Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant @ 1 Utama Unknown10:41 PM 0 comments

There are plenty of Japanese casual restaurant around in Malaysia. We have no short of them. In fact, almost every shopping malls in Malaysia have at least 1 such Japanese restaurant in their premise. Some are doing okay, some with customers lining up while some are having the battle of their lifetime with flies. However, the ones fully packed with customers are not necessary the best Japanese casual dining around. Hence, I would always love to try out new japanese restaurants. To be honest, I haven't heard of Watami before even they were here in Malaysia already for some years. So here it goes.

The Watami Group is established in Japan in 1984. They were the first restaurant in Japan to come up with the concept of a comfortable place for all occasions. Their concept of providing a comfortable space and also great food for their customers were similar to many bistros and cafes that we Malaysians love as an alternative to mamak stalls.

The interior design were done in a fusion of slight western bistro wil a little japanese elements here and there. The wood finishings definitely brought out the coziness of the interior and it makes customers at ease and comfortable. The chic design may simply be mistaken as a western bistro rather than a Japanese restaurant. However, the ambient of this place will encourage their customers to sit together for a long period of time while having their food..

Orange Yakult

Like a common bistro, Watami have a wide range of drinks selection from non-alcoholic to alcoholic beverages. The drinks could easily sum up to 50 types of drinks or so. I only tried the Orange Yakult. It is definitely the best drink for kids and luckily it wasn't too sweet for me.

Mango Mojito Mocktail

Fire Oyster Roll Sushi (RM18.90)

The Fire Oyster Roll sushi is definitely something interesting. It had a hint of slight spiciness and a slight crunchy texture on the inside as the oyster was fried. It tasted quite good with the sauce together however the rice layer was definitely too loose. As soon as I tried to pick it up with my chopsticks, the rice crumbles. That is quite unfortunate as I prefer my sushi to be more nicely packed.

Gomoku Kamameshi (Chicken & Seafood Pot Rice) (RM26.90)

The Gomoku Kamameshi needed a preparation of 20 minutes before being ready to serve. As customers wait for their Gomoku Kamameshi ready, they can chat away or have some other food first. We weren't given a chance to peek inside the pot initially so there is a lot of guessing game regarding the food outlook. The fragrance of the dish reached our noses quite well despite it is being tightly covered. When it is time to dig in, the rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The rice was mixed with ebiko so you have a slight texture and crunchiness to it as you dig in to the rice. The dish did match up to my expectation of it and probably the highlight of the night as well.

Kankoku Butechige (RM 29.90)

The Kankoku Butechige or to be known as Korean style Army Hot Pot is a must try if you are a hot pot lover. The soup is rich in flavour and the noodles have a really good springy texture to it. The spiciness of the Kimchi wasn't too strong till it drowns other flavour and this will be the perfect dish to have on a rainy cold day.

Tompeiyaki (RM 18.90)

I never had any Tompeiyaki before and this one was made of pork,, cheese, cabbage and egg. The outer layer is made of the egg and it acts similar like a beancurd skin. Cut it in and you will get a really nice layer of ingredients on the inside. The seasoning and sauce were well balanced and this dish is absolutely delicious.

Ten Zaru Soba (RM23.90)

I didn't get the full picture of the Ten Zaru Soba or to be known as Cold Soba with Tempura. The tempura provided were pretty normal in terms of batter but the prawns they used were fresh. The highlight of this dish is the soba noodles. The noodles were extremely springy and probably one of the best soba I had in awhile. I was told that noodles used in Watami were all imported from Japan including the ones for our Hot Pot. Their sauce compliments the cold soba really well and this is definitely my favourite dish for the night. If you don't fancy much of their tempura, you can actually just plainly order their cold soba. I highly recommend this dish if you were to dine here with anyone.

Nagasaki Champon-fu Ramen (RM26.90)

Another noodle dish from Watami that totally nailed their noodles texture. Their soup base is made from pork and is very flavourful. The uniqueness of this dish is the noodles and vegetables were stir fried to bring out its flavour before serving them in their pork broth. I had still yet to try many ramen but this ramen is quite good and one of the better ones I had before,

Watami Sake  (RM47.90)

I didn't try their sake but I am posting this as I heard their sake is very smooth. I personally find the price is quite affordable and it is even better priced that a lot of sakes I drank before.

Watami Salad (RM 21.90)

Watami Salad is a dish you should order if you are on a diet and dislike having too many vegetables in your salad. This salad compromises of tender teriyaki chicken slices, shrimps, tuna and salmon slices.

Stamina Don 

Their Stamina Don, I was told is only available during lunch hours and one of their best seller. I can see the reason why. The rice mixed with raw egg and sauce of their beef is quite good. The beef slices were tender and I could have this entire bowl to myself if I were still dead hungry.

Overall, I find the food at Watami to be really good, in fact better than a lot of mainstream sushi casual dining restaurant. They had a second visit from me 2 weeks back with a different group of friends and they agree with my opinion as well. One of the selling point of Watami is they are serving their food with affordable pricing as well. You have to see the menu yourself to believe it.

I was also told that when Watami first opened, their food were below par and fortunately, that wasn't the case at all for me this time. The management said they used to have a menu personalised to the Malaysians' taste and expectation but now, they had revamped it and they are serving the same menu as they are serving back in Japan with the same quality. That means you are basically dining in Japan without actually being in Japan yourself.

Cutelery's Rating - This rating is based on my personal taste and experience and it may not accurately represent how you will feel towards the food and dining experience. I will not be held responsible for false reviewing if your opinion differs greatly from mine. Dine at your own risk.

Food: 7.5/10 (could be higher if their maki roll were done better)

Environment: 8/10

Service: 8/10 (really helpful and friendly)

Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant
1st Floor, Rainforest, 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1 Lebuh Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.Facebook: Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant Malaysia
Website: www.watami.com.my