Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)
Address: Lot L1-01, Level 1, KSL City, 33, Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
(Located within KSL City Mall)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/v7GNzVhaDCWGVbUH7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
Guava Appetizer Dish = RM5.00
鸭血 Duck Blood Jelly = RM6.90
特级牛肉/羊肉 & 夹心肉套餐 Beef/Pork Combo = RM41.80
Consists of:
- Beef/Pork Combo (RM35.90)
- Arashi Milk (+RM5.90)
- Rice Vermicelli (+RM0.00)
SST Tax = RM3.22
Service Charge = RM5.37
Grand Total = RM62.30
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
A Brief Introduction
Arashi Shabu-Shabu should not be Unfamiliar to Regular Visitors to JB as this is a Faux Japanese Modern Hotpot Franchise that is Very Commonly seen in Major Shopping Malls in JB. 🍲 From what I understand this Franchise is only available in Malaysia for now. 🇲🇾
The Location of this place is kindda hidden away at one corner, away from the Main Traffic in KSL City Mall. 🤔 The Interior of the Place looks Very Posh with very Atas Furnishings as you can see in the Attached Video. The Place was Nicely Air-Conditioned and was Cleanly Maintained. 👍
The Background Music playing are Nice Contemporary English Sentimental/Pop Songs 🎵🎶 and it was Especially Dreamy to enjoy Hotpot while being serenaded by Elvis Presley's Evergreen "Can't Help Falling In Love". ❤️
Most of the Staffs look like Myanmmar Folks and it was Adorable to hear them try to greet the Standard Japanese Greeting "Irasshaimase!" (Welcome) for any New Customers entering the Premise. 😅 They will also greet "Arigato Gozaimasu" (Thank You) when you leave. Their Pronounciation are not Accurate, but of course I have no issues with it since they're not Native Japanese Speakers after all. 👍
They're Friendly and keep to themselves. While they are prompt and efficient in fulfilling Customer's requests (Eg: Topping up of Broth etc) and I have no issues with their Service Level, Do Not Expect HDL Level of Customer Service here. 😅 The Level here is Expected, not Exceptional. I did appreciate when they assigned me to a Large Comfortable 4 Seater Cubicle instead of a Smaller 2 Seater Cubicle despite me being a Solo Diner. 👍 Of course this is probably because there weren't much Customers when I was there. But I did still appreciate this. 👍
Appetizer and Wet Towel are Chargeable Items
In Google Reviews for this place, apparently there are many complaints from some Diners that the Appetizer and Wet Towels are not free of charge. 🤔
I find this quite amusing actually. Isn't it expected that such things are usually Chargeable items in a Restaurant? These people first time eat in a Restaurant meh? 😅
Anyway they didn't charge me for the Wet Towel, but I think its more an Oversight rather then it being Complimentary. 🤔 But I thought I'd just mention it here first incase you expect them to be Complimentary.
The Appetizer is 15 Small Pieces of Cut Guava Cubes with some bits of Carrot Strips and sprinkled with some Plum Powder 酸梅粉. This is a Sweet Appetizer, Not Overly Sweet, Quite Refreshing actually. 😋 It is not Cheap at RM5.00 (S$1.60) but ok lah I didn't mind this because I thought it worked well as a Palette Cleanser. 👍
The Condiments Section
Condiments are of course an Important Component in a Hotpot and thankfully these are Free of Charge. 👍 Feel free to help yourself. I like that the Condiment Section is cleanly maintained. 👍 There are 6 Types of Sauces and 2 Garnishings. I also like that they are all labelled so you know what to expect. You can check the Photo Collection how they look like. 📷 I will give a brief description of how each one tastes.
Thai Chilli Sauce
This tastes exactly how you'd imagine it to taste. Slightly Viscous, Slightly Sweet and Mildly Spicy. 🌶️ Not the Thai-Styled Very Fiery Spicy, Bite your Tongue type.
Wafu Goma Sauce
This one had a Mild Sweetish, Almost Beany and Almost has a Braised Sauce type of Taste. Not Spicy at all, this is a Savoury Sauce. Its not Overly Extreme or Wierd and I reckon will be acceptable for most people. 👍
Arashi Special Sauce
This one is Mildly Spicy, not Super Spicy, but the Spiciness will linger abit on the Tongue. 🌶️ The Taste Profile reminds me very much of Siracha Sauce.
Arashi Green Chilli Sauce
Now this one tasted more like a Thai Sauce. Got a Very Slight Sourish Tinge with a Gritty Texture. It has an Elevated Level of Spiciness that can kiss your Tongue and Linger abit. 🌶️
Hong Kong Sauce
This tastes like the Chilli Condiment that is used in HK Chee Cheong Fun with lots of 红油. No wonder they call this "Hong Kong Sauce". 😅 Slightly Elevated Level of Spiciness that will also Kiss your Tongue and Linger abit. 🌶️
Chilli Padi
This is Straight up Green Chilli Padi Slices soaked in a Light Soy Sauce. I do like the Quality of the Soy Sauce they used here. Its Not Bad. 👍
Spring Onion / Chinese Parsley
These 2 are of course the Garnishings you can put in your Soup. Nothing Particularly Special about these.
Ordering of Food is thru an Ipad Tablet on your Table.
It took 2 Mins for them to Set Up my Shabu Hotpot and 5 Mins for the Plate of Duck Blood Jelly to be served.
Everything took a Total of 5 Mins.
鸭血 Duck Blood Jelly = RM6.90
Important Disclaimer: You are supposed to boil these in the Soup before Consumption. DO NOT EAT THEM RAW like what I did. 😅 I will not be responsible for any Medical Issues you may have if you eat them Raw like this.
I'm quite happy to see this here. So it seems that HDL Malaysia is not the only place to eat Duck Blood. 👍 Of course this is not available in Singapore. Served in 6 Relatively Large Cubes. I popped one raw into my mouth and I thought it tasted Sweetish. 😋 Not Stinky or Gamey and tasted Very Clean and Nice. Not Too Firm, Not Too Soft and was Just Nice. 👍 Basically eating a Cold Brown Tofu actually. When its Cooked in the Soup Broth, I felt it lost abit of its Initial Sweetness but it was still alright.
I know most Singaporeans will recoil in Horror at the thought of eating a Blood Product, 😅 but it is actually a Very Common Ingredient that is available in many other Countries who have their own style of Preparation. 👍 Examples are English UK Black Pudding, Filipino Dinuguan, Taiwanese 猪血糕 etc. I hope I have the chance to taste them in the future actually. Haizzz...We're really so limited in our Culinary Choices here in Singapore. Everything also Ban. 什么鸟都不能吃, Machiam like 井底之蛙 so Suaku like that. 🐸😅
特级牛肉/羊肉 & 夹心肉套餐 Beef/Pork Combo = RM41.80
Consisted of:
- Beef/Pork Combo (RM35.90)
- Arashi Milk (+RM5.90)
- Rice Vermicelli (+RM0.00)
This is the Main Star of the Show. Its a Hotpot Set meant for a Solo Diner. Just like a Regular Hotpot, you can have 1 Soup Broth of your Choice. Only "Arashi Miso" and "Arashi Kombu Veggie" don't have extra charge. I chose "Arashi Milk" 🥛 (+RM5.90) because this one seems to be their Signature and the one that seems to be the Most Highly Raved in the Google Reviews that I've read. 🤔
Arashi Milk Soup Broth
The Soup Broth can be topped up Unlimited Times Free of Charge. 👍 This tasted nice. I think its a Chicken / Mushroom Broth with a Layer of Milkiness. 🐔🍄 It doesn't taste like its made from a Cheap Pre-Packaged Soup Mix or from a Can. There are even some Mushrooms and Red Dates within.
This Soup Broth got some Standard. I especially liked that the Milkiness is Not Overly Milky and throughout the Meal, I never found this Soup Broth to taste Overly Jelak at all. 😋 Nicely Savoury, Not Spicy and Not Overly Salty, I feel this is worth the money to try. 👍
The Main Platter Consists of:
🥬 Base Layer of Plenty of Lettuce Leaves
🥬 4 Beancurd Sheets
🦀 1 Imitation Crabstick thats cut in 2
🍄 Some White Enoki Mushrooms
🥬 1 福袋 Tofu Bao
🐷 3 Rolls of Pork Shabu
🐮 3 Rolls of Beef Shabu
🍄 1 Shitake Mushroom
🍡 1 Fuzhou Meatball
🍡 1 Homemade "Dual-Layer" Fishball
You can also have a Choice of Carbs and I chose Rice Vermicelli.
I thought the Whole Platter was very Beautifully Plated and looks very Appetizing. 😋
I'll just briefly go thru what I thought about some of the Ingredients.
3 Rolls each of Pork and Beef Shabu were not alot but I felt was still acceptable for the Price. 👍 You can see how much is given when rolled out.
Both Pork and Beef tasted Fresh and Clean with No Stinkiness. 👍 It looks like they were freshly taken out from the Fridge even.
The 福袋 Tofu Bao had Minced Pork within and tasted Very Nice because it also worked in soaking up that Savoury Milky Broth. 😋 The Meatball is Fuzhou-Styled (Meatball within a Meatball). I think this is either Lamb or Pork? Couldn't really tell, but tasted Good and Smooth. 😋
The Dual Layer Fishball definitely looks Handmade due to its distinctive "Teardrop" Shape. 😄 I call it "Dual Layer" because within it is also another Fishball but in a Bright Yellow Colour which means its trying to pretend to be an Egg. 🍳 Hahaha I thought this was quite adorable because they could have just used a Real Hard Boiled Egg and it would be a Cheaper Option than doing this. 😅 Very Bouncy Bitefeel. Taste Alright.
Amount of the Filler Ingredients such as the Vegetables or Mushrooms and other Stuffs were Acceptable and it was Overall a Filling Meal for me. 👍
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At a Total Combined Price of RM62.30 (S$19.00), this is about the Price of a Regular Non-HDL Hotpot Price in Singapore? 🤔 In fact, I feel this is agar agar close to the Price for Shi Li Fang 食立方 Hotpot? Maybe even Slightly Cheaper? 🤔 I can't remember. Service Quality standard is also about the same more or less.
That said, if you don't order the Duck Blood Jelly, it would shave off about S$2.00 and bring it down to RM55.40 (S$17.00). Not really that big of a savings actually, and I do like the Duck Blood Jelly here. 😋 Personally, I have No Complaints about this place. 👍 The Environment was Beautifully Furnished, Well Maintained and Service was Acceptable. 👍 Amount of Meat on the Main Platter may feel small at only 6 pieces, but I still felt this was a Very Filling Meal. The Arashi Milk Broth had some Quality to it and was Enjoyable to Drink. 😋
Ultimately, it boils down to whether you feel that this price is worth the entry for this place. 🤔 If you have Normal Expectations for this place and not expect it to be like a HDL, I feel this is a Reasonable Place to enjoy a Nice Hotpot after a Day of Shopping. 🛍️ Not sure how is the Crowd on a Weekend, but Dining here on a Weekday as a Solo Diner felt very Relaxing and Comfortable. 👍
If you have eaten from this Hotpot Franchise before, I'd love to know how you feel about it! 😄
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