Review: Yoshinoya, Hanamaru Udon & Azuki Cafe

Overall comment: Fast, most dishes taste above average - good & the udons/rice are quite pocket-friendly.
Halal: Pork-free

Shoppers & those working around Mid Valley Megamall in KL will have even more food options now that 3 restaurants/food outlets have opened! I was quite delighted to find an extensive variety at Yoshinoya, Hanamaru Udon & Azuki Cafe as they offer all Malaysians a quick, delicious & pocket-friendly meal throughout the day. Located at the top floor of Mid Valley Megamall (centre court), these 3 restaurants are easily spotted from afar.

Azuki Cafe offers tea, coffee, smoothies & soft drinks from RM1.50 - RM10.00/cup.

We tried 2 of their more popular drinks i.e. Mix Juice - Osaka Taste (RM10.00/cup) & the Yuzu Soda (RM4.00/cup). The mix fruit smoothie had bananas, mangoes & peaches, so it was actually quite yummy :) The yuzu soda was quite fragrant as well; it gave the simple soda a taste-lift with its zesty, fruity taste.

Hanamaru Udon offers more than just udon! Udon being their main meal plus loads of other snacks for sides.

A variety of smooth, chewy udon meals from RM7.00/bowl - RM14.00/bowl (2 sizes available i.e. small & large).

There are at least 20 different types of snacks available, starting from RM3.00 - RM6.00/piece. You'll definitely be spoilt for choice!

Sushi & Onigiri (small variety just as light bites) 

Boiled/Soupy Sides

Workers preparing the udon dishes

For this pre-launch event, I sat together with some bloggers so that we could try a larger variety of dishes available :D Just look at Round 1 of our meal! Woohoo!

Here are some of the dishes that we tried ;) 

These are like our steamboat/lok-lok snacks - fish/squid balls on a stick! The long one actually didn't look very appetizing, but it's alike the small squid rolls that you get from the supermarket. Nothing very fanciful.

Inari Sushi (RM3.00/piece) & Salmon Onigiri (RM4.00/piece)

I didn't get to eat these but according to those who tasted it, they weren't very satisfied with these snacks. Perhaps we should just stick to the udons here, eh?

Chicken Karaage (RM4.00/stick)

Surprisingly this was quite tasty. It's not VERY yummy, but it stood out as the best among the snacks that we took :P

Chawan Mushi (RM8.00/serving)

Texture was slightly off, but taste was actually quite nice. Instead of putting a gingko nut, there was an edamame in the chawan mushi. Noms :)

And now, for the main dishes (all photos below show the regular bowl of udon)!

Ontama Bukkake Udon (RM8.00 for regular; RM11.00 for large)

This dish is actually very simple, but if you're a soft-boiled egg fan, you will love this cos I loved it! :D

Beef Udon (RM12.00 for regular; RM15.00 for large)

 This was one of the best among those that we tasted that night. It wasn't too salty, fragrant with the beef slices & the beef slices weren't too thick nor tough - just right. The udon was also just nice; not too soft, not too hard. Chewy, smooth & actually very filling!

Tori Dashi Udon (RM10.00 for regular; RM13.00 for large)

We didn't fancy this dish as we found it kinda 'flat' compared to the rest. Feels like a very clear, bland soup for those who aren't feeling very well!

Salad Udon (RM10.00 for regular; RM13.00 for large)

 Surprisingly delicious! You have pretty much everything your body needs in this dish: carbohydrates (udon), vitamins (vegetables), & protein (shredded chicken) & it's generously dressed with fragrant sesame mayonnaise! I would recommend this for a good variety of texture, taste & if you're into trying something different ;)

Spicy Miso Udon (RM12.00 for regular; RM15.00 for large)

 If you like spicy soup, we have a winner here. There's certainly a delightful "kick" to this udon dish.

Curry Udon (can't recall the price)

 Not many people are a fan of this style of udon. I found it not too bad, actually. I've only eaten curry don, so this was something different for me. It was quite flavourful although after eating halfway through, it does feel somewhat cloying/jelak since the curry is thick & so are the udon noodles!

After having all the udon dishes above, we were actually quite stuffed! But hey, there's more to try...hahaha...so we headed to Yoshinoya to complete our meal!

Beef Rice Bowl (RM9.80 for regular; RM11.80 for large)

I've actually tried this at IOI City Mall, so this wasn't something new to me, but it was still delicious. The thinly sliced beef were tender & the rice had enough gravy (not flooding the rice dish) to ensure that all the goodness of the beef flavour is soaked in the rice. 

Ah, Malaysians are indeed spoilt with the many choices & variety of food everywhere we go! If you happen to be at Mid Valley & you would want something fast & good-tasting, Yoshinoya Hanamaru will not disappoint.


Yoshinoya Hanamaru
Lot-T-15B, Level 3
Mid Valley Megamall
Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 2201 8789


Craving for Japanese food again,