Warakuya Japanese Restaurant @ Jalan Kuning 2 (Johor Bahru) [Malaysia]

I blogged about San Low Bee Hoon in 2014 and back then; a Japanese restaurant along a road after Pelangi Plaza caught my attention with its traditional façade. Every time the cab drove us to San Low Bee Hoon, I would tell myself I should pay the Japanese restaurant a visit.

The visit came only last month; after more than eight years! I am glad the Warakuya Japanese Restaurant managed to weather out the pandemic and it appeared to be real popular among my friends; hence the motivation to finally check it out. 

Not much of a queue when I arrived but it could be because of the weekday and that it wasn't yet the peak dinner period. The line built up only when we left at about 7.30 pm although it still appeared pretty manageable. 

One thing that would draw your eyes; the line of intricately designed bowls that you wonder what they would be used for. Furthermore, some, like the one in the above photo, have no references to Japanese cuisine. 

First thing that greeted us, aside from the person who brought us in; hot towel for us to wipe away our fatigue! When was the last time you get hot towels?!  Was it at Haidilao where customer service is always top notch!?

Without mobile roaming, I relied heavily on free Wi-Fi for my day trip to Johore. Unlike in the past, free Wi-Fi nowadays actually have pretty good speed. 

Complimentary tissue paper, free alcohol hand sanitizer; former should be the standard for all restaurants in Singapore and latter is pretty much the norm due to the pandemic although most would place it at the cashier counter rather than on each table.

Menus - I dislike it when eateries have too much of a variety for diners to refer to. I am greedy and will be overwhelmed with choices that I couldn't make a decision on! Variety is only preferred when it is for buffets. 

Our eventual selection; for three persons.     

Hot Green Tea - don't you find it fascinating that our definition of tea when we are young would be cold tea like Yeo's Chrysanthemum Tea or milk tea but our taste preference changes when we age. So never say you would never eat something, unless you are dead allergic to a specific ingredient(s)! Hm.... I don't think I will eat shit though. 

Ikura Chawanmushi - I honestly expected a lot more fish roes; as far as chawanmushi is concerned; it was flavorful and smooth, with a nice tasting, 'crunchy' prawn. 

Gintara Saka Mushi - with so much enoki mushrooms, you would be forgiven for assuming this was just a bowl of mushroom soup priced at RM 32.90.  

This was a steal, given that gintara means cod fish and it's pricey in Singapore; it's my favorite fish yet I could only indulge occasionally.  A lightly flavored soup with delicious pieces of cod fish; it was so comforting to sip and enjoy on rainy weather!  

Okonomiyaki - with squid and prawns hidden in the batter, it was a tad too floury as compared to my recent dining experience at Ajiya, but one thing surprised me; the crispy toppings on top which might not be authentic yet resulted in an endearing texture change.

Hiyashi Wakame - a seaweed salad, this was appetizing and tasted like jellyfish doused with sesame oil. Serving was small and I think it's easy to down a few bowls of this with a bottle of beer! 

Special Warakuya Roll - indicated with a must try logo, this didn't elicit positive feedback from us; seemed like deep fried maki with ingredients like seaweed, prawns and minced meat. I think we like our usual California roll better, or those from Koh Grill & Sushi Bar.

Tempura Cha Zaru Soba - just now we talked about how our preferences change with age when it comes to hot tea. Personally, I have a few examples and one of them was cha soba; I didn't like this cold, Japanese summer dish until after I had it onboard Thai Airways on my way back from Hokkaido.

Usually, the sauce was pretty straightforward and didn't involve wasabi, sesame seeds, spring onions, crispies and a raw quail egg; however, since they were given, waste them not! 

Taste of the soba was normal, nothing exceptional. Credits had to be given to the ingredient-filled sauce though; as it did enhance the flavor and texture. At RM 24.90, it's super worth it, especially when you factor in the tempura! 

I loved deep fried stuff even though I am seldom impressed with tempura. The ones here were not bad but not exceptional enough for me to absorb the calories.

Most disappointed with this fan-shaped tempura; I think it's made from enoki mushroom. Not much of a taste; like deep fried mee sua and very difficult to break. Maybe it's only for display! 

Salmon Sashimi - beautifully plated, decorated with fake and real flowers, the salmon was in thick, satisfying chunks, albeit not in fresh tiptop condition. I would very much prefer the salmon sashimi from Japanese Curry Express @ Fortune Centre.

Pudding - was about to step away when we realized complimentary dessert would be given for every diner! Chocolate pudding with hello kitty imprint; nice, smooth texture and not overly sweet.

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For all that we had, the bill came up to less than S$50.00, and that included service charge and tax. In view of its wide variety (and it wouldn't burnt a hole in my pocket), it's definitely a place I would return to in the future.

One page on the menu had me drooling; the daifuku sushi cake! Maybe I would order just one of them in the future, and eat nothing else. That amount of starch would likely make me feel guilty for the next few months.

Address

43, Jalan Kuning 2, Taman Pelangi, 

80400 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Ikura Chawanmushi - RM 16.90

Gintara Saka Mushi -  RM 32.90

Okonomiyaki -  RM 16.90

Hiyashi Wakame -  RM 8.90

Special Warakuya Roll -  RM 18.90

Tempura Cha Zaru Soba - RM 24.90

Salmon Sashimi -  RM 23.90

Hot Tea - RM 1.00 each

(Subject to Service Charge and SST)

Additional Information

I noticed these two items outside the restaurant after our meal. Like Haidilao, I am able to eat and drink for free? Shall confirm the next time as my GRAB arrived earlier than expected and I didn't manage to ask the service staff! 

For summary of my day trip to Johor Bahru, please visit 

https://cavinteo.blogspot.com/2022/06/day-trip-to-johore-bahru-malaysia.html