Gluttony at Shogun Japanese Buffet Restaurant

Yummy...yum! Such glorious food to indulge in! :D

My family and I were at Shogun Japanese Buffet Restaurant, located at Level 2 New Wing of 1 Utama Shopping Mall at Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya two Sundays ago to celebrate Kellie's birthday. This is our fourth time gathering there for special occasions, to feast and enjoy each other's company, and definitely won't be the final time!

So far we've not been disappointed at all. This halal restaurant's decor is pleasant and the space inside is huge and spacious, probably can accommodate a seating capacity of 300-350 pax at any given time. Service is so-so. But what draws the crowd, including us, is the great selection of food offered, mostly Japanese cuisine with a slight mix of Chinese and Korean culinary delights.

As usual, quality and quantity was the order of the day, with a wonderful array of food to relish and tempt every palate. Moreover, dining hours have now been extended to 5.30pm (previously up to 3pm), starting from 12.00 noon. Such long hours to eat and pause, eat and pause, over and over again, to our hearts' content and as far as our stomach can contain. :D

If you love Japanese food, all kinds of seafood and meaty stuff cooked in various styles and have a big appetite, then this is the place not to be missed. Do not forget to make reservations beforehand though, otherwise you may need to queue for somewhile. Anyway, I've noticed that the crowd is very much lesser as compared to last year or the year before. I remembered seeing a massive queue during our second visit on Easter Sunday of 2006. Wonder why?

Probably lots of diners were cheese off waiting in long queues or had bad experiences there and have spread by word of mouth or through the blogosphere. Hmm...peoples' power can move mountains, so to speak, similar to our political tsunami in March.

Prices have scaled slightly higher, but not that drastic to deter new or old diners. Currently, buffet lunch cost RM48++/adult, RM30++/child (8-11 yrs) and RM15++/child (4-7 yrs). When compared with weekend high tea charges that are about the same or slightly costlier at other restaurants in notable hotels, I'd say that Shogun's prices are very reasonable and real value for money with its extensive food spread which far excels most of the rest in variety and quality.

In brief, there is the sushi and sashimi counter with rows of fancifully created sushi and lots of fresh seafood of all kinds which always include salmon and squid, the teppanyaki counter where the chefs will cook your selection of mushrooms, vege, meat/fish, etc. which is delightfully fresh and hot, the tempura selection of batter-coated fried stuff which isn't my cup of tea, the grill counter with a varied selection, and rows and rows of all kinds of culinary delights in serving/chafing dishes that include steam fish, soft shell crabs, baby crabs/octopus, oyster omelette, fried unagi, grilled salmon, braised mushroom with sea cucumber and abalone, baked mussels, teriyaki chicken, goose paw, salmon head curry, lamb shank, beef with spring onions and ginger, and lots more. A few kinds of noodles, rice and soups such as miso soup, ox tail soup and sharks fin soup are available too.

The only controlled item is the cheesy baked oysters that will be served one per person at each table, upon request. Frankly, this is just so-so, nothing amazing!

For desserts, there is an island area with a selection of fresh fruits which always include dragon fruits, local kuih-muih, cream or layered cakes, jellies and ice-cream of various flavors. Free flow of hot and cold drinks are provided. Only green tea will be served by the waiters.

Diners are not allowed to take pictures of food. However, I somehow managed to take some quick shots away from watchful eyes as shared below but gave up eventually when the going got tough and concentrated on eating and chatting instead! :D











If you're interested to try out this place, click on the last image (table mat) above, to get its address and telephone numbers, as well as those of 2 other branches, one at Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya and another by the name of Saisaki Japanese Buffet at Wisma UOA, Kuala Lumpur.

Update: October 28, 2008
Last Sunday, my family of 9 including May (Kellie's cousin) went again to Shogun for the 4th time to celebrate David's birthday. Unfortunately I could not attend as I was recovering from illness and did not want to cancel the reservation which I've made weeks beforehand, knowing very well that my family were really looking forward to it. I know, there will be many more other opportunities for me, God willing.
Nonetheless, I was so happy when my darling spouse returned home almost 9pm to share with me all that had happened during that lovely and enjoyable luncheon at Shogun where they ate, chatted and bonded until 5.20pm, followed by some shopping at 1 Utama.
All were of the opinion that by far this time was the best food presentation ever, especially ample supply of fresh oysters, salmon and californian rolls, etc. etc. Even the service was excellent!
Thumbs up to Shogun! May their quality and quantity never dwindle!!