Rakuzen Nu Empire — Restaurant in Subang Jaya

Been to this place today. Very disappointed with the service. No one at the store front, & have to wave at waiter inside to usher us in. After went in, realised that the bunch of waiters & captains are actually chatting at the front desk. Ordered oyakodon, salmon roll & sashimi set. Waited for 25 minutes but food did not arrive. Saw waiters walking in & out so many times, minding their own business, looking busy, but never look at their customer. And place is not even packed with crowd! Finally asked captain why the slow service, she checked for us & told us the food will arrive in another 4 minutes. Sashimi set arrived after 10 minutes (we have now waited 35 minutes), & salmon roll after another 5 minutes (40 minutes after order). Rice on salmon roll is pathetically scanty despite being charged RM27. Totally different from the image in the menu! Oyakodon never arrived after 45 minutes. Asked the waiter & he said the chef is cooking it now, & i got fed up so I cancelled it. No explanation of why the food is arriving late, & can't see anyone pushing the kitchen to meet the customer's order (unlike some restaurant that keep checking for us without us asking). Walked off hungry & disappointed. When confronted the captain at the cashier - she said it is due to sluggishness of the kitchen. Good thing she did apologize.

For those who commented good service here, in my opinion it's either you are lucky, you dressed presentably/expensively, or you are a regular there. For the rest, it is as if you have to earn the waiters'/captains' respect to be there & you are at their mercy whether to serve you or not. Definitely won't come again.

NOT...

I used to go to different Rokuzen restaurants but I have to give this particular one a "5-stars".

I brought my friends from US there for lunch yesterday and the service was awesome to the top!

Originally, we thought of the other Japanese restaurant that's R------- but then when I called to try to book a table for 1:30pm or a bit later (tried to have some flexibility for them) and I would think it's necessarily because we have quite a few people also to avoid disappoinment for our friends. Anyway we're being turned away and rather upset.

Then I suddenly remember Rokuzen just one floor up so I tried to call. I believe it's the manager who took the call and this man is awesome. He had the similar explanation saying they're full at that time and I said "Please try and I would think there's an hour ahead from now I would think it'll become less busy, we can even push back to 1:45pm if that's ok." Then,it took him just a sec he said ok and took down my number. And at 1:15pm I received his call said that he'll have a table for me at 1:30pm. I was so happy! 😊

When we arrived, he greeted me and my guests and everything was smooth and my friends all had a wonderful time! I forgot to get his name but him and the team is absolutely gems for this branch. My husband and I even talked about oh well... We probably come here for now on when anyone suggest to have...

I recently had the opportunity to dine at Rakuzen restaurant located at Empire Shopping Mall. While I enjoyed the variety of Japanese food and drinks available, I found the food tasted average.

The restaurant had a welcoming and cosy atmosphere, with traditional Japanese decor that added to the ambience. The menu offered Japanese food and drinks, including sushi, sashimi, tempura, and Japanese beverages.

Unfortunately, the food taste could have been more exceptional. While the presentation was impressive, the flavour could have been more flavorful and memorable.

On the positive side, the service at Rakuzen was excellent. The staff was attentive, courteous, and accommodating, and the drinks were well-prepared and presented.

In conclusion, while Rakuzen restaurant at Empire Shopping Mall has a wide variety of Japanese food and drinks, the overall taste of the food was average. However, the welcoming ambience and excellent service make it a pleasant dining experience. If you are looking for a casual Japanese dining experience and are not too particular about food taste, then Rakuzen may be...