Yaki Niku Ishiya ~ Barbecue In Comfort @Encorp Strand Kota Damansara Petaling Jaya

Fans of Japanese cuisine are pretty spoilt for choice these days, with most major malls containing at least one, if not more, Japanese restaurants. That said, sometimes travelling the distance to a place like Yaki Niku Ishiya at Encorp Strand in Kota Damansara can lead to a gastronomic adventure.

For those who enjoy barbecue but not the smoke, Yaki Niku Ishiya is the place to be as its smokeless roasters ensure a smokeless dining experience.

Yaki Niku Ishiya is a smoke-free restaurant that provides an interactive dining experience where diners can enjoy fresh Yakiniku (barbecued meat) right off the grill.

Yaki Niku Ishiya Japanese BBQ Restaurant is a pork free establishment with a diverse menu that includes US Kobe beef Imperial Wagyu, New Zealand beef, New Zealand lamb, seafood, poultry, lamb and salads. 

Apart from that, diners can choose from the ala carte menu which includes appetizers, sashimi, sushi, maki (rolled sushi), temaki (hand roll), donburi (rice bowl dish), yakimono (grilled or pan-fried dishes), tempura, udon, ramen and teppanyaki among others.    

Comfortable seating of 4-6 pax per table at the grilling station

Pleasant and Spacious Table Setting 

Calming and pleasant ambience, this restaurant offers a comfortable dining space for family and friends to dine in. With seating capacity for more than 100 people with indoor and outdoor dining spaces, it's a perfect venue for company dinners, parties or hosting of events too. 

 Japanese Art ~ The Great Wave off Kanagawa 

 Had a sneak peek into the chef preparation of the marinating sauce for the BBQ meats

According to shop manager Wallace, to maintain the high standard set by their Japanese counterparts, their roasters together with the dining tables are imported directly from Japan to enhance diners dining experience and to serve them better.

 

Yaki Niku Ishiya practises an open-window concept kitchen where diners can have full view of the food preparation of the dishes.

Cheesy Chewy Crispy Cheese Stick 

RM12

We started with an appetiser of Cheese Stick which was a deep fried spring roll with cheddar cheese. Being a popiah fan and all-things-crispy, the cheese stick was definitely heaven for me. It was still crisp and hot to taste even after the 'camera eating session'.

Well, just three words to describe this awesome treat ~ Crispy, Cheesy & Chewy !

Golden Dragon Maki

RM 18

Another starter to consider was the Golden Dragon Maki which was basically deep fried tempura prawn topped with preserved flying fish roe (tobiko). The execution was simple, but this maki exude a nice crunch on the outside yet soft on the inside. The maki roll, filled with succulent prawn wrapped with seaweed and sushi rice gives out different texture and flavour, add bite to the palate. I would have loved to hog on this whole plate to myself!

Tempura Moriawase (Mixed Tempura)

RM 26

Tempura is a must-have in the usual Japanese fare. The seafood, mushrooms and vegetables are fried to the prefect golden crunchiness. Seriously too pretty to be eaten too....

The accompanying tempura sauce was full of flavour, well at least someone got it right this time. Some that I have tried was either too watery, bland or salty. They got the taste right and makes a nice dipping sauce for the tempura. But I would have like it better with wasabi mayonnaise sauce for an extra kick.

Chicken Teppanyaki Set (Teishoku) 

RM 24

Next, we also sampled the Chicken Teppanyaki (Teishoku). Serving was good, plus the garlicky chicken was tender, good enough to be enjoyed on its own without rice. But can't say the same for the vegetables (mixed of bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, carrots & capsicum) as I found it too salty, the chef might have go 'overdose' with the seasoning. I would say the vegetables was well cooked, crisp and definitely goes well with rice.

For the barbecue-dining experience in Yaki Niku Ishiya, we were served smoked duck, beef, lamb, chicken and squid. Their on-going BBQ promotional Set comes with 2 bowls of  mini garlic fried rice and 1 bowl of green salad. Diners can pick 3 out of 5 meat selections from Smoked duck, New Zealand Lamb shoulder, New Zealand Beef sirloin, chicken to squid.

BBQ Promotion for 2 pax @RM48++ 

 BBQ Platter of Marinated Meat & Seafood

This fare will certainly add to the fun of the gathering over a sizzling grill. My 'Makan' buddies enjoyed the barbecue lamb, which they said had a "melt in your mouth texture" and absence of the distinct musky odour.

 New Zealand Beef Sirloin     

New Zealand Lamb Shoulder

Simply Irresistible Smoked Duck 

Worth mentioning was the Smoked Duck. The premium smoky duck breast comes in thick cut and generous portion; not too thinly sliced like many others places I tried. Flavoursome and succulent, the duck meat was simply irresistible after the first bite. Simply addictive with a beer or even rice.... Highly recommended as part of your dining experience in Yaku Niku Ishiya.  

Squid (Ika)

 Chicken

Green Salad

Fried Garlic Rice

Although the fried garlic rice was part of the BBQ set, I enjoyed eating the rice on its' own rather than with the grilled food. Serving size wasn't much as it was suppose to be a side dish to eat together with the rest of the food. Personally, I would have enjoyed it better if some white rice were served to go with my flavoursome grill meat.

In-House Made Black Sesame Ice Cream (Goma Ice)
RM 8

In-House Made Green Tea Ice Cream (Macha Ice)

RM 8

Yaki Niku Ishiya also prides itself on serving in-house sweet treats. Therefore for dessert, we had Macha Ice and Goma Ice which was their speciality ice cream. Macha (green tea) ice cream with a side of sweet azuki beans may seem a little trite, but there is no denying they are a satisfactory end to a heavy and flavourful meal.

Maguro sashimi (raw tuna), Soft shell crab salad and Omakase sushi (Chef's choice sushi) are other a la carte delights to complete the experience of the Land of the Rising Sun.

You can watch our Video Review on Yaki Niku Ishiya Japanese BBQ Restaurant

Yaki Niku Ishiya 

Japanese BBQ Restaurant 

No 58G & 60G Jalan PJU 5/22
Encorp Strand Pusat Dagangan Kota Damansara
The Strand Kota Damansara PJU 5
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor. 
Tel: 03-6142 6363 

Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday
Lunch 1130am - 3pm
Dinner     6pm - 10pm

Website : www.ishiya.com.my

Facebook: Yakinikuishiya

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