail that caught my attention
Tasted strong, sweet and sexy. The Pledge of Love, indeed.

Fruits Corner

Fruits are just fruits, and it should not be considered as desserts. In Jogoya Restaurant, they have their very own desserts corner. With plenty of choices ranging from konyaku jelly, mochi, cookies to cakes, it seriously give you a big headache.

The Desserts corner

I would like to try each of it but obviously, my stomach is nearing my capacity. Well, just a few of them and I shall reserve the rest on my next visit.

Mochi and Apple Pie

Desserts again? No, this is the Ice Cream corner. Oh well, another favourite corner of mine.

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream
I don't get to Haagen Dazs ice-cream all the time. Time for some the ice cream feast.

For those diet watcher, there is another New Zealand Natural corner that serve lower fat ice-cream.

New Zealand Natural ice cream

Not only they serve ice-cream, but there are pancakes that are freshly made to compliment with your ice cream. I likes!

Haagen Daz with pancake

New Zealand Natural ice cream
A scoop of chocolate and strawberry flavour to end my eating journey for the session.

Random faces on Michael's 26th

Happy 26th Birthday Michael
No cakes, but the coconut to represent 2 and 6!=)

I pretty much enjoyed the dining session. Ask me to choose my favourite corner, and I will choose the Beverages, Ice Cream, Sashimi and Desserts corner. Wait, the Steamed Fish and Stir Fried Vegetable is my favourite too. I guess almost each corner is my favourite too as each of the corner offer different type of food.

Each pax is priced at RM 78++ for buffet lunch and supper, and RM 88++ for buffet dinner respectively. No doubt, it is not a cheap buffet, but if you are person that craves for a lot of food especially Japanese, then this might well be your cup of buffet. Do check out from the website at http://www.jogoyarestaurants.com/pricing.html from time to time for their promotion.

Atmosphere: 7/10
Food: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Not entirely a Japanese buffet as they have many types of other food as well.

Jogoya Japanese Restaurant
T3, Relish Floor
Starhill Gallery
181, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +603 - 2142 1268
Fax: +603 - 2148 8171