Kuriya @ Bangsar

Hubby and I have been going to Spring Hatsuhana at BSC for years, almost a couple of times a month or monthly at the least. Why? Spring was the place for great variety and value for money Japanese food in a cosy and quiet, non-pretentious place. When BSC started renovating, Spring disappeared and we were devastated, so the hunt for a new Jap haunt began. We started to get quite fond of Yuzu at Gardens Mid Valley but alas it's alot of effort going there (parking, jam etc)

Imagine my delight when I discovered that a new Jap place found it's way into BSC ..... here are the pics of our rendezvous to the brand new Kuriya Japanese Restaurant last night ....

Kuriya is located on the newly renovated third floor at BSC (Bangsar Shopping Centre). Unfortunately Kuriya is not affiliated with Spring Hatsuhana. Kuriya is in fact a Singaporean chain. The BSC outlet opened in June 2009.

If you opt to sit outside on the balcony, like we did, you will have this view! Superb on a clear night, but may be rather warm for some. Having a mist curtain and some ceiling fans would be really GOOD!


Menu: here are some of the sashimi & sushi offerings on the menu; for those all out to indulge.

There are special lunch sets on the menu, decent variety and more value-added than ordering the individual ala carte. Alas, there are no dinner sets.

Salmon Salad: salad leaves with a yinyang combination of salmon sashimi and deep fried salmon and a tangy savory dressing on the side (RM18)

Chawan Mushi: taste like any decent chawan mushi (RM10)

Tori Karaage: Deep fried chicken pieces, thankfully no 'breast' parts, meat was tender and juicy and not heavily breaded at all. Good enough as a starter or snack for 2 average eaters, or 3 small eaters (RM16)

Enoki Hoiru Yaki: 3 types of mushrooms cooked in foil. Get a spoon to enjoy the soup inside! (RM16)

Hiyashi Kamo Seiro: Soba noddles with duck breast; an interesting savory cold dish with a runny egg, an adventurous option! (RM24)

Matcha Azuki: I love this; a combination of green tea pudding, green tea ice cream and red bean at the base, plus the bits of fruit for texture (RM16)

Oshiruko: Red bean paste porridge with mochi rice cake aka chewy glutinous rice cakes; a must for all red bean fans! Believe me, it taste much better than it looks ok! (RM8)

What we loved?

• The fact that it's in BSC is great; convenient and easy parking.
• The food we had were fabulous; would definitely order the Tori Karaage again.
• The dessert array is truly tempting - loved the Matcha Azuki!
  
• Alot of thought has been given to the interior decor; authentic and classy
  
• A good place to impress bosses, international business associates and high maintenance clients.
• The dim and moody lighting makes it a great date-place too.

What we didn't quite like ...

• The price, nothing like Spring Hatsuhana, I suppose BSC is trying to upgrade itself.
• Hubby prefers some bento options for dinner, his rationale is you want to 'sample' and try bits of different things at one time.
• A wee bit on the pretentious side, not exactly a place for casual dining
• They were so busy that it took some time to get a seat and to get some good attention from the waiters etc.

Will we be back? It's not a very strong yes, maybe for lunch.

Can anyone tell me where Spring Hatsuhana's gone to? I miss them *sniff*sob*

Itching to try Kuriya, details below;
3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre (old wing)
285 Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya,
59000 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-20939242