SUSHIHAN - Gardens, Mid Valley, KL — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

I got sidetracked yesterday at The Gardens Mall. I was supposed to grab a quick sushi lunch at Genki Sushi but ended up at Sushihan. Here was my order:

Shiro Maguro & Hamachi Sashimi I decided on these two because I have always liked the delicare flavor of both. Both are adequately sliced in their thickness.

Maguro & Ikura Sushi Since it's one of the more expensive fish to be had, I'm not surprised that it was sliced very thinly and almost translucent that you can start to imagine seeing the clumped of rice underneath.

No surprises with the ikura sushi. It was bursting with the saltiness of the ocean and need not further dipping it into shoyu.

Ebi Mentaiyaki For the main attraction was this plate of prawns, two to be exact. It came overlaid with a generous amount of mentaiko sauce. Since I like everything that has mentaiko on it, I didn't mind the excess sauce that covered every part of the prawn flesh. This briny, and slightly tangy sauce was a bit salty and I wished I had a bowl of rice to savour all of it. The prawn tasted fresh and was full of sweetness and the texture was still succulent and bouncy. The prawns were cooked to perfection.

Between Genki Sushi and Sushihan, both have a stark difference in terms of ambience and aesthetics. Genki tends to have a more modern decor and the train to deliver its sushi, Sushihan however is more traditional in its decor and feels more familiar with its no frills conveyor belt to deliver its sushi. I can't decide which one is better as I have had good experiences with Genki Sushi before. I wouldn't feel like I have less than a pleasant experience at both restaurants because both will satisfy my cravings for Japanese...

Summary 2.5/5: mediocre food, small portion for higher price.

Food 2.5/5: Depends on what you eat, some hit and miss, some are decent. The Unari was pathetic, barely 1 small bite of rice. The chawanmushi (RM12) was the most tasteless we have ever eaten. In comparison, the Ten Don (RM 20.90, Temura Don) was surprisingly good. The prawns and squids were fresh and tender, the tempura was nicely cook. The Beef Yakiniku Don (RM 24.90) was average but moist. Just wish that both the Don can at least serve with Miso Soup, that will make it a great value. The fresh salmon (5 pieces, RM 23.90) was mediocre, small pieces but the Ikura (RM 13.90) was decent.

Value 2/5: Not sure if this is the same ownership with the earlier Sushi Tei at same location, with identical menu, but the food portion & quality definitely is subpar compared to Sushi Tei. Price probably similar range. This makes the Sushihan like a Rahmah version of Japanese restaurant.

Service 3/5: We were the 1st 3 table of customers, but we also waited a while for them to serve the main course (the Dons), the 2 pieces of Ikura even longer, not sure what's the hold up.

Environment 3/5: a bit narrow between the tables, make it feel cramps. Average environment,...

Third visit. Food seems to have dropped in standard. Ordered their Kani Chawanmushi, Teriyaki Chicken, Prawn Gyoza, Salmon Mentaiko, Ebikko Tempura Maki and Takoyaki Gunkan (not pictured).

Chawanmushi was good, flavourful - egg custard soft and smooth and they didn't skimp on the crabmeat, surimi and chicken. However, after mixing up the ingredients, the egg became rather soupy and I don't recall it being as such in previous visits.

Teriyaki chicken was bland, not pan-fried enough and still had the 'fridge' after-taste especially with the bigger pieces. Teriyaki sauce was tad too little and runny to coat the chicken.

Gyoza was just alright although they would be better if the fillings were slightly more. Skin to filling ratio is a bit off as if they are skimping on the fillings.

Sushi was underwhelming, mentai was not umami enough although they were passable. Didn't try the making, so can't comment but the seaweed for the Gunkan was slightly soggy and not fresh and crisp.

Not sure if this is a one-time thing, but for the price they charge and if the quality does not improve, I would rather go for the other sushi places in...