Checking out three suburban Japanese eateries, kicking off with Kota Kemuning's Kokoro Bento.
Kokoro's menu is fairly wide, featuring simple fare like chicken teriyaki don & niku udon. But since "bento" is in the restaurant's name, we opted for a lunch box of rice with satisfyingly juicy, protein-packed sides of chicken karaage & ebi furai.
Kokoro Bento is a calm hideout, very near residential homes & wide-open fields. No problem spending time here sipping Okinawan ginger tea & lime citrus green tea.
Moving on now to Koibito at Old Klang Road.
Embarking on a salmon spree at Koibito: seaweed-wrapped sushi loaded with luscious fish.
Salmon sashimi, rice & roe, a combination that always works. Always.
Koibito's salmon-topped, salmon-stuffed roll is respectable though not exactly memorable.
Summation: the menu at Koibito features no surprises, but its food & prices seem fair enough.
Finally: Octopus, a family-friendly spot in the Kuchai neighborhood.
Can't visit a restaurant named Octopus without having some octopus sashimi, right?
Can't complain about Octopus' sashimi platter, but can't call it a stunner either.
Wrapping up by nibbling on grilled squid tentacles, a guilty pleasure of ours.
Jalan Anggerik Vanilla 31/BE, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam.
Koibito,
Commerce One, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.
Octopus Japanese Restaurant,
28G, Jalan Kuchai Maju, Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park.
