Munakata @ Life Centre, KL

We have been meaning to try Munakata ever since we had a taste of their version of takoyaki at the Bon Odori Festival last year. However, it was indeed a shock when we arrived at Life Centre for dinner as the place was undergoing major renovation works. I'm surprised Munakata is still open for business and that there are still customers coming and going, considering the state of the place and what we had to walk through to get to the restaurant.
 

Buffet Ala-Carte Menu (RM 60++ / RM 35++)

 
As can be seen in the above picture, you have to order the menu items ala Old Town Kopitiam style where you write the item number on a piece of paper and the quantity you wish to order. Overall, there is sufficient ala-carte items with varied cooking styles.
 

Two orders of salmon sashimi

 
Although the salmon sashimi had a little dark spots, they were the highlight of the meal! The salmon sashimi served were thick and extremely juicy and bouncy, the best both of us ever tasted! Seriously, if you want to make this buffet worth your money, you just have to eat this only. It was sooooo good that we had a second round - 4 orders of excellent salmon sashimi =)
 

More salmon sashimi!

Reviewing this now makes me crave for the salmon...
 

Ankake Age Dofu

Was actually craving for chilled tofu but this was the only tofu option available so we ordered it. The deep fried tofu was coated with a light batter and garnished with chopped spring onions and sweet soya sauce. I had expected the tofu to be wobbly on the inside but the tofu used here is the firm kind. I think the sauce is a bit too little for the tofu though as the firm type is a bit more bland, in my opinion.
 

Enoki no Gyuniku Maki

 
This is a sliced beef roll with enoki mushrooms. The beef was good, slightly charred yet still moist. It was sufficiently thick that there was a bite to it. Lots of enoki mushrooms were rolled within the beef slice. The beef juices and marinade were fully absorbed in the enoki mushrooms; however they were a bit tough to bite off, seeing as they are straw mushrooms.
 

Salmon Teriyaki

Firm meat goes well with the sweet teriyaki sauce but I think I prefer the raw version =P
  

Gindara Teriyaki

  
Yet another fish with the sweet sauce. Soft flesh with oily bits that JS loves (sounds wrong haha!) Obviously he prefers this over the salmon...
 

Unagi Teriyaki

This one needs no introduction - grilled to perfection but portion was kind of small for one order.
 

Tempura Moriawase

Soft Shell Crab Tempura

 
The Tempura Moriawase & Soft Shell Crab Tempura were already cold when we got to them because so many orders came at once. The prawn & the vegetables were tasty but I didn't really like the crab. It would have been nicer if Munakata provided some grated radish with the dip =)

Furai Moriawase

 
Essentially deep fried crumbed seafood, it was good with the sweet oyster sauce and the shredded cabbage offered some sort of fibre to the otherwise protein-packed dinner.
 

Hotate no Butter Shoyu Yaki

The grilled scallops tasted strongly of butter. The moist flesh went well with the crisp chopped scallions. The slight brownish colour of the scallops suggested that light soy sauce was also used to flavour the dish.
 

Shishamo

 
I had always wanted to try grilled smelt fish but it was kind of disappointing as I had always anticipated it to be so crispy such that the bones are edible. The fish was lightly grilled but the bones remained inedible. Furthermore, there were a lot of small fine bones that eating this became a pain in the ass -_-"
 

Yakitori

 
I think I prefer Sushi Zen's Yakitori as Munakata's chicken skewers were not as tender and moist.
 

Yakinasu no Nikumiso Kake

I expected the brinjal to be grilled until the flesh is all soft and mushy but the skin was still hard and tough to chew. The minced meat with miso sauce was a tad bit salty but goes well with the eggplant.
  

Gyu Saikoro Steak

 
Cubes of good beef cooked just right, not too chewy and had a nice texture.
 

Sake Chazuke

 
This is a very good meal to have on a cold rainy day. Rice soaking in a bowl of tea flavoured by the salty salmon and garnished with chopped scallions and dried seaweed. Very refreshing and comforting. Wouldn't mind ordering this again. Chilli pepper flakes are available for sprinkling over the dish.
 

Green Tea Ice-Cream with Red Beans

 
The green tea ice-cream here is really good. Very bitter which complements the sweetness of red beans well. The texture is rather flaky with tiny bits of ice. I would prefer the creamier type of ice-cream but the icy texture of this ice-cream together with its bitterness does grow on you leading to JS...
 

JS's accomplishment

  
...ordering 4 bowls of it!!!
 

Edamame chopstick holder

Satisfied customers =)

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Cheese

Munakata
Mezzanine Floor, Life Centre
No. 20, Jln Sultan Ismail
Tel: 03 2166 7441
Daily except Sunday lunch and public holidays: 12pm - 3pm (Lunch), 6pm - 11pm (Dinner)