Umeshu Sushi & Bar @ Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam

Japanese Cuisine at Affordable Prices!

A recent foodie round up at Umeshu Sushi & Bar had us all very satiated with the very affordable and scrumptious Japanese restaurant discreetly hidden in Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam. Thanks to dear foodie buddy Yvonne, Umeshu is a real gem that was just waiting to be discovered.

Umeshu Sushi & Bar opened in March 2015. It was a perfect spot as there were no Japanese restaurants nearby and the owners are well-aware that there are colleges nearby and Japanese cuisine is always a crowd pleaser for many. To cater to all the students and those living nearby, the owners made their prices very affordable and yet serves up very delicious and decent Japanese dishes. Umeshu also offers delivery services within the nearby area and college with 1 hour advance order.

Seafood delivery takes place every 2 days to ensure that every item is kept as fresh as possible. The owners also made sure that most of all their sauces and dressing are made in-house such as soy sauce, sweet sauce, sesame sauce and more to keep their dishes as homemade as possible.

The restaurant is decorated with simple and pleasing design. There are booths or regular seating. Since the restaurant has a long space, catering to big or small parties are not an issue too. There is even a lovely long tatami room for privacy.

Moving to serious eats, we had a classic favorite of Edamame (RM3.30) as we try out their Bavaria non-alcoholic malt drink that comes in Pomegranate or Peach. The fizzy malt drink is pretty enjoyable…

Dinner continue to our first appetizer of Jikasei Niku Miso Hiyayakko (RM5.30) or Cold Tofu with Umeshu met Miso. Simple, fresh and easy to enjoy… the flavours are quite intense and vibrant from the soy sauce to miso while the spring onions and tobiko added more textures and flavours.

Japanese salads are often really easy to enjoy. These salads are never heavy and always uses minimal ingredients to showcase the freshness of the seafood that is very often paired with salads. Ours was Soba Avocado Salad (RM10.90), a healthy soba noodle, avocado, corn, seaweed and greens mix paired with creamy dressing.

We also had another appetizer of Salmon Avocado (RM6.90), cubed salmon with creamy cuts of avocado dressed in a tangy and creamy dressing and finished with a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi powder. So delicious!!

Sushi time and these are definitely a crowd-pleaser as we checked out some sushi and maki rolls from Umeshu’s sushi bar. Salmon Zukushi (RM16.90) is faultless, a lovely platter for salmon lovers. Salmon sashimi, salmon sushi and salmon roll with mayo is creamy and delicious. With that price tag, I’ll gladly order two platters for myself.

Another personal favorite of mine is their Aburi Salmon Sushi (RM4.90 for two pieces). Creamy cuts of salmon is lightly brushed with teriyaki sauce, lightly torched and served with pearls of salmon roe and a dab of mayo. Simply scrumptious!

Goka Irodori (RM16.90) is a role one would love when one wants a little of everything in their roll. Sushi roll with pickled daikon radish and cucumber is covered with slices of assorted sashimi, finished with a drizzle of mayo and topped with ebiko.

Another roll to check out would be the house signature roll of Umeshu Special Fried Salmon Roll (RM13.90). Albeit a less healthy version of maki but is yummy as the maki roll has salmon, cucumber and cheese inside, crumbed and fried still crispy outside. A drizzle of sauce and a touch of ebiko sealed the deal. There’s more adventurous rolls to tempt diners with Fire Oyster Roll, King Prawn Roll, Norway Roll, Fire Spider Roll and more.

We edged in slowly to mains and had the Salmon Kobuto Teriyaki (RM10.90) to start. The grilled salmon head has a nice teriyaki glaze. It may need some effort to pick through the head but the fleshy bits are silky smooth and creamy.

Seasonal Pan Fried Salmon Bone is a dish the chef whipped up especially just for us. There is a lovely spicy note to the dish. The salmon bone still has a fair bit of meat on it and we did our best to polish this clean too. The additions of onions and bell peppers with other bits of vegetables made the flavours sweeter. Not in the menu but do ask the waitstaff…

More Yakimono followsw with Ika Maruyaki (RM14.90) or Roasted Squid and Saba Shioyaki (RM14.90). Both nicely grilled and sufficiently satisfying in flavours and textures.

Steak lovers will definitely enjoy the Teppan Gyu Steak (RM18.90). The steak was gorgeously charred and remained tender and juicy. Served with mashed potato, corn and broccoli on a sizzling hot plate, it was certainly a delicious main course. If you prefer your steak a bit more rare, make sure to let the staff know.

We moved on to more classic favorites in Japanese cuisine. We had two tempura dishes of Tempura Moriawase (RM15.90) and Tempura Mantis Prawn (RM8.90). The Tempura Moriawase was a classic mix of fried tempura prawn, capsicum, eggplant, pumpkin and mushroom. Nicely executed with light crispy batter and sweet prawns with various vegetables cooked well.

The Tempura Mantis Prawn were more unique as I haven’t seen this much in Japanese restaurant. Still, I am not complaining as these were decent too with the crispy tempura and tempura sauce.

