Got Me Sayin' ICHIBAN-desu !!! (Ichiban Boshi @ Pavilion, KL)

Back to a KL post for today. A slow .... soul-less Monday. Imagine an office with less than 50% capacity. Maybe 20-30% inhabitants only. Holidays come early for most?

Not unlike the conventional conveyor belt sushi outlet ... albeit with a twist

Eating out in Pavilion can be a chore. Especially peak hours on weekends/public holidays where everywhere's crowded. From Madam Kwan's to Tony Roma's, and a snaking line (though not as obvious as few months back) at JCo's, and the ever-congested Food Republic, choosing a place for lunch can be rather ... indecisive.

Thus, we settled for Ichiban Boshi. Have yet to step into the Japanese restaurant, but judging from the overwhelming business on most days, can't be any worse than Sushi King/Sakae Sushi/Genki Sushi right?

Salmon (smoked, maybe) sushi with melted cheese and roes

Salmon Avocado Roll

Starting off with some sushi, the salmon and cheese combination may sound weird on paper, but worked just fine. The creamy cheese complemented the smoked salmon well, though one can't really taste the freshness and natural sweetness of the fish. But I'm all for fusion-ized items.

The salmon and avocado temaki roll was good, though sucked presentation-wise. Clever combination of diced fresh salmon with creamy avocado bits and served generously with mayonaise, the portion was slightly larger than the other contenders' abysmal, mini versions. Still remember the last time I had a temaki in Sushi King, and the rice outweighed the fillings by a whole lot.

Egg Crepe Roll with Bacon and Lettuce

A case of 'over-fusionized', the temaki rolled with thin egg layer, and consisting of rice, lettuce and bacon did not fare as well. And dipping the roll into the shoyu did not result in a positive outcome either. Probably should have asked for more mayo instead.

Hiyashi Chuka Soba (RM14.90)

Ichiban Boshi's trump card lies in their freshly made-on-the-spot soba, or buckwheat noodles. The display counter at the front end of the restaurant functions to exhibit the chef's skills in making the aforementioned noodles, but photography is not allowed. =(

Served either cold, or in a bowl of piping hot soup, the noodles are springy, light, and deemed nutritious. The Hiyashi Chuka Soba consisted of cold buckwheat noodles served with duck meat, crab stick, julienned cucumber and tomatoes, as well as eggs. A bowl of cold and spicy sauce accompanied the serving of noodles on the side, hence you have the option of either dipping the noodles into the sauce, OR pouring the whole bowl of sauce into the noodles. I did the latter, and the resulting concoction had me smacking my lips in recollection.

Thin, springy (QQ) buckwheat noodles with multiple garnishing and ingredients thrown in

The strips of duck meat were not chewy, nor gamey. Sprinkled with lots of sesame seeds, the shredded meat and vegetables were perfect companion to the cold noodles, and the slightly spicy and sour sauce enhanced the overall experience a notch. Recommended, for the noodles alone.

Tempura Moriawase (RM13.90)

A plate of mixed tempura consisted of 2 big prawns, and the usual suspects of sweet potato, brinjal, capsicum and such, coated with tempura batter and fried to a crisp. Yet, managed to retain the moisture of the ingredients within. Nothing out of the ordinary, but deserving of a mention here is the attentive and accomodating service, whereby I requested for another bowl of the tentsuyu sauce, and the waiter gladly complied, returning with a steaming hot bowl of it.

Kushiyaki Moriawase (RM15.90) for 6 pcs

The mixed grilled items on skewers came on a sparsely-presented plate. With a lemon wedge for that extra zing, the 6 pcs of grilled meat/vege on skewers were lip-smacking, mostly. The shishamo (grilled smelt) was packed with enough eggs, yet none of the repulsive fishy taste. The yakitori and black pepper yakitori (grilled chicken meat) were both tender, succulent and juicy enough on its own, but drizzled with the slightly sweet tare sauce, the flavour of the meat was subtly punctuated.

The tsukune (chicken meatballs) were the best of the lot, marinated well and very tasty. But only 3 were served on a skewer. Of course, one can opt for the items separately. The shitake mushrooms and tebasaki (chicken wings) were good in their own rights.

What's attractive was that .... it didn't cost us an arm and a leg to eat here. The meal for two costed only RM67.50 (after 5% gov tax, 10% service charge). I may return for more, in the near future, as they gave a Rewards Card, expiring on 30/4/2009, where I can get a stamp for every RM30 spent, and 3 stamps net a California Handroll, 5 will net you a RM15 voucher ... and so forth.

Location : ICHIBAN BOSHI @ Lot 1.14, Pavilion, 168, Jln Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. On the lowest floor with Food Republic and the infinite eateries there. Tel : 603-2141 6621.

Merry Xmas .... in Advance.

Shopaholics out in full force. No holding back amidst the economic crisis. Or was there ever one?