Minoru Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Sarawak

I recently had the chance to try a Japanese Beef Rice Bowl Set, which included a beef rice bowl, miso soup, an appetiser, a cup of grass jelly for dessert, and a cup of hot green tea. While the experience had its highlights, there were also a few areas where the meal and service could have been improved.

Beef Rice Bowl: The beef rice bowl was the main feature of the set, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet expectations. The portion of beef was relatively small, with the majority of the bowl consisting of a generous helping of onions. The beef itself was tender but lacked flavour, and the sauce was somewhat scant, leaving the dish feeling a little dry. Given that this is a signature dish in the set, I was hoping for a more balanced and flavourful combination of beef and sauce.

Miso Soup: The miso soup was quite bland. It lacked the depth of flavour that I typically expect from a well-prepared miso soup, and the broth seemed to be missing the rich umami taste that makes this dish so comforting. While the soup was warm and comforting, it didn’t offer the depth that would elevate the meal.

Appetiser: The appetiser was a nice touch, though it didn’t stand out as something particularly special. It served its purpose as a light start to the meal but didn’t add much to the overall experience.

Grass Jelly Dessert: The grass jelly was a pleasant, refreshing way to end the meal. It was simple but adequate, providing a cool contrast to the warm dishes. While it wasn’t an exceptional dessert, it was enjoyable and finished the meal on a decent note.

Hot Green Tea: The hot green tea was served at the perfect temperature and complemented the meal well. It was subtly fragrant and refreshing, offering a nice balance to the other flavours in the set.

Service: The service was average at best. The staff were polite but lacked warmth, with most not offering a smile or a friendly demeanour. The absence of a smile or any genuine engagement made the dining experience feel a bit impersonal. A small effort from the staff to create a more welcoming and friendly atmosphere would certainly elevate the overall dining experience.

Overall Impression: While the Japanese Beef Rice Bowl Set offered a variety of components, it didn’t fully satisfy. The portion size of the beef was disappointing, and both the flavour of the beef and the miso soup left much to be desired. The grass jelly and hot green tea were nice, but not enough to make up for the lacklustre main dish and soup. The service, though functional, could benefit from a bit more friendliness to create a more inviting atmosphere. Overall, I would recommend the set for those looking for a simple and quick meal, but there is definitely room for improvement in terms of flavour, portion size, and...

Very atmospheric and interior looks exactly like a typical izakaya-cum-sushi bar in Japan. The oldies music will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time to 80s Japan. I ordered the chirashi sushi for lunch and it was acceptable. The vinegared rice had just the right amount of sweetness and tartness, and was properly loosened so that its just sticky enough to make a nigiri sushi. That’s something most japanese restaurants skip out on and cut corners, not understanding how important it is. However it was a bit unfortunate that most of the raw fish, except the salmon, wasn’t very fresh, but it’s within expectations for sushi offerings in kuching due to bad logistics. Was surprised that the wasabi is really fresh, so much so that it had a hint of sweetness. Will probably be back again to try the...

Received a very rude treatment from someone who looks like the owner. We were sitting under the aircon then requested to move to another table cos a bit cold. A very unexpected and loud response was, “Sit anywhere also cold. If you want us to higher the temperature, every one is gonna feel hot. Next time come to restaurant just wear sweater.” Directly ignored him and proceed with looking at menu. Waiter straight higher the temperature, we were relieved. Waiters were very kind yet a bit slow and forgot some of our dishes; ended up waiting for 20 mins for the rest. Food wise is very normal, not worth the price. Not a pleasant place...