Review: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant, Tropicana City Mall

Overall comment: Fabulous selection of beef cuts with a variety of marinade options (they've other meats & seafood as well)! The best part is you'll not walk out of the restaurant smelling like a piece of bbq beef as Gyu-Kaku uses a special technology of "smokeless" bbq :D *thumbs up*
Halal: Pork-free (was informed they have not obtained halal certification yet)

Ever had lunch or dinner at a Japanese barbecue restaurant? It's extremely rare to stumble upon a Japanese restaurant for barbecue meats compared to the many options for Korean barbecue! So far, Gyu-Kaku is the 1st that I have come across :D The major difference between Japanese bbq & Korean bbq are the importance of meat cuts. The Japanese are extremely particular with their meat cuts, so you can expect to get really fantastic meat cuts like those below! *drools*

Check out the marbling of the beef!

Wagyu Brisket (left) (RM26.90/serving of 100g) & Wagyu Karubi/short ribs (right) (RM45.00/serving of 100g)

Gyu-Kaku has over 600 outlets worldwide!! *wow* With 3 outlets in Malaysia i.e. at 1 Utama, Pulika & Tropicana City Mall, this latest player in the food arena is sure to reward Malaysians with their quality food, comfortable ambiance & friendly customer service.

What you get as a diner

At every Gyu-Kaku restaurant, you'll get your simple set of utensils + an apron (square folded item below chopsticks on the left) to ensure that your clothes do not get any stains throughout your meal.

Gyu-Kaku @ Tropicana City Mall

Spacious & comfortable ambiance

Come, let me bring you on a gastronomical journey through the photos that I've taken at the review! *giggles* I was the only blogger there with 3 of Gyu-Kaku's "pros". The load of food that we had was quite frightening...hahaha...SO MUCH FOOD!

Yuzu Hot Tea (RM2.90/glass)

I think this is a good drink to begin the meal. It's refreshing, tangy & fruity - very fun yet soothing after a long day at work.

Here we go....!

Appetizer: Shrimp Gyoza

This is NOT your typical gyoza, where the dumpling is just pan-fried. The whole gyoza is CRISPY like a fried "sui gao"! The shrimp mixture is still moist & perfectly cooked (not over-cooked) & the crispy dumpling skin with slightly sweet sauce drizzled on top of the gyoza binds the simple gyoza to perfection! Highly recommended for those who prefer crispy gyoza :D

Yums!

Salad: Warm Horenzo Salad

My favorite salad thus far...silky spinach leaves (not the local spinach!!) & fresh button mushrooms with fragrant sesame seed Japanese mayonnaise topped with crispy fried garlic. These are a few of my favorite things! I want moreeeee....

Appetizer: Chicken Karage

Crispy on the outside, moist & tender on the inside - that's what Gyu-Kaku's Chicken Karage is like. They serve much larger pieces compared to those available at other restaurants, but it's still nice to eat although not as 'fun' & 'bite size'.

Soup: Tofu Jige Soup (RM15.90/serving)

If you're looking for a sumptuous soup at Gyu-Kaku just like at a Korean bbq restaurant, enjoy the Korean-style of tofu jige at a Japanese restaurant! :P Are you confused? It's called variety! I love the spiciness & 'sourness' from the kimchi.

Rice: Isyiyaki Mentaiko (RM20.90/serving)

Something very different & unique. It's like a Korean dolsot bibimbap, but this is the Japanese version, where you'll find rice, salmon & cod roe topped with dry seaweed & sesame seeds in a hot stone bowl. Eat it while it's hot/warm for maximum enjoyment! I loved this rice dish & couldn't really stop eating although I was quite stuffed with all the appetizers! *lol*

Isyiyaki Udon (RM18.90/serving)

Japanese noodle pan-fried with vegetables & chicken

Sizzling hot udon noodles with vegetables & chicken. Pretty tasty, but I still prefer hot stone rice to noodles.

I was beginning to feel full after enjoying all the appetizers, rice & noodles, but I had to ensure that I still have stomach space for the meats! That's like the MUST-HAVEs here at Gyu-Kaku.

The "smokeless" grill

Unlike Korean bbq restaurants where they have the air/smoke suction pipes on top of the grill, Gyu-Kaku's suction pipes are built in at the bottom of the grills! Very, very minimal bbq smoke smell will fill the air, so don't worry about walking out smelling like a piece of bbq meat.

Platter of beef cuts (from RM14.90 - RM35.90/serving/cut)

From front clockwise: Angus Karubi/Short Ribs (RM25.90/serving of 100g), Angus Rump Cap (RM21.00/serving of 100g), Angus Harami/Thick Skirt (RM18.90/serving of 100g), Beef Tongue (RM25.90/serving of 100g), & Angus Fillet/Tenderloin [middle of the platter] (RM35.90/serving of 100g). Different cuts have different textures; there are currently 8 different cuts offered at Gyu-Kaku. With the choice of 6 marinades available i.e. Himalaya Rock Salt, Tare, Shio, Miso, Spicy Miso & Miso/Shio with Leeks, get ready to tickle your taste buds & enjoy the meat-lovers' meal! Oh, my favorite was actually the Angus Fillet/Tenderloin. I loved the thick cut as it carries loads of flavor. The beef tongue was also very unique & doesn't taste like a tongue/muscle, but like a piece of meat...interesting...

