Kyomo — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

My experience tonight was a huge disappointment, which is a surprise given the great reviews online. I would have given the food a 3.5 rating, but the extremely poor service just convinced me to rate it a 1 without a doubt.

Long account ahead but details are here for those who wish to understand the incident.

As a first timer, I asked the waitress to explain what beef cuts were offered for “today’s special 4 wagyu cuts”. After several prompts, she disappeared for 5 minutes and returned with labels showing the cuts. I placed the order looking forward to the meal. The platter arrived, and the cuts were completely different. We asked the waitress and said the labels showed were a mistake and they were for the general cuts, not wagyu. We didn’t make a fuss and accepted. As we proceeded cut by cut, several slices tasted very chewy and rubbery. My partner and I agreed, we both cooked on the grill more hoping medium well would “fix” it, but we spat them out in the end. Using our cutleries to demonstrate how tough they were to the waitress by attempt to dissect them, she explained that firstly, all cuts are like that, and secondly, we overcooked them. Both were untrue, as only several slices, not all, were bad, and they were medium cooked with traces of blood remaining.

The waitress was not convinced, went away and brought back 2 slices of wagyu short ribs as replacement. We carefully cooked it but to our big dismay, it was as chewy as the previous cut and had to spit it out. At that point, it was so disappointing that we brought it up to the waitress again, who failed to communicate properly and offer any suitable solution in a timely manner. We were made to wait as she disappeared to seemingly consult with the chef and others how to deal with us. She then returned and briefly said “Ok we give you half price off” and walked off before we responded. 15 minutes passed and we got less patient wondering what is happening and waved her to come back. She returned looking clueless without a bill, and explained their manager is not present, as if to go back on her offer to reduce the bill.

5 minutes later, she came with a bill reducing half off the beed cuts only. We asked to take service charges off and she was not keen, and only stood there with unpleasant face the entire time. We lost patience as the whole process was a disrespect of our time, and proceeded to pay half for the cuts as initially offered.

The chefs were Japanese and unable to speak basic English, so was not able to offer any advise or explanation although he tried to at one point. There was no manager onsite, and all staffs seemed untrained for complaints as such, and certainly unprepared to accept criticism of their quality. I definitely would not come back again. In fact, right across is Momotalo, and I’ve had better and cheaper wagyu...

I’ve tried many restaurants in Kuala Lumpur showcasing the city’s culture, but my current favorite is Kyomo in Desa Sri Hartamas, known for its authentic yakiniku. Drawn by numerous positive reviews, I had to visit, and it was easy to find!

As I approached, I noticed the emphasis on both ambiance and cuisine. The interior beautifully blends traditional Japanese elements with a minimalist design, and the availability of private dining rooms sets it apart from other yakiniku spots. I really appreciated the idea since it’s a much better way to enjoy the dining experience with your friends, family or loved ones! The environment felt comfortable, thanks to air conditioning and good ventilation. The staff engaged in a pleasant, unobtrusive way, and they were very accommodating, even guiding me to my seat. I appreciated their fluency in English and friendliness. Their enthusiasm about the menu was contagious, leading me to order multiple dishes!

I chose Beef Tongue, Assorted Ribeye, Seared Salmon Sushi, Hand Roll Temaki, Kimchi, Garlic Fried Rice, Spicy Garlic Wagyu, and Premium Australian Wagyu, finishing with Matcha Tiramisu and Creamy Pudding for dessert. The main dishes arrived super quickly, starting with the Spicy Garlic Wagyu, which was perfectly marinated and packed with flavor. The Assorted Ribeye was too tempting to resist, and it cooked up juicy, especially when paired with spicy kimchi. The Premium Australian Wagyu was a highlight, beautifully marbled and flavorful. Each dish was complemented by the crispy Garlic Fried Rice, which added texture. The Spicy Wagyu Soup was flavorful yet light, rounding out the savory meal perfectly. It was fun to prepare everything ourselves tableside and everything was ready quite quickly! Super tender pieces of high quality meat that paired beautifully with all the accompaniments we were given!

When it was time for dessert, I eagerly tried the Matcha Tiramisu. Its beautiful presentation matched the delightful flavors of chocolate and coffee, with the matcha providing a pleasant, non-bitter taste. The Creamy Pudding, though simpler, was equally irresistible.

Overall, my experience at Kyomo was exceptional. The food was top-notch, the aesthetic was inviting, and the service was professional and friendly. I rate this restaurant a perfect 10/10 and believe anyone who...

Previous visits were good but this time our special occasion was dampened by: unpleasant host & bbq exhaust not working 👎🏻

Bbq exhaust rosak = no self grilling in dining area = all cuts served already cooked & well done. Since everything was served in short gaps, most had gone cold by the time we got around to eating it. Best part of yakiniku is grilling beef to our preferred doneness & eating it warm off the grill.. should’ve offered compensation for this major flaw as it’s not cheap. Plus not all cuts were tender, JP wagyu not melt in mouth like before like something is lacking, green tea VERY diluted for RM8 non refillable & beef tongue so-so.

The host at reception talks fast so at first I didn’t catch what she meant by “exhaust is down”. When asked to clarify she let out a big sigh before explaining while looking visibly annoyed??? She also wanted to let go of our reservation initially which I understand as we were 20 mins late BUT restaurant wasn’t even full by the looks of it and they were accommodating walk ins lol.

We drove around the jammed 1 way street few times bcs parking is crazy difficult & we couldn’t find the 2 valets (yes only 2 person manning at peak dinner time). Decided to walk up to the entrance to ‘cop’ valet & to notify reception we’ve arrived + apologetically explain the situation. Only for her to coldly say “I let go ur reservation already” “there got valet right!” as if I’m lying? he obviously goes back & forth parking cars = not always standing there? 🤦🏻‍♀️ “then let us know next time u late”. While they even didn’t bother to notify customers beforehand about the exhaust issue & FYI we already edited our reservation when it started raining to avoid all this ya but traffic there was crazier than last time. And idk if it’s double standard or what? but I noticed another group arrived late yet they received a warm welcome.

To be fair: Friendly & attentive waiters. Fast service. Good ambiance & private rooms bigger after reno. Smiling waiters help sing happy bday + 1 complimentary ice cream. AUS wagyu nice sauce. As we left the hostess eventually apologised for exhaust issue but the damage is...