If there is one thing to order at Umeshu, it’s their rice dishes! We had three and all 3 were indeed awesome in flavours and textures.

Ishiyaki Salmon Tobiko (RM15.90), a hot stone bowl rice topped with salmon, egg, ebiko, spring onion and special sauce. Mixed these all together and it is sublime! Crusty bits of rice coated with egg yolk and lightly cooked salmon, sauce and ebiko is such an amazing dish that I will indeed return for. I had two helpings from this portion because it was just too darn irresistible…

Kamameshi or Kettle Rice, is the traditional Japanese way to prepare rice. The special Kama or iron pot makes a perfect single dish meal as one can also add any other ingredients in and cook them together. Then the rice is usually served in the pot at tableside as it will also keep the rice warm. We had two varieties of Kamameshi of Gomoku Kamameshi (RM20.90) and Unagi Kamameshi (RM29.90).

Gomoku Kamameshi is assorted seafood, chicken, mushrooms, burdock, aburage, spring onions and ebiko while Unagi Kamameshi is Japanese grilled eel with mushrooms, burdock, aburage, seaweed and wasabi. Choosing one is not easy as both are really aromatic, flavourful with crispy bits of the fluffy rice. So choose either one depending on your favorite ingredient and you won’t be disappointed as these make great tummy fillers as well as sharing meal.

Umeshu also has lots noodles dishes from ramen, soba to udon and we tried their signature Ishiyoki Curry Udon (RM10.90). The thick and creamy Japanese curry is moreish, leaning towards more savory than sweet. Just my kind of flavour as I do not enjoy sweet curry. Serving bubbling hot in hot stone bowl, the udon comes with a tempura whole egg, seafood and spring onions. This one is really pretty decent in my books.

We also had a large bottle of Umeshu Wine from Choya, classic Japanese plum wine that the restaurant is named after. Perfect to go with the dishes if you asked me…

We barely covered their menu at Umeshu Sushi & Bar. All of us really thought that the prices are very reasonable for their dishes served and portions are good too. Umeshu definitely serves much credit for their effort in serving up affordable and scrumptious Japanese cuisine. Must-orders for me are their Salmon Avocado, Aburi Salmon Sushi, Teppan Gyu Steak, Ishiyaki Salmon Tobiko and Kamameshi!

UMESHU SUSHI & BAR (Pork-free)

8, Jalan U1/36,

Glenmarie Industrial Park,

40150 Shah Alam, Selangor

Tel: +603 5567 9692 / 013-232 6338

Email: ume.sushibar@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Umeshu-sushi-bar-824111654301588

Business Hours:

Mon-Sun: 9am - 9pm

Closed on alternate Sundays – please call for confirmation

New Formosa Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

Celebrating 36 Years of Deliciousness!

It’s a rare gem to find a restaurant that has been serving up good food over three decades and those who do, deserves a standing ovation. Run by a husband and wife team, New Formosa Restaurant, located in SS2 at Petaling Jaya, certainly deserves an accolade for their joint effort. New Formosa is one of the oldest Taiwanese restaurant in the vicinity and has been serving authentic Taiwanese cuisine to many since 1980. The owners, Mr. Lee Weng Eng and Mrs. Jeanie Lee, are such dedicated owners who runs New Formasa every day throughout the year and only closes for a few days a year. While Mr. Lee, who happens to be the chef, runs the back kitchen, Mrs. Lee is the perfect hostess in the front of the restaurant.

With 36 years and counting, New Formosa is celebrating their 36^th Anniversary with a delicious bang, which includes celebratory menus of New Formosa’s signature dishes and the Taiwanese Formosa Stone-Fire Pot promotion. Diners are treated to a long list of scrumptious Taiwanese dishes that has continue to be favorites throughout the years. Seating are limited and New Formosa gets really busy so make sure to make your reservations if you are dining in parties.

To celebrate any special occasions, diners can opt for New Formosa’s Set Menus that caters from a minimum of 2 pax to 10 pax. Prices ranges from RM68 to RM598 for the various set menus. For more details, please check out the full menus here.

To celebrate any special occasions, the Formosa Special Combination is a great and gorgeous platter for indulgence. Showcasing five various dishes all on a platter, diners are treated to New Formosa’s signature dishes that are truly unique and deliciously tempting. Besides the pretty Oriental presentation of the dish, the portions are generous as well.

The Butter Fish Slices Formosa Style is a treat of crispy golden fish slices sautéed with lots of buttery crumbs and curry leaves. The dish is beautifully aromatic and has a lovely richness of buttery notes. I heard that New Formosa does a mean Butter Eel version too!

Yam Balls sounds a bit mundane but rest assured, these are delicious with a lovely creamy powdery yam note. Another favorite dish of mine on the platter as the croquette is really flavourful and moreish.

The Deep Fried Oysters Taiwanese Style is simply divine. Just the perfect size oysters in light golden crispy batter enhanced with crispy basil leaves are beautifully succulent. As soon as one bites into the oysters, the juiciness fills the mouth with a glorious briny flavour of the oyster.

Taiwan Famous 3-Cup Sotong is a twist from the classic chicken version. No complaints here as the squid makes a nice change from the chicken and really took on the savory, sweet and aromatic flavours of the classic 3-cup sauce.

The last one turned out to be quite unique. Stuffed Lotus Root with Special Fish Paste combined the unique texture of crunchy lotus root with the bouncy fish paste. The subtle sweetness of the lotus root goes well with the savory notes of the fish paste.

Moving on to another dish of Steamed Village Chicken with Black Fungus, it was a unanimous agreement that we all enjoyed this dish a lot that evening. Firm village chicken is smothered in a garlic and ginger sauce together with black wood fungus. The chicken flesh is smooth with a lovely firm skin and is firm yet tender. It was the gingery sauce that really took the chicken flavours to another level of deliciousness. A dish that revels comfort in very sense and perfect with steamed rice…

Bamboo Yam Rice is another signature dish of New Formosa. There is much to love about this dish. Served in a long bamboo case, the fluffy yam rice is gorgeous in flavours. Lots of ingredients of yam, pumpkin, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, mushrooms, fried shallots and scallions made up the rice. It’s no wonder the rice is so tasty. The dish is literally a complete one-dish meal on its own!

In every Chinese meal, fish is always a must. Here, we had the Local Sea Bass with Hot Bean Sauce and Mantao. Albeit unusual to serve fish with Mantao but it is there for a reason. The sea bass is drenched in a piquant hot bean sauce that beckons for that bun to soak up the flavours for more enjoyment. The sweetness of the silky flesh of the sea bass still manages to stand out pretty well against the heavy rich sauce.

Crab lovers will rejoice at New Formosa’s Sweet & Sour Crab Claws. I know I did. And one of the best perks of the dish is that New Formosa serves crab claws alone in this dish. The claw is the more sought after part of the crab and here, diners can dig in and enjoy the crab claws cooked in a luscious sweet and sour sauce with light laces of egg strands. The sauce is simply marvelous and it hits all the right balance of sweet, savory, spicy and tangy notes. I couldn’t resist enjoying the sauce with mantao buns.

Besides all the signature dishes from the set menu, diners can enjoy New Formosa Stone-Fire Pot promotion for only RM20 per person (minimum 3 persons per table) plus a free MuaChi dessert. Featuring 22 ingredients, this hotpot is such a treat and great to end the day with such a soothing meal of soup and fresh ingredients. This promotional price is available on weekdays only and for a limited time so call for more details.

There are various steps to enjoying this Taiwanese hotpot. First, the staff will sauté the aromatics and the special Taiwanese Sa Cha sauce (Satay sauce) and add in chicken and squid.

Once that has finished cooking, we are told to enjoy the chicken and squid as they are dishes up and served. The smoky moreish flavours of the Sa Cha sauce is quite addictive.

Prawns are added to the pot and the cooking continues. These large prawns are additional order and are not part of the promotional price package.

Then the rest of the ingredients are slowly added in different stages of cooking to be enjoyed throughout the meal. Stock is added for the ingredients to be cooked in.

What makes New Formosa Stone-Fire Pot worth savoring are the classic and unusual ingredients that goes into this hotpot. From Chinese cabbage, fried yam, tomatoes, assorted mushrooms, corn, angle luffa, seaweed, boiled mustard leaves, bean curd to fish maws, meat balls and fish balls, minced pork balls, pig stomach, pig intestines and the list goes on.

The soup was so sweet and tasty as the ingredients continue to be added and cooked. There is a nutty and sublime flavour of the soup that I enjoyed that night. It is quite different from our usual hotpot flavours as this one is richer and nutty with a smoky note. At the end of the hotpot meal and if you still have more room, do enjoy homemade noodles, vermicelli and egg!

Just when I thought the meal cannot get any better, Mrs. Jeanie whipped out her favorite dessert of Green Tea Pudding with Red Bean and Sweet Yam in Honey Sauce. Though both are not part of the hotpot package, it might be worthy of an order as these are unique desserts that end your Taiwanese meal on a fresh and sweet note.

The chilled Green Tea Pudding with Red Bean has a QQ textured konyakku green tea jelly with an intense bittersweet green tea note. The red bean paste offset the green tea with some sweetness.

The Sweet Yam in Honey sauce is simply a must-order! Cooked yam is coated in caramelized honey sauce and quickly soaked in cold water to give the yam its famous crunchy crystallized texture with a soft creamy inside. Simply aromatic and super scrumptious!!

If you have never been to New Formosa, head on over for a taste of Taiwanese cuisine from the passionate owners. Food at New Formosa are dishes that diners will enjoy after a long day at work. The dishes are comforting, reflecting memories of home cook dishes that many will enjoy. With their various set menus and promotion going on this 36^th Anniversary, it’s a great time to taste what New Formosa has been offering all these years to many diners.

NEW FORMOSA

46, Jalan SS2/24,

47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03 7875 7478 / 019 335 3274

Email: jeanieformosa@gmail.com

Website: www.newformosarestaurant.com

Business Hours:

Lunch 12noon – 3pm

Dinner 6pm – 10.30pm