SOLOMEN CAFE ~ The Lesser Known Japanese Cafe In SS2 Petaling Jaya

Going Back To Basics With 

SOLOMEN CAFE 

Going Back To Basics With SOLOMEN CAFE

As the saying goes, if the food is good, customers will come in droves. However, when a good restaurant is new to the F&B industry, it is a challenge to keep the momentum going. Well, during one of my 'Jalan Jalan Cari Makan' journey, exploring the treasure trove of eateries around SS2, Petaling Jaya, I discovered Solomen Cafe, a newly opened cafe while looking for a bite in this gem-filled neighbourhood. 

Comforting & Hearty Japanese Cuisine

Solomen Cafe

Solomen Cafe serves a myriad of comforting and hearty Japanese cuisine focusing on simple ramen and don (rice) dishes with a good fare of appetizer, ala carte items and All-Day Set menu to choose from. They have gone for simple, fuss-free decor instead, letting their meals speak for itself. 

SUKIYA Malaysia ~ Japan's No.1 Gyudon @Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara Petaling Jaya

A Quick Japanese Treat

Japan's No.1 GYUDON

SUKIYA Malaysia

 Japan's Number 1 Fast Food Chain Store

SUKIYA, the leading Japanese GYUDON restaurant chain by number of locations has opened its door to Malaysian early last year. SUKIYA famous for their delicious beef bowl dishes has 1,980 restaurants in Japan, its home country.

Currently SUKIYA Malaysia has 5 outlets located at Taipan USJ, Uptown Damansara, Kota Damansara, IOI City Mall Putrajaya and Aeon Bandaraya Melaka. With prices as low as RM 8.40 per bowl of GYUDON beef rice, they are aiming to provide authentic Japanese dishes at fast, good and affordable cheap pricing to their Malaysian customers.

    

SUKIYA Malaysia proud of having Halal certification for their main signature dishes recently, hoping to attract more Muslim diners. SUKIYA Malaysia offers a selection of more than 15 dishes with different options such as Gyudon (Beef Rice), Teriyaki Chicken Rice, Chicken Curry, Teishoku (Set Meal) and the brand new Tokyo Ramen. 

All these dishes are complemented with a variety of toppings such as spicy Ontama (half boiled egg), okra, Negitama (spring onion), cheese together with value set of side dishes like Kara-age, Seaweed salad, Seafood tofu and the healthy bites of Edamame.

 Comfortable, No-Frills ~ Fast Food Dining Concept

Order & Payment Counter 

SUKIYA Malaysia practises self-service dining concept at their 4 outlets, where diners will have to place their order at the cashier, pay and take their food tray to their table. With the exception of Uptown Damansara outlet as it was a smaller in size with waiter in service. Featuring a no-frills, friendly and casual ambiance, now tasty Japanese food shouldn't be hard to come by, made affordable and cheap for easy indulgence for any Japanese food lovers!

GYUDON Beef Rice

RM 6.40 (S), RM 8.40 (M), RM 10.40 (L)

Their best-selling item, SUKIYA's signature Gyudon Beef rice comes served with generous portion of tender and flavourful thinly sliced beef strips cooked with lots of onions. Japanese comfort food, Gyu牛 means beef and don丼 means rice bowl (with something on top), consists of a bowl of short-grained Japanese rice topped with a mildly sweet sauce flavoured beef and onion dish. 

 GYUDON Beef Rice (M)

Premium Australian grain-fed beef was used, prepared and cooked every hour to maintain the freshness of the Gyudon dish. SUKIYA practises strict food quality control to maintain the taste and freshness, so regular batches are made regularly throughout the day in the kitchen. 

I'm not a big fan of beef dishes, but this definitely made it into my favourite list. The flavours, texture of the beef and even the rice used made the dish into a comforting and addictive concoction and for once, I savoured it all. Real value-for-money, you simply cannot find beef rice at this price of RM 8.40 (Medium serving), a reasonable good portion to satisfy your hunger.

TERIYAKI Chicken Rice 

RM 8.40 (M), RM 10.40 (L)

TERIYAKI Chicken Rice is another delectable option to try if you are not into beef. A juicy and well-marinated chicken thigh meat grilled to perfection with flavourful Japanese in house made teriyaki sauce, resting on top of the steaming white Japanese rice and served with chopped spring onions. I was delighted with the slightly salty and sweet flavour, not too sweet but just right for the taste buds.

The medium serving portion was just right for me but of course, big eaters can opt for the large serving to fill their big appetite.

 GYU-Curry (Seasoned Beef)

RM 12.40 (M), RM 14.40 (L)

Diners, who want something spicier, can try the restaurant's GYU-Curry (Seasoned Beef). A great tasting dish of two dishes of beef and chicken served with rice. I was in fact reluctant to try any Japanese curry as I never really enjoyed eating it.

But Sukiya's version of chicken curry begs to differ. I was told that they fine-tuned it to suit Malaysian flavour with a mixed of spices such as cumin, turmeric, coriander, clove among others making it into a very delicious Japanese fusion curry Malaysian would loved.

Most who have tried Japanese curry will find it slightly sweet and not too spicy, but the version served at Sukiya Malaysia is attuned to the Malaysian palate. They knows Malaysians love their curry and hope to attract more diners with this special chicken curry. Well-executed dish, now I loves eating Sukiya's curry dishes!  

 Triple Cheese GYUDON

RM 8.40 (S), RM 10.40 (M), RM 12.40 (L)

Sukiya Malaysia also serves up some pretty good cheese rice dishes like the Triple Cheese GYUDON. Cheese-lovers should try out this cheesy dish which comprises a mixed of three types of cheese; cheddar, mozzarella and red cheddar topping the GYUDON Beef Rice.

The flavours were rich and they were generous with the cheese. Topped with the beef strips and cheese, the rice sure hit the right spots. Give it a good stir and mix before savouring all-in-one delicious spoonful of  the beefy and cheesy goodness. 

TOKYO Ramen (with Chicken)

RM 8.40

Besides their signature GYUDON Beef Rice and Teriyaki Chicken Rice dishes, SUKIYA Malaysia introduced TOKYO Ramen dishes in their menu too. The ramen stock is basically a chicken shoyu broth, boiled for many hours with chicken. Sukiya's ramen are freshly made daily with 6 days delivery from their centralised kitchen. Comes served with poached chicken thigh and chopped spring onions.

I like the texture of their ramen but not the taste. It has a mild boric acid (kan sui) taste to it that I dislike most in noodles. As for the broth, it was on the saltier side but that was my personal preference. Well, not everyone can possibly always enjoy the same food as everyone else. And yet our tastes vary so much and so passionately. You may enjoy it all ~ with the ramen and broth, it might goes well with your palate!

GYUDON Seaweed Salad Set

RM 11.90 (S), RM 13.90 (M), RM 15.90 (L)

You can indulge in your mouth watering Japanese fare ala-carte style or order your Value Set for a more complete, filling and satisfying meal. Choose from 4 choices such as the Kara-age Set, Seaweed salad Set, Seafood tofu Set and the healthy bites of Edamame Set. All the Value Sets comes with your choice of drink and a bowl of miso soup. You can quench your thirst choosing from Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Iced lemon tea and Iced Green tea as well.

 Kara-age Set 

RM 6.50

 Seafood Tofu Set

RM 6.50

Edamame Set

RM 5.50

 Seaweed Salad Set

RM 5.50

 Sides ~ Miso Soup

 Sides ~ Vegetables

 
SUKIYA Simple Menu

SUKIYA Malaysia 

Kota Damansara Outlet  (Relocated with Immediate Effect)
27-1, Jalan PJU 5/15,
Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara,
47810 Selangor
Tel: 03 - 61433031

But Do Check Out Their Other ~ 3 Outlets at SUKIYA UPTOWN, SUKIYA IOI PUTRAJAYA and SUKIYA MELAKA!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sukiya.My

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Edo Ramen Experience ~ Affordable & Tasty Ramen @Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur

Recently at a food review session, I had a great time tasting some speciality ramen noodles and appetisers at the rebranded Edo Ramen in Mid Valley.

Edo (江戸) was the former name of Tokyo during the Tokugawa Shogunate or samurai era. Branching off from Goku Raku Ramen, Edo Ramen brings a fresh approach to ramen indulgence at greater value with its first appearance in Gurney Paragon, Penang, and now to down to Klang Valley, right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Savour the authentic mouth-watering Japanese ramen taste made affordable and tasty at Edo Ramen Its menu promises a simple yet delectable variety at great value from RM 9.90, uncompromising in quality and taste, sure to satisfy ramen cravings.

 Original Homemade Japanese Ramen

Located at Level 2 @ North Court in Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur, this non-halal eatery provides good food and spacious seating for the shopping mall patrons. Strategically located along the bustling floor filled with endless shoppers and tourists walking up and down with happy and hungry faces.

 Spacious Dining 

Comfortable and Contemporary Dining

The simple yet stylish restaurant provides good food, pleasant ambiance and spacious seating for you, family and friends to dine in.  

An Open-window Concept Kitchen

 

Edo Ramen practises an open kitchen concept to allow its customers to view the food preparation of the ramen dishes.

                                             **** A Brief History on the Origins of Ramen **** 

Ramen finds its origins in China before making its appearance in Japan in the 20th century. Since then, ramen has become one of Japan’s staple foods and favoured meal.

Over the years, ramen has developed into various styles. Different regions in Japan are known for their own special type of ramen, with distinct soup types. In northern areas such as Sapporo, the Miso soup is a popular choice for ramen, whereas in southern districts like Hakata and Tokyo, the Tonkotsu (pork-based) broth and soy-flavoured ramen dishes are preferred by the locals.

*****

Edo Ramen – the original Handmade Japanese Ramen. introduces Malaysians to Tokyo-style ramen, a unique recipe by notable ramen connoisseur Mr Tetsuya Fukino. Ramen enthusiasts can choose from 5 types of soups and 2 categories of toppings depending on personal preference.

Diners can take their pick from the available menu of 5 varieties of broth or soup base starting from classic Tokyo, Tonkotsu, Miso to the adventurous ones like Black and Gyukotsu among others.

They comes in two options with the Standard serving and the Ultimate serving. The 2 categories of toppings are as follows:

 Standard Ramen Option ~ Char Siew, Sweet Corn, Pak Choy & Spring Onions 

Ultimate Ramen Option ~ Char Siew, Sweet Corn, Pak Choy, Seaweed, Braised Pork Belly, Japanese Fish Cake, Lava Egg & Spring Onion          

As for the noodles ~ Ramen lovers can rest assured that the Original Homemade Japanese Ramen is made fresh daily to ensure its delicious texture and mouth-watering flavour. Each serving of ramen is cooked firm to the bite, with fragrant aroma and taste of wheat exuding from every chew.

The Tonkotsu broth can be enjoyed in 3 flavours – classic, miso and black. Miso is tonkotsu cooked with Japanese soybean paste with creamy texture, which Black is tonkotsu with Japanese fish powder and aromatic charred crushed garlic oil. Any one of these soup with the fresh ramen made daily will send one to ramen paradise.

To kick start the Edo Ramen experience, I opt for a hot cup of green tea as it's recommended as a neat neutraliser. We were served with the 3 varieties of ramen, but I shall review them in the order of the BEST to the LEAST favourite based on my personal preference and taste.

Let's start off with my top favourite ~ Ultimate Tonkotsu 

Ultimate Tonkotsu Ramen ~ RM 15.90 (R) 

Ramen lovers simply cannot resist this flavourful broth. Made of pork bones boiled over medium to high heat for more than 12 hours where the essence is extracted and emulsifies to creamy consistency presenting a hearty pork flavour. 

To prepare the mild, pearl-coloured Tonkotsu soup, pork bones are simmered for about 20 hours before adding vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other special ingredients. Another important point is they purposely maintain the soup at its optimal temperature to best be enjoyed by everyone, be the children or the elderly.

This is the most interesting ramen on the menu. Pork lover like me is won over by the heavenly taste of the char siew and the pork bones broth that comes with it. Served with char siew, sweet corn, pak choy, seaweed, braised pork belly, Japanese fish cake, lava egg and spring onions. Truly a winner, definitely the best I had that evening.

2nd on my list ~ Ultimate Gyukotsu 

 Ultimate Gyukotsu ~ RM 15.90 (R)

A must-try for beef lovers. Tantalise your taste buds to another level with the special Beef Bone broth. Infused with beefy goodness, the intense aroma wraps every bite of ramen and amplifies the delicious wheat taste. 

Delicious broth boiled over low fire for seven hours, this broth of beef bones sets the foundation to ramen enjoyment. 

Savoury and succulent pieces of tender beef slices together with the savoury onion toppings really goes well with the ramen.  Edo Ramen's homemade ramen has a firm, wonderful springy texture. I think the extra long strands, meant to signify long life, are slurpy with every mouthful. The noodles were devoured within minutes of being served.

Last or 3rd on my list ~ Miso Ramen  

 Standard Miso Ramen ~ RM 10.90 (R)

Ramen lovers may go one step further with the Tonkotsu broth cooked with Miso for added flavour. Miso ramen broth is basically made from a mixture of pork broth (Tonkotsu soup) and a rich and hearty miso paste. The broth was not too salty at all, it was perfect with a mild taste of miso. The ingredients topping the ramen included Char siew, sweet corn, pak choy and spring onions.

Tonkotsu blended with miso makes this thick, slightly sweet and very flavoursome broth. Its taste tends to be robust and tangy which makes it a great complement to a variety of delicious toppings. 

Creamy texture ~ Miso Ramen

Anyway, I'm not a great fan of miso, the Japanese soybean paste and especially those cooked in soup, would not fare well with me.

Next, we are serve with 3 starters to sample that day, but this one gets my double thumbs up and is my favourite without a doubt. Aburi Japanese Char Siew is tender, succulent pork belly marinated in soy sauce and savoury spices slowly simmered for hours to perfection.

 Aburi Japanese Char Siew ~ RM 11.90

Thinly sliced premium meat is fresh, succulent and juicy with a good ratio of fat and lean meat. The fat layer is smooth and melt-in-your-mouth soft. This dish is certainly goes well with soup ramen or rice. Good to go with some sake or cool beer. Highly recommended for the pork lovers!

Aburi Char Siew is bound to leave you wanting for more. It's Japanese roasted Char Siew serve on a bed of marinated onion. Flavoursome and well marinated, the pork belly is juicy while its skin is crispy. It's absolutely addictive and I can't help going a second piece that day.

Pork Gyoza is a crescent-shaped dumpling filled with minced pork stuffing and steamed, boiled or fried. Edo Ramen serves 2 version of these either boiled or pan-fried.

 

 

 Boiled Gyoza ~ 3 pcs for RM 4.90

Pan-Fried Gyoza ~ 3 pcs for RM 4.90

Personally, I would prefer the pan-fried gyoza mainly for its crispiness. It may not be the best I have eaten so far due to its' less meatiness but it's still fare well for the nice crisp presentation.

Edo Ramen Menu

Introductory Offer - Beef Bone Ramen

 ~ Gyukotsu Ramen & Ultimate Gyukotsu ~

Standard topping is recommended for moderate eaters, the standard topping comes with tender succulent char siew, pak choy, sweet corn and spring onions.

Ultimate topping, as the name suggests, this is the choice for ultimate ramen lovers. The ultimate topping comes with–with tender, succulent char siew, kakuni (braised pork belly), lava egg, naruto(Japanese fish cake), seaweed, pakchoy, sweet corn and spring onions.

Kakuni simply is tender, juicy chunks of pork belly braised in sauce for hours which gives the pork wonderful rich flavour and melts in the mouth with every bite.

Lava egg is one of the essential toppings for an absolutely delicious ramen experience. The egg is soft-boiled, so the white is cooked solid, but the yolk remains runny. It is then marinated in sauce till it is just right in taste and texture.

So next time when you want to satisfy your cravings for delicious ramen with a tight budget, just head on to the most affordable RM 9.90 ramen shop in town at Edo Ramen!

Edo Ramen
Lot S-025 & S-026 Level 2
Mid Valley Megamall
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03-2201 8779

Opening Hours: 10.00 am – 10.00 pm

FaceBook: EdoRamenAsia

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