Friday 29 June 2018

Set Lunch : When Old is Better than New


Update : Chihiro has closed down.

The other day I decided not to cook lunch and headed out to Chihiro@Damansara Uptown. I had my mind on the Shashimi & Salmon Teriyaki from their Chihiro Sashimi Set.

To my dismay, the menu has been revamped and this is how it looks like now.


Very streamlined and limited.


Unlike the more extensive sets here. I guess this is more manageable for the kitchen especially during peak lunch hour.

So I settled for this Pork Sumibiyaki.


And since I was hankering for some sashimi, I topped up with 5 pieces of Salmon Sashimi (though I could easily down 8 or even 12).


The drink is pretty standard, either hot or cold ocha.


See, they even gave me the jug.


My very nice meal served on a tray. I like.


The grilled pork belly is served on this miniature hot plate and I got one whole egg. The yolks were not runny but still suitably soft. The pork belly was well seasoned and more than decent tasting.


The salad was not generously dressed. It was a very nice aromatic gingery and sweetish dressing. A pity that there was so little of it. You can't toss the salad as it is tightly packed into the bowl. The greens were very fresh and crisp.


I was certainly not expecting the sashimi to be served so elegantly on a bed of ice. I expected a simple plating on a saucer just like what I saw on the menu, not that I am complaining. For the first time, I got something that looks better than what was illustrated.

At first glance, I thought there might be more than 5 pieces of salmon. It looked loaded, no? 


Upon closer inspection, I noted the fish was thickly sliced, clearly lacking in finesse. Perhaps executed by an inexperienced staff.

But that's not an issue with me because the sashimi was very fresh and the portion was very generous. I think I may have got more than my money's worth. Thanks junior chef!


Ice cream was served at the end of my meal. 


Let me share my previous meal from the discontinued menu which I did not have time to post earlier.


I liked this a lot.


Four tasty, albeit thin slices of chasu.


With garlic fried rice underneath.


And vanilla ice cream at the end. I'll have to say that I wished the old menu had been retained but still, I'll drop by every now and then as I am happy with what I had. Plus they didn't ask me for cash.

19 comments:

  1. Wow! They gave you a big jug. You must be Rosmah-sized or looked thirsty like a sponge.
    The add on sashimi price is very cheap. I hope it was good and super fresh!

    I prefer restaurants to change their menu often to add excitement. It is common that daily specials menu change often in Japan.

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    1. I hope the next menu change would be more exciting.

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  2. Tried to resist temptation of having sashimi when dine in Japanese outlet. Haha.

    Fried garlic rice. I would enjoy that but later mouth would smell of garlic breath. Lol.

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    1. I also cannot resist sashimi. I just love it!

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  3. Is the lump of yellow colour thing next to the salmon sashimi - slices of ginger? hahaha I hope they won't cut the salmon sashimi thinner after reading your post.

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    1. Yes, those were ginger. I should have kept quite about the thick sashimi hee..hee...

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  4. Salmon sashimi presentation sure looks classy!

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  5. Based on my experience, I find side salads at Japanese restaurants usually tend to be lightly dressed. I think that's how they prefer to do it so as not to overwhelm the freshness of their food. I remember getting a shredded cabbage salad of a tonkatsu meal with only a small dollop of mayo. Of course, the finely shredded cabbage was superbly fresh and crunchy. I actually frown when I get thinly sliced sashimi, I certainly prefer it to be thickly cut for a better bite. ^_*

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    1. This is the first time that I am served such glorious fresh thickly sliced sashimi! Loved it :)

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  6. Everything looks great though! No need for too many choices, most importantly, must be nice...and no revised prices unless it is going down.

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    1. The prices I would say are quite reasonable for an outlet like this.

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  7. What caught my attention is the salmon sashimi, somemore thickly sliced...

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    Replies
    1. That's the way I wish the would serves it all the time...

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  8. On the contrary, when i went to have salmon at sushi king in malacca, the salmon was thickly sliced and it tasted awful

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  9. I usually find compact menus more attractive than comprehensive ones. It gives me more confidence that food is fresh and focus is clear.

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    Replies
    1. Your are right, as long as those options are good ones I'm all for it.

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  10. Even though I am not a fan of raw fish, the sashimi is very well presented.

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