What to eat in Kuantan: Fresh sashimi & delectable sushi at Kawa Japanese Restaurant

*non-halal

This restaurant is such a gem! I'm glad to be introduced to this place as I wouldn't have noticed the restaurant since it didn't have an outstanding/bright-looking signboard outside the shop.

Sake Sashimi (RM23.00/serving of 5 slices before GST)

Salmon Belly Sashimi (RM26.00/serving of 4-5 thick slices before GST)

Kamori (RM48.00/serving of 4 types of sashimi before GST)

If you love sashimi, this IS the place in Kuantan for some fresh, thick-cut, firm-textured raw fish/seafood. Every piece of their raw fish in this impressive-presentation sashimi bowl is so fresh & well-chilled. A true master piece!

Although prices are slightly on the higher end, we were really pleased with the freshness, quality, portion & taste of all the dishes that we ordered that evening.

The restaurant is fairly new (opened last October) & is located along Jalan Beserah, next to Alliance Bank, same row as Ten Ten. It has a very contemporary ambiance & is spacious enough to fit quite a lot of people since they have both floors opened for the restaurant.

We had a scrumptious & sumptuous feast, catching up with one of my close friends cum 'family', whom I used to stay with during my uni days. Good food, great catch-up, & lovely food - SO EXCITING!

Hotate Mentaiko (RM26.00/serving of 2 large pieces before GST)

This was the final dish that was served to us, but it was THE BEST! You'll get a big, fat, juicy piece of scallop (maybe from Hokkaido? :P), wrapped with salmon & grilled to perfection! I think there's mayo at the top & it's torched before serving...SO delicious! If you intend to splurge on something worth paying for, go for this - we have no regrets!

Fresh & plump scallop that wasn't over-cooked :D

Durian Maki (RM18.00/serving before GST)

Yup, you read it right. It's durian! I was a 'lil bit apprehensive to try it, but I have to say that the combination was delightful! I can't recall what's at the centre of the maki (prawn, I think), but the durian 'sauce' was placed at the side & you can dip your maki into the sauce for the durian fragrance. Yummy!

King Prawn Maki (RM23.00/serving before GST)

This was another of their recommendation. I love the freshness of the king prawn & the soft, creamy slices of avocados at the top of the maki. So satisfying :) 

Unagi Sushi (RM16.00/serving of 2 sushi pieces before GST)

 Ah, unagi is AP's & my all-time favorite. We certainly didn't have any complains for their unagi sushi. It's slightly pricey, but at least the slices of the unagi weren't tiny nor thin ;)

Takoyaki (RM13.00/serving before GST)

 I love takoyaki & I really missed the takoyaki that we had at Sapporo :( Those were lip-smacking, especially when eaten piping hot on a cool & windy night! The takoyaki here are half the size of what we had in Sapporo & weren't as 'melt-in-your-mouth', but they are actually quite tasty, just not alike the actual Sapporo ones.

Dobin Mushi (RM13.00/serving before GST)

 This was something very unique to us although we didn't realize that it's a common thing in Japan. According to what's written on Wikipedia, "dobin mushi is a traditional Japanese seafood broth, steamed and served in a dobin tea pot with shrimp, chicken, soy sauce, lime, and matsutake mushroom." I don't know how it tastes like as I didn't taste-test it, but it sure looks interesting!

Tempura Udon (RM16.00/serving before GST)

The kiddo ordered this & was enjoying herself with the hot bowl of slurpy udon noodles with a side of crispy tempura-battered shrimp & vegetables. 

Yaki Udon (RM16.00/serving before GST)

Taste-wise, it was well-balanced & fragrant with a decent level of "wok hei". It's a very safe, comfort food that could hardly go wrong. This is for those who want something simple, disappointment-proof, & filling.

I think this restaurant is a great place for those who fancy some good Japanese meal, be it for lunch or for dinner. It's constantly full, so you need to get there earlier or later to avoid disappointment :) If you're planning for a large-group lunch/dinner at the restaurant, you may want to make a reservation first instead of walking in.

Kawa Japanese Restaurant

B-402, Jalan Beserah

25300 Kuantan

Pahang Darul Makmur

Malaysia.

Tel: (+609) 560 0032

Business hours: Daily 12:00p.m.-3:00p.m.(2:30p.m. last order) & 6:00p.m.-11:00p.m.(10:30p.m. last order)

FB: Kawa Japanese Restaurant

GPS: 3.8327793,103.3445733

Looking forward to be back again,