Photo taken shows sample platter, not actual serving portion

Sizzling Goodness
I LOVE the tender & juicy beef pieces...more, more, more! *salivates*

My Wagyu Briskets & Wagyu Karubi..SO GOOD!
As the pieces of meat are bite-size, all you need is 10-30 seconds to cook it! VERY efficient, fast to cook, GREAT to eat! Suitable for those who are very hungry & love their meat cooked perfectly (medium rare, medium well...etc). Gyu-Kaku serves 2 dips for the meats as well, one that's slightly spicy + sweet, while the other leans towards savory.

Chicken Fillet/Thigh (RM12.90/serving)

For those who don't take beef, don't worry, their chicken fillets are lovely as well. You can have it pre-marinated with tare, shio, miso, spicy miso, teriyaki, garlic or basil.

Lamb Neck Fillet with Basil Marinade (RM15.90/serving)

If you love lamb, you'll enjoy this. They didn't use mint, but basil, which gives a nice aroma with a different twist :)

There are also seafood & vegetables (prices from RM4.90 - 18.90/serving) for bbq-ing, but I was too stuffed to have more food. You can find:

• Sea Water Prawns, 4 prawns (RM20.90/serving)
• Whole Squid (RM14.90/serving)
• Norwegian Salmon with Shio/Miso Marinade (RM17.90/serving)
• US Scallop with Garlic/Black Pepper Marinade (RM25.90/serving)
• Oysters, 2 pieces (RM15.90/serving)
• Ocean Seafood Platter (RM79.90/serving)

Gyu-Kaku is opened for both lunch & dinner, but the crowd for both meals consist of very different people. Those who are working or students will love their lunch idea of a quick, simple & pocket-friendly Japanese meal. Gyu-Kaku has 2 cooked chicken sets, 2 barbecue sets, 2 hot stone rice sets & 2 noodles sets, a very substantial variety for lunch!

Lunch sets

Gyu-Kaku has 8 different lunch sets for those on the go. Prices range from RM13.90/set - RM19.90/set, from rice to noodles & even bbq meats!

I tasted 2 of their lunch sets :D

Lunch set: Teriyaki Chicken (RM13.90/set)

Pan sauteed chicken teriyaki served with rice, wakame soup & milk pudding as dessert
Worth your penny as the portion is decent & the milk pudding is something not to be missed!

Lunch set: Chicken Katsu (RM18.90/set)

Although this set is more expensive compared to the teriyaki chicken set, I still prefer this set! I love the crispy & tender fried chicken thigh drizzled with Okonomiyaki sauce :D

Fuh! Now that we're all stuffed, we moved on to the final course of dinner, desserts! Gyu-Kaku offers a handful of good desserts. Two of their most popular desserts are the S'mores & Milk Pudding, items that you will rarely find elsewhere.

Milk Pudding (RM9.90/ala carte bowl)

Milk pudding topped with soya bean powder & Japanese brown sugar syrup

This was SO GOOD! Silky smooth, soft yet firm, not overly sweet yet sufficient to be a dessert & just SO comforting after a meaty meal! I WANT MOREEEEE...!

Smores (RM5.90/'sandwich')

Have you heard of S'mores?? Now you have...hahaha. Love this American dessert available at a Japanese restaurant! :P It's unique, fun & oh-so-rare to be found in Malaysia. What you'll be given is a stick of marshmallow, 2 slices of Graham crackers with 1 cracker spread with Nutella. *thumbs up*

Step 1: Barbecue the marshmallow 'til it's brown & crusty

Step 2: Place the marshmallow on the Nutella-Graham cracker

Step 3: Sandwich & remove stick!

Step 4: Enjoy the S'mores while it's warm :D

What are you waiting for? Make your own S'mores!

Kids Eat for Free during School Holidays

Your eyes did not deceive you! You read it right :D As long as the adult orders an ala carte dish/meal from the menu, the child will get to order a kids' meal from the menu for free!

It was a pleasant dining experience here at Gyu-Kaku. I'll surely be back for more barbecue meats! It's a different experience from Korean bbq, so don't expect loads of complimentary & refillable side dishes while dining at Gyu-Kaku, but you can certainly look forward to great cuts of bite-size meat!


Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant
Lot G- 36, Ground Floor
Tropicana City Mall 
103, Jalan SS20/27
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 7722 1625 / (+603) 7725 6798
FB: https://www.facebook.com/GyuKakuMalaysia


In love with Japanese bbq,