Gantetsu, Isetan & Hui Lau Shan

Venue: 1 Utama Shopping Centre
Occasion: Birthday
Overall comment: I didn't really enjoy the food at Gantetsu. I found my bowl of ramen not very flavourful (no "kick") & very costly as well. As for desserts at Hui Lau Shan, it's generally not too bad. I kinda liked it cos it's not too sweet, but for those who prefer their desserts to be sweeeeeeet, this may not appeal to you. You've gotta try the desserts at least once cos it's a very famous dessert chain in Hong Kong itself!
Halal: Gantetsu - No, Hui Lau Shan - Unsure

I finally had the discipline & time to blog again *hurray!*

Isetan opened at 1 Utama not too long ago & their little food corner called Eat Paradise, offering an array of Japanese delights just began business early this month. One of the non-halal restaurants at Eat Paradise is Gantetsu.

A couple of friends & myself were at Gantetsu to try out what this new restaurant has to offer. The place was kinda small & quite stuffy/humid (ventilation wasn't great!), so we had a quick meal & left before we continued 'steaming' at the restaurant.

Note: Photos below may not represent the actual size of the food.

Here are some of the dishes ordered:

Unagi Don (RM20.90/serving)

Quite a small bowl of unagi with rice. The unagi was slightly "old", so it was "chewy" instead of tender & flaky like the usual eels. Portion wasn't sufficient to satisfy my big guy :P Lacking "umph" as well.

King Charshu Miso (RM28.90/serving)

Ramen was springy, but the miso broth compared to the other "tonkotsu" broth wasn't much of a difference. The "char siew"/barbecue pork slices were quite nicely done, but lacking flavour. The eggs on the other hand were hard-boiled to perfection - I like the yolk half cooked :P I thought it's a bit pricey & lacking "attention-grabber" too...halfway through the bowl of ramen & I got bored.

Hokkaido Tonkotsu Spicy (RM25.90/serving)

Erm...frankly speaking, doesn't vary much from the non-spicy in terms of taste. It's just....spicy? 

Okonomiyaki Gyoza (RM11.50/serving of 5 pieces)

Nothing much to shout about. I've had better gyoza at other Japanese restaurants. 

King Hokkaido Tonkotsu (RM 27.90/serving)

It's either that I'm not a great fan of such ramen or I was just too tired that very evening to slurp it all up. *shrugs*

The bill

I thought it was very pricey for a simple dinner for 5 persons :S I may not pop-by this place again...doesn't really suit my palate. Perhaps it suits yours? 

After dinner, we headed for some dessert. Hui Lau Shan is one of the new players at 1 Utama (Old Wing) & is said to be a very famous dessert player in Hong Kong. Many said that it offers one of the best HK desserts as well! Since it was on our way out to our car, we stopped by to give this place a try.

Check out the crowd!

I was amazed....really...more people than "food restaurants"...hahaha...and they sell mainly desserts.

Mango "Sai Mai Lo" (Cold)

Mango sorbet + cubes of fresh mangoes + sago + coconut milk

I liked it. Just nice for me in terms of sweetness. Most people will find it tasteless though...hahaha...less sugar is good! :D

Some triple dessert dish (I forgot the actual name)

Three of their most famous desserts in 1 serving. Good stuff! The mango mochi was good & same goes the sorbet. The glutinous rice balls were quite tasteless - "lump of flour", in Evie's opinion....hahaha... 

Silky Mango Pudding

Smooth & silky indeed...quite a lovely dessert :) 

With Evie 

The guys - AP & chef James! 

 Yes, AP appeared as a surprise on my birthday

Quite some good "secret plan" that he was scheming with James =.=" And I did not suspect even a bit...bummer...very crever...

1 Utama is just loaded with food outlets - old & new...mostly offering good stuff! One could spend the whole day shopping & dining there...shop & eat 'til you drop!

Special thanks to AP, James, Evie, & MT for the birthday treat!!