Monday, July 26, 2010

Kampachi @Pavilion KL: A Great Dining Experience!

Gosh... this blog needs a more constant attention and I vow to do that from now on *wink*

Recently, I was given the task to plan for our 3rd anniversary dinner. Now, I have always mentioned to Mr Husband that I love Kampachi. It's been awhile since I went there and we've never gone there together since Mr Husband is not a big fan of Japanese food. But... since it spells luxury, it was one of the choices in our list of places for good food, good ambience and perfect atmosphere for a celebration.

Though I love Japanese food, I must admit that the last time I went to Kampachi was probably more than 3 years ago at the Equatorial KL. Reason being, due to my other half who's not very fond of Japanese food... and then I was pregnant (and breastfeeding) that it wasn't advisable for me to consume any raw food :(

So, I jumped at the prospect of going there again and that saw me doing some simple research on the place. I would always google up places/issues before providing a thorough plan and I found out that Kampachi also has an outlet out of Equatorial Hotel - at the Pavilion KL. Since it would be one of our rare dates without the kids, I thought it'd be nice to walk around window shopping rather than that cold, boring atmosphere of a hotel.

My main concern would be the same quality and freshness of the food they serve that one would expect out of Kampachi, be it if it was in its usual comfort of the Equatorial Hotel or otherwise. And that 'research' in the net was almost frustrating because many people, as I found out through the numerous photos in their blogs, would have fried stuff or the famous handmade soba noodles instead of writing about how fresh the sushi and sashimi spreads were. My concerns were heightened especially when Kampachi themselves position the Pavilion KL outlet a little different than the ones situated in Equatorial hotels as they cater for the busy working groups and serve food suited for a quick meal - suitable for those having a rush lunch hour.

I am glad though, that I finally found 2 blogs who not only wrote about their tempuras and teppanyakis but also filled me in on the fresh sashimi spread available at the outlet. That sealed the deal and I instantly made a reservation, clearly stating that I wanted a nice table as it was to be our anniversary dinner ;)

When that day came, we arrived at Pavilion's Level 6 where most of the best dining experience are located, got a gorgeous table for just the 2 of us and I loved the feel of its outlet. We snapped some photos, asked the waitress to snap our picture and she was totally excited to know that it was our 3rd anniversary dinner.

moi beaming with happiness and trying out a very red lipstick for the first time after i found out something new about Mr Husband's preferences :)

the California sushi we ordered, to allow Mr Husband to also enjoy the taste of sushi.

I couldn't tell Mr Husband that he was trying some delectable eel but I couldn't help blurting that out to him either hehe... that unagi means eel. Nevertheless, it was delicious and he went on eating several more :D

This is my uber-favourite - the sashimi set. All fresh portions and they told me that the chef made me additional portions due to one of the fish portions were too small a size.

zoom in to one salmon slice. fat, fresh and juicy... yummeh!

This was what Mr Husband had since he hates anything raw. I was so glad that he found this Beef Teppanyaki set perfectly