Kikyo — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

These days, it seems like anyone can open a restaurant, throw in a trendy interior for Instagram, and charge exorbitant prices. I honestly can’t understand how Kikyo has managed to receive such high ratings. Given what we paid, the experience was beyond disappointing.

For a fine dining establishment, there should be a proper sequence to serving food. Appetizers first, followed by mains, then desserts. Unfortunately, the service was completely disorganized. Not only were dishes not served on time, but some guests received their meals out of order. Some got their mains before their appetizers, others waited excessively long, and certain dishes never even arrived.

I seriously question the kitchen staff’s ability to handle orders. The restaurant wasn’t even at full capacity, yet the coordination was worse than what I’ve seen at hawker stalls. A simple miso soup took so long that we eventually had to cancel it. How does that even happen?

To make matters worse, the waiter got our orders wrong. After an extended wait, we were served incorrect dishes, ruining the entire evening. To top it all off, the staff failed to communicate that they don’t serve tap or house water, instead opening and pouring Evian still water for everyone without informing us. We were even charged for a bottle of sparkling water that no one ordered. It felt like they were deliberately opening bottles to rack up the bill on a slow business day. At the rate we were charged for water alone, I could have ordered Wagyu.

Had this been communicated to us upfront, we wouldn’t have minded. We would have simply paced ourselves accordingly. I’ve dined at many fine dining establishments, and yet, there seems to be a growing trend in Malaysia where serving tap or house water is treated as an inconvenience. It almost feels like business is so slow that, despite the exorbitant prices, they’re still struggling to turn a profit.

I’ve been to three-star Michelin restaurants that have no issue providing house water. Not everyone wants to spend the equivalent of a cocktail just on water. That’s what after-dinner drinks are for.

At this point, I simply cannot...

First of all – the price is RIDICULOUSLY overpriced for what you get. The service is absolute garbage, and the manager is one of the rudest I’ve ever encountered in any F&B establishment in Malaysia. When ordering, the waiter didn’t even bother to suggest or warn us about portion sizes. We ordered appetisers, and the portions came out massive – but no one said a word. When we realised we had over-ordered, we politely asked to cancel one main dish. Instead of just giving us a straight answer, the manager kept sending staff to tell us “no” again and again. After asking 3–4 times, they finally agreed, but the manager repeatedly emphasised that he would “ABSORB THE COST” – unnecessarily rubbing it in, even though the food hadn’t been cooked yet. Then, without our request, they put our remaining food “on hold” but never told the kitchen. Our unfinished appetisers were cleared away without asking, and when we asked where the mains were, it was obvious they had completely forgotten. The worst part was the payment. The manager slammed the credit card machine on the table loudly and acted in an aggressive, unprofessional manner. He clearly had issues voiding the bill and instead manually deducted amounts without updating the original ticket – something that I believe is NOT legally acceptable in terms of F&B tax compliance in Malaysia. This entire experience was unacceptable – overpriced food, incompetent service, and a manager who clearly needs training in both professionalism and basic F&B standards. I demand a formal apology and an explanation from management for: The lack of communication about portion sizes The rude and condescending handling of our cancellation request The forgotten orders due to mismanagement The questionable billing process I will never return, and I strongly warn others to think twice before spending...

Ambience is nice. Food is so-so. I've tasted better at other Japanese restaurants. The aged squid had to be sent back to redo, cos the texture was pretty raw. Tuna tartar was not bad. Sashimi was OK. Burnt cabbage was wayyy below expectation and took ages to be served, we thot they had forgotten about it! Lamb rack was OK, they sliced it for us, but yet, we had to ask for knife & fork (was not given by default!) for us to cut into smaller pcs to eat. I liked the highballs though. Tried the yuzu&peach. Pretty good! Service was really, really slow. A real put-off for me is the fact that they uses disposable wooden chopsticks (like the ones that comes when u tapau noodles fm stalls), which in my opinion is pretty much unacceptable for a restaurant dining and for the price they charges on their dish. Even Rakuzen gives a proper chopsticks and not disposable ones. Makes the whole experience feels cheap, despite spending close to rm700 for 2 adults+1 toddler. Plus, there was no options of fresh juices for kids, nor kids utensil set. The 'orange juice' they have tasted like some cheap cordial, even my son refuses to drink after taking a couple of sips! Hahaha.. So he ended up drinking plain water from his water bottle instead. Overall, below expectation for me, and I'm not even a picky eater! Might come back to experience their lounge. But for food, I think I'd take my money somewhere else worthy to spend. Sorry! And if the mgmt of the restaurant is reading this, please please focus on ur service! - Default fork & knife ready when you ordered steaks, we don't have to ask for it. And change the chopsticks! I HATE disposable chopsticks. Even when eating takeway food, I...