Off the beaten track, Kin No Uma Japanese Restaurant is located in the Palace of the Golden Horses. Tagged as Asia's most extraordinary hotel, Palace of the Golden Horses is a world-class award winning luxury hotel located within Mines Resort City, Seri Kembangan.
Before stepping into the restaurant, you will walk through a world of wonderment and royalty filled with mythological horse figures located in the hotel grand lobby.
This deluxe and tranquil restaurant is surrounded with traditional decor and truly exudes a warm traditional Japanese setting with light colored wood. It was a true cultural experience with private tatami rooms and waitresses clad in kimonos.
One thing about us, we love Japanese food in all its glory - the simplicity taste, the freshness and the way it is presented. It has become our weekly comfort food.
Once settled, we were introduced to Chef Khair who began his culinary career 24 years ago in Kyoto, Japan. Chef Khair's cheerful presence added a lot to our dining experience whereby he introduced every dish with a flowery turn of phrase. Without further ado, itadakimas!
Maguro Natto / Tuna with Fermented Soybean (RM 24). Few people have heard of maguro natto and for good reason, it may be the slimiest and most repulsive-looking dish in Japanese cuisine. The natto (fermented soybean) has a strong musky odor of lightly rotted nutty flavor and stringiness of sticky glue. Natto lovers praise the health benefits, subtle complexity of taste and texture while some consider it too vile for human consumption. It was an experience!
Sunomono Moriawase / Assorted Seafood, Seaweed and Cucumber in Vinegar Sauce (RM 34), a wonderful light, tangy and refreshing appetizer to start off the meal.
Gyu Tataki / Raw Beef with Ponzu sauce (RM 28), lightly seared tender beef served thinly sliced with ponzu sauce (citrus-based soy sauce) and grated daikon. The freshness of the beef was faultless when paired with the ponzu sauce and the evenly thin sliced texture gave just the right resistance.
Kuruma Ebi Motoyaki / Grilled King Prawn with Mayonnaise Sauce (RM 48), beautifully presented succulent grilled King prawn as one of our luxurious starter.
Kin No Uma Roll (RM 58), deep fried King prawn, lettuce, cucumber, avocado and cheese wrapped with seaweed, sushi rice and topped with fish roe and mayonnaise. A nicely presented signature dish made from the finest ingredients.
Uma Hooseki Tsukuri Moriawase / Deluxe Assortment of Seasonal Raw Fish (RM 165), it had 7 types of seafood with 3 slices each ranging from salmon, tuna, white tuna, red snapper, seabass, octopus to surf clams. The sashimi pieces were cut to the proper thickness which brings out the inherent taste and flavours, and needless to say, all were sparklingly fresh!
Oyster Teppanyaki (RM 46), with half dozen of fresh oyster lightly sauteed in fragrant butter garlic sauce. This well-executed dish was perfectly timed to retain the freshness taste and juiciness of the oyster.
Tanuki Udon Matawa Soba / Buckwheat or Thick Noodles in Hot Broth with Deep-Fried Tempura Fritters (RM 27.50), heart-warming bowl of udon topped with lots of crispy tempura bits. We enjoyed how the way the bits that stick out stayed crispy, while the submerged bits became almost fluffy. Overall, it gave the simple hot broth an added crunchy dimension.
The udon were slippery, with a substantial chew and definitely made for slurping - just the way we liked it to be!
Garlic Fried Rice (RM 17), this version of garlic fried rice was done very well whereby every grains were fragrant without being overly greasy. Served with deep-fried thin and crispy salmon skin, it was the perfect combination and deeply satisfying!
Maruyama Tempura / Deep-Fried Assorted Seafood and Vegetables in Batter (RM 42), it was a beautiful arrangement of lightly coated tempura that weren't too greasy and served with a dipping sauce mixed with freshly grated daikon.
Kin No Uma Bento Dinner Set (RM 89), we were never a fan of bento because we rarely get all the stuffs we like in a single "lunch" box. But this is different, it had all the firepower with any two types of sashimi, one type of sushi, sunomono (vinegared dishes), agemono (deep-fried dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes).
Within the bento box, we had slices of raw tuna and salmon, unagi sushi, marinated baby octopus and crab meat in vinegar, soft shell crab and vegetables tempura, grilled salmon and scallops in teriyaki sauce. This set also includes a bowl of rice, miso soup, chawan mushi, pickles and fruits.
Sashimi To Tempura Lunch Set (RM 60), with assorted raw fish, deep-fried seafood and vegetables with tempura batter and accompanied with a bowl of rice, salad, chawan mushi, miso soup, pickles and fruits.
This bento set certainly brings the smile for those who preferred their bento less complicating and focused only on the two things, sashimi and tempura.
There are also a wide selection of premium temaki (hand rolls) sushi such as Spider Temaki, California Temaki, Ebi Temaki, Maguro Temaki, Shake Temaki and Unagi Temaki with prices ranging from RM 16 - RM 28 each.
For desserts, we had the Abekawa Mochi / Soft Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Mixed Peanuts (RM 21.50), it tasted similar to our Chinese mua chee except for the price tag! Nevertheless, it was soft and nicely coated with fine grounded peanut powder.
Matcha Aisu Kurimu / Green Tea Ice Cream (RM 17), served with azuki (red beans) to perfectly balance between the subtle bitterness of green tea and the gentle sweetness of sweet red bean paste. We love green tea ice cream, the more bitter, the better it is!
Needless to say, we were all satisfied by the end of the night.
Verdict: As is often the case, the best comes at a premium. The price is generally more expensive than other Japanese restaurants, but for the freshness and grade you received, it is definitely worth trying.
Address:
Palace of the Golden Horses,
Lobby Level,
Jalan Kuda Emas,
Mines Resort City,
43300 Seri Kembangan,
Selangor
Tel: 03-8946 4888
Business Hours: Opens daily from 12pm - 2.30pm and 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Pork Free: Yes
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.046411, 101.709280
Map:
View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map
Before stepping into the restaurant, you will walk through a world of wonderment and royalty filled with mythological horse figures located in the hotel grand lobby.
This deluxe and tranquil restaurant is surrounded with traditional decor and truly exudes a warm traditional Japanese setting with light colored wood. It was a true cultural experience with private tatami rooms and waitresses clad in kimonos.
One thing about us, we love Japanese food in all its glory - the simplicity taste, the freshness and the way it is presented. It has become our weekly comfort food.
Once settled, we were introduced to Chef Khair who began his culinary career 24 years ago in Kyoto, Japan. Chef Khair's cheerful presence added a lot to our dining experience whereby he introduced every dish with a flowery turn of phrase. Without further ado, itadakimas!
Maguro Natto / Tuna with Fermented Soybean (RM 24). Few people have heard of maguro natto and for good reason, it may be the slimiest and most repulsive-looking dish in Japanese cuisine. The natto (fermented soybean) has a strong musky odor of lightly rotted nutty flavor and stringiness of sticky glue. Natto lovers praise the health benefits, subtle complexity of taste and texture while some consider it too vile for human consumption. It was an experience!
Sunomono Moriawase / Assorted Seafood, Seaweed and Cucumber in Vinegar Sauce (RM 34), a wonderful light, tangy and refreshing appetizer to start off the meal.
Gyu Tataki / Raw Beef with Ponzu sauce (RM 28), lightly seared tender beef served thinly sliced with ponzu sauce (citrus-based soy sauce) and grated daikon. The freshness of the beef was faultless when paired with the ponzu sauce and the evenly thin sliced texture gave just the right resistance.
Kuruma Ebi Motoyaki / Grilled King Prawn with Mayonnaise Sauce (RM 48), beautifully presented succulent grilled King prawn as one of our luxurious starter.
Kin No Uma Roll (RM 58), deep fried King prawn, lettuce, cucumber, avocado and cheese wrapped with seaweed, sushi rice and topped with fish roe and mayonnaise. A nicely presented signature dish made from the finest ingredients.
Uma Hooseki Tsukuri Moriawase / Deluxe Assortment of Seasonal Raw Fish (RM 165), it had 7 types of seafood with 3 slices each ranging from salmon, tuna, white tuna, red snapper, seabass, octopus to surf clams. The sashimi pieces were cut to the proper thickness which brings out the inherent taste and flavours, and needless to say, all were sparklingly fresh!
Oyster Teppanyaki (RM 46), with half dozen of fresh oyster lightly sauteed in fragrant butter garlic sauce. This well-executed dish was perfectly timed to retain the freshness taste and juiciness of the oyster.
Tanuki Udon Matawa Soba / Buckwheat or Thick Noodles in Hot Broth with Deep-Fried Tempura Fritters (RM 27.50), heart-warming bowl of udon topped with lots of crispy tempura bits. We enjoyed how the way the bits that stick out stayed crispy, while the submerged bits became almost fluffy. Overall, it gave the simple hot broth an added crunchy dimension.
The udon were slippery, with a substantial chew and definitely made for slurping - just the way we liked it to be!
Garlic Fried Rice (RM 17), this version of garlic fried rice was done very well whereby every grains were fragrant without being overly greasy. Served with deep-fried thin and crispy salmon skin, it was the perfect combination and deeply satisfying!
Maruyama Tempura / Deep-Fried Assorted Seafood and Vegetables in Batter (RM 42), it was a beautiful arrangement of lightly coated tempura that weren't too greasy and served with a dipping sauce mixed with freshly grated daikon.
Kin No Uma Bento Dinner Set (RM 89), we were never a fan of bento because we rarely get all the stuffs we like in a single "lunch" box. But this is different, it had all the firepower with any two types of sashimi, one type of sushi, sunomono (vinegared dishes), agemono (deep-fried dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes).
Within the bento box, we had slices of raw tuna and salmon, unagi sushi, marinated baby octopus and crab meat in vinegar, soft shell crab and vegetables tempura, grilled salmon and scallops in teriyaki sauce. This set also includes a bowl of rice, miso soup, chawan mushi, pickles and fruits.
Sashimi To Tempura Lunch Set (RM 60), with assorted raw fish, deep-fried seafood and vegetables with tempura batter and accompanied with a bowl of rice, salad, chawan mushi, miso soup, pickles and fruits.
This bento set certainly brings the smile for those who preferred their bento less complicating and focused only on the two things, sashimi and tempura.
There are also a wide selection of premium temaki (hand rolls) sushi such as Spider Temaki, California Temaki, Ebi Temaki, Maguro Temaki, Shake Temaki and Unagi Temaki with prices ranging from RM 16 - RM 28 each.
For desserts, we had the Abekawa Mochi / Soft Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Mixed Peanuts (RM 21.50), it tasted similar to our Chinese mua chee except for the price tag! Nevertheless, it was soft and nicely coated with fine grounded peanut powder.
Matcha Aisu Kurimu / Green Tea Ice Cream (RM 17), served with azuki (red beans) to perfectly balance between the subtle bitterness of green tea and the gentle sweetness of sweet red bean paste. We love green tea ice cream, the more bitter, the better it is!
Needless to say, we were all satisfied by the end of the night.
Verdict: As is often the case, the best comes at a premium. The price is generally more expensive than other Japanese restaurants, but for the freshness and grade you received, it is definitely worth trying.
Address:
Palace of the Golden Horses,
Lobby Level,
Jalan Kuda Emas,
Mines Resort City,
43300 Seri Kembangan,
Selangor
Tel: 03-8946 4888
Business Hours: Opens daily from 12pm - 2.30pm and 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Pork Free: Yes
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.046411, 101.709280
Map:
View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map
