Kirishima Shuzou Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Johor

Context: As this was a restaurant in a hotel, I visited with a level of expectation one would expect of an establishment embedded in a hotel.

Atmosphere: The public dining area is nicely decorated, the restaurant was empty on arrival during lunch time. Unfortunately, when seated, the televisions was too loud, playing a Japanese channel showing variety shows which contained lots of high pitched screams. It was also conflicting with the music played by the restaurant in the background so it audibly overwhelming.

Service: Staff is friendly on arrival, allowed us to choose our own seats and I chose the furthest from the noises. Although there are private rooms, I suppose they are closed for reservations only. The staff was kind to physically present us bottles of the type of alcohol we preferred (plum), unfortunately the variety is somewhat disappointing, with only 2 bottles to show for our preference. Both could be found in various supermarkets.

Food: I had to wait about an hour for the food to arrive despite the empty lunch crowd. The rice for the salmon sushi was dry, not evenly coated with the hint of vinegar one would expect, additionally, the salmon was cut strangely, giving it a girth that would only cover half of the rice, but a length that extended two times the length of the rice. I could tell that the seaweed used to make wraps were not dry as they were not crispy and fresh, alot of effort was needed to break the stretchy seaweed. They also strangely gave ten times the amount of wasabi for the amount of sushi and sashimi that they served, so alot of it was wasted. There were also multiple flies disturbing the meal.

The menu is dated, with mismatch in prices between the physical copy and the electronic one that you order from. The lack of clear images and descriptions on both physical and electronic menus make it challenging to decide if a particular dish is right for you.

Overall, I don't recommend spending more than 40 RM per person here which means you only have the valuable option of the lunch set menu, as you definitely can find better quality...

Excellent Japanese food! The menu offered such a wide variety of Japanese food that I believe there is something for everyone.

We (2 pax) ordered the Beef Ishiyaki, Kirishima Teishoku, Oden Bento (Can’t remember it’s name) and the President Roll.

The Beef Ishiyaki, thick succulent Australian beef slices grilled on hot stone right in front of you, was excellent. Well marinated and so palatable when dipped in a special sauce.

The Oden Bento was the most memorable for me as it’s a rare offering in Japanese restaurants locally. The bento set mainly consist of a bowl of oden and a sakana-ni (braised fish stew) which went down very well with the white rice.

The Kirishima Teishoku Bento was like a sampler set that has a bit of everything such as sushi, tempura and steamed egg (Chawanmushi). The portion of both bento sets were so generous, my wife and I had difficulties finishing the food.

The President Roll was the least memorable dish in my opinion. Each piece is topped by a small pieces of a different type seafood but the taste was very subdued.

Service in the restaurant was attentive, quick and helpful. Even though we were placed far from the main service area, the service staff did frequent our seats to see if we needed help.

The ambience was as authentic as it gets. Abundant bottles of Japanese sake were used as decoration, befitting the Shuzou part in the name. Shelves of Japanese language comics were available for browsing while waiting for your food. Japanese songs from the 90s and early 2000s were playing when we dined there.

We enjoyed our experience there and are motivated to go back for the other stuffs offered...

One of the best Japanese restaurant I've had the opportunity to sample. I am not a foodie. A normal meal or good meal for me involves fast food or some oily stir-fried Chinese dishes. I have been accused of being a miser when it comes to eating. I'm the eat to live type.

This restaurant is tucked within a hotel. It has a cosy feel with a smoking table at the bar, the entire ambient has a Japanese homely feel, making for an authentic dining experience. The Chef and his assistants can be observed while you dine. The Chef definitely looks Japanese and he appeared to be really proud of his heritage and food. The waiting staff is polite and helpful, you won't have to wave for 5 mins before anyone attends to you.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much when I ordered, but I was thoroughly surprised by the presentation and the quality of food from this restaurant. The price is affordable compared to Singapore. And to be really honest, I've never had any Japanese in Singapore quite of this quality. The seasoning is well-balanced, food isn't over-seasoned---for some, this might not be what they're used to.

I will definitely keep this restaurant in my list of to eat again. The entire bill for us came up to about 77 ringgit. Which is about SGD25 or USD19. Affordable and quality...