I am no big fan of sushi but am always fascinated by the shapes and colours of sushi. I found the taste of sushi pleasant especially when the ingredients are fresh but it doesn't excite me the way food with umami flavours and wok hei does.
Still, good sushi is a welcome change once in a while, and I always enjoy watching colourful sushi glide around on conveyor belts in sushi joints ever since such an ingenious contraptions appeared in Singapore in the 1980s.
So when Sushi King invited me to try out their Chinese New Year menu at the Sushi King outlet at KSL City Mall in Johor Bahru, I gladly accepted.
I had a great food photography and food tasting outing at the cheery restaurant. Everything I tasted today was fresh as you will see in these pictures.
Crunchy and sweet Renkon Chips for RM3
Unagi Roll RM5 for 5 pieces
Golden Fish Nigiri RM3
Ebi Top RM4
Chicken Cheese Age RM6.90
Hotate Masago Gunkan RM4 for 2 pieces
Sakura Roll RM4 (5 pieces)
Lion Roll RM10.90
Another view of the Lion Roll which was well liked among our group of friends.
Sushi King Yu Sang Set RM38.88
We got to try out Sushi King's version of yu sang for the coming Chinese New Year.
Sushi King's yu sang is a good way to start off the New Year with good wishes for all our friends tossing up our good luck together.
Yu Sang noodle set RM16.88
Sushi King also offers Yu Sang noodles which is also a good way to usher in the Chinese New Year.
Susan, Sushi King's Marketing Manager showing us how to mix the sauces with the noodles.
All these beautiful sushi were created and made by Executive Chef Jun Sato and his team at Sushi King KSL City Mall, Johor Bahru.
For sushi fans who want their sushi fresh and reasonably priced, and to enjoy it in a comfortable, hygienic setting, Sushi King KSL City Mall could just be the right choice for you.
Restaurant name: Sushi King
Address: KSL City Mall, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/bMPsQ
GPS: 1.485305,103.762983
Hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Non Halal - no pork, no lard served
Date visited: 8 Dec 2012
I used to go to Sushi King with my Wife a couple of times a week but over the three years we have been here in JB it has deteriorated to the extent that we no longer go. I am sure the food is 'fresh' in as much as the food is clean and edible, but 'fresh' in Sushi terms is a different meaning. You won't see a Sushi King employee cutting up a fresh slab of tuna for example, rather opening a plastic bag or a plastic container and putting a pitifully thin piece of meat on what evrer dish they are producing. I understand the wish to keep prices down at Sushi King but more and more the choices on the conveyor belt are becoming smaller, lesser quality or just plain uninteresting and to get a decent meal now you have to go from the menu, which suddenly means Sushi King is not that much cheaper than the competition. You may as well go to a place serving real 'fresh' prepared off the menu pieces that may cost a little more. As for your pictures the last time I was there I am sure the Hotate Mosago Gunkan actually only had two pieces of meat per item not the tightly packed three yours had. The Conveyor Belt in your pictures also looked rather full. Now, I will accept that KSL is probably the best of the four Sushi Kings we used to use on a regular basis. The one at Plaza Palangi often has a conveyor belt at most 20% occupied.
ReplyDeleteHi ACe, Thank you for your comments. I haven't been into a conveyor belt since the novelty factor wore off for me in the mid 1990s :P This was an invited food tasting and I agree with you that things may be rather different as a walk in customer on a typical day.
Deletesushi king is glorified fast food. whoever what concocted the low quality stuff that they try to pass off as sushi should be arrested for crimes against nihon no ryori. having said that, the more expensive kinsahi is not much better.
ReplyDeletesakae sushi on the other hand is at least decent as far as fast-food kaiten style sushi goes, for not very much more money than what you pay at sushi king. the fact i could get far better sushi in London for about the same price as what you pay at sushi king makes me wonder- just how much is sushi king relying on the "cool" factor of sushi to make money? instead of relying on quality ingredients.....
I agree with you, And I also agree about Kinsahi too expensive and not good enough. Also for some of the best value Sushi in Johor try Kage Sushi at Plaza Sentosa - The buffet is a total bargain and the quality is very good. For slightly more than you would pay at Sushi King you can eat real sushi!
DeleteI heard many good things about Kage Sushi. Shall try it soon :)
DeleteI totally agree with you all. I was actually surprised that sushi king was promoted here on this much respected blog. I swore off sushi king after a few bad experiences years ago. They were stingy with d fish slices compared to those you get in Spore. And once at 1pm... I could even find the tuna had dried edges meaning it is no longer fresh!
ReplyDeletePerhaps due to the government's propensity to tax everything imported, it has resulted in compromises like measly portions and less than fresh stuff dat should have been dump.
To be fair, I read that the author was invited there so perhaps the food served that day was different to attract better reviews from food bloggers.
I wont go back ever again after my previous few disappointed visit years ago. Its time they learn serving bad food will result in the loss of customers...
Hi Mark, Thanks for your comments. I haven't been into a conveyor belt sushi shop since the novelty factor wore for me in the mid 1990s :P This was an invited food tasting and I agree with you that things may be rather different as a walk in customer on a typical day.
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