Rakuzen (Hartamas)

Sashimi & Grilled Fish Set (RM55) has thick cuts of salmon and maguro sashimi, and a sizeable saba with fresh and succulent meat that came off the bones effortlessly. 😘

It's FRIDAY! Indulging in this two-layered Rokkaku Bento (RM75) from Rakuzen at Pavilion Elite KL. The set comes with miso soup, chawanmushi, salad and fruits. Check out the salmon sashimi over the moist vinegar-ed Japanese rice with those crispy tempura prawns and assorted vegetables, and teriyaki chicken + scallops + leek skewers on the side. Another layer of the bento box has a thick and succulent grilled salmon, appetizing pickled seaweed with octopus and prawn, and fried tofu! 😙 Oh ho ho all are going to my tummy ~~

Featuring the fresh yellow tail fish and my favourite salmon belly sashimi.
Salmon belly sashimi basically melts in your mouth after a dip of soy sauce and wasabi. Have some shredded white radish together with the salmon in your mouth and experience a burst of fresh fragrant flavour, that's very much unexpected from a sashimi.
Yellow fish tail was also smooth with great texture. Fresh even on its own. But I love it with a significant amount of wasabi. Possibly due to my fear with raw and I fresh sashimi that gives strong fishy smell. I like to drown my sashimi into wasabi.
However, I didn't have to this time! Fresh, delicious and flavourful.
Food: 8/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 33 and above. Not very sure with the full price of this place. I know it's not very cheap but I'd be willing to splurge on this once in a long while.)

In picture (clockwise): Soft Shell Crab Temaki, Ebiten Temaki (Fried prawn tempura), California Temaki (crabstick), Sake Ikura Temaki (Salmon sashimi and fish roe) and Unakyu Temaki (Eel and cucumber). The handrolls were made perfectly. Fresh and neat. Love Japanese sushi rice! Have them with pickled ginger, some soy sauce and wasabi, you'll get a burst of freshness and appetite.
What stood out the most was the Sake Ikura Temaki! The salmon literally melts in your mouth! So fresh and so good!
My all time favourite is the California Temaki. Definitely did not disappoint.
Soft shell crab was very flavorful. But the handroll is not as nice as the sushi plate.
Ebiten Temaki was just a prawn tempura handroll. Nicely fried batter and fresh prawns!
The weirdest one for me was Unakyu Temaki because it is an eel sushi. I felt a little sharpness when I bit it in. Quite terrifying. I thought I was biting into some bones. But I guess it's just how it's fried or cooked to crispness.
I love going to Rakuzen for Japanese food because they serve the freshest sashimi and the most tender Yakiniku/Beef stir fry rice set. They are very generous with their set menu too! Fruits, chawanmushi, pickled vegetables, miso soup, a whole load of rice and your protein. Go for their set meals for a cheap steal!
I recommend their dragon roll too. Another favourite of mine which is a prawn/lobster sushi roll, topped with avocado.
Food: 9/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 8 for each handroll - Some might say Rakuzen is very expensive but they are the cheapest place for fresh, high quality and satisfying Japanese food)

I had hot soba noodles with mushrooms. Soup is so clear and the soba was amazing as usual. Noodles were a lot though.
My family shared two sets of two grilled scallops. I didn't like this one. Very fishy smell. 😭

A plate of sashimi sushi from a dinner set and a plate of dragon roll. Their dragon roll here is the best!! I couldn't eat the dragon roll because I was too full from my noodles.. Sigh. But I had it before and it's my favourite!
Portion at rakuzen is always very big. Not in picture, we ordered sukiyaki set, yakiniku(beef) rice set and mini udon set. They are incredibly generous with the amount of beef served. You will come out from Rakuzen with a turtle shell after having their meal. Really worth it!
Food: 8/10 Price: 8/10 (I don't know all of the prices. But I know my noodles were RM 18 and a huge beef rice set with miso soup, sides, fruits, rice and chawanmushi is RM 36. Really value for money at Rakuzen and guaranteed to fill you up!)