GENJI, PJ Hilton
Domo arigato gozaimashita…that’s what I would say to this Japanese restaurant in PJ Hilton. It has been a revelation…at least for me. One of the best Japanese restaurant in town, I would rank it at the top in my top 5 japanese restaurants list. I will of course in my upcoming articles talk about the other 4. In the mean time, let me share with you my experience with Genji.
Ambience & Service
Food
With a squeeze of lemon juice, the shishamo is simple irresistible. The shishamo itself has a bit of crisp and the lemon juice brings out the subtle flavours from the grill coupled with the intense taste of the fish eggs. Simply gorgeous. Then you move on to the chawan mushi (steam egg custard) which is simply a good appetizer to set you up for what is to come. Steamed and served hot, it is loaded with treasures like shrimp, chicken, shitake mushroom and gingko nuts that are buried at the bottom of the steamed egg custard. The unique flavours of the chawan mushi comes from the dashi stock and a tinge of sake !
Taru Sake 300ML
Tempura Moriawase
To top it up for the night, I ordered Tempura Nabeyaki Soba. It is simply soba or udon cooked in a hotpot with ebi tempura, seafood like fish slices, crab stick, squid and vegetables topped with a semi cooked egg. Very nice broth enriched by the semi cooked egg, this is one of my favourites. The essence from the seafood and sweetness from the vegetables packs this dish with whole lotta flavours. No other way to describe it… Just Good !
Special Guest
Verdict
Located in PJ Hilton Hotel, this restaurant is set up in a nice traditional way. From the decorations to the furniture to the cutleries, it is quite a pleasing and relaxing feel to be dining there.
The place is crowded most of the time. Of course, when it comes to patronizing any good restaurant, timing is very important. I have been there a few times; during peak hrs and buffer weekends, it could get really congested and chaotic. Like any other buffet, you have to queue to get your share at some counters like the popular prawn tempura and shasimi counters. I usually try to go during the weekdays where the dinner crowd is steady yet easy. And if you don’t want to smell like teppanyaki, sit away from the teppanyaki corner. Make a reservation if you have to. After all, a good dining experience requires a bit of a planning so that you will not be disappointed. The menu itself is quite substantial and you would be spoiled for choice. But the courteous staff and the chefs there would be more than willing to help you out in ordering your food.
Food
For a start, you can get into your high gear gastronomic mode by having edamame (Soybean Pods) and shishamo. Edamame is very addictive. You just keep on eating. I guess it is that slight sprinkle of salt that makes it tantalizing. Also try the shishamo (pregnant fish).
Shishamo
With a squeeze of lemon juice, the shishamo is simple irresistible. The shishamo itself has a bit of crisp and the lemon juice brings out the subtle flavours from the grill coupled with the intense taste of the fish eggs. Simply gorgeous. Then you move on to the chawan mushi (steam egg custard) which is simply a good appetizer to set you up for what is to come. Steamed and served hot, it is loaded with treasures like shrimp, chicken, shitake mushroom and gingko nuts that are buried at the bottom of the steamed egg custard. The unique flavours of the chawan mushi comes from the dashi stock and a tinge of sake !
Chawanmushi
Once you are done with all that starters, you can have some sake while waiting for your mains. Have it warm or cold. We chose to have it cold. It was refreshing yet you get this nice warm, almost calming effect when you have a shot down your throat. Mmm..Nice!
Goodness Sake!
Taru Sake 300ML
For the mains, we ordered Tempura Moriawase, Sashimi Mori Matsu and Tempura Nabe Soba. The tempura moriawase comes nicely coated with a light and fluffy batter. This to me is one of the key determining factor of a good tempura dish. It has to be light and fresh, not heavy and greasy and the freshest ingredients used. Dip the tempura into the dipping sauce laden with grated radish, this dish is simply delicious.
Tempura Moriawase
The Sashimi Mori Matsu comes with a variety of sashimi cuts: Toro (tuna belly), Kampachi (yellowtail), Butterfish, Salmon and Tako(octopus). The cuts are thick and juicy eventhough we didn’t order the more premium cuts. These cuts were good enough for me. Fresh and tantalizing, these sashimi definitely hitz the spot! Especially the tako, coz I just love Tako. It is chewy and addictive and it is a must-have for me when I have Japanese.
Sashimi Mori Matsu
To top it up for the night, I ordered Tempura Nabeyaki Soba. It is simply soba or udon cooked in a hotpot with ebi tempura, seafood like fish slices, crab stick, squid and vegetables topped with a semi cooked egg. Very nice broth enriched by the semi cooked egg, this is one of my favourites. The essence from the seafood and sweetness from the vegetables packs this dish with whole lotta flavours. No other way to describe it… Just Good !
Tempura Nabe Soba
Special Guest
Verdict
My guest love the place. You can see the satisfaction on her face. Overall, a great dining experience. From the cozy interior to the friendly staff, plus the fresh ingredients used in all their servings, this is one of the top Japanese restaurant I would recommend to try out. They have the popular buffet as well on weekends plus a whole range of interesting sushi rolls and desserts which we didn’t get to try. In terms of price, they are in the range of ‘luxurious indulgence’. Our meal came up to about RM 423. Unless you have the Hilton card which entitles you to a 50% discount for 2 pax dining, this would be a massive dinner to fork out.
Location
Address:
Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel
No 2 Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: (+603) 7955 9122
Lunch : Noon – 3pm
Dinner : 6:30pm – 10:30pm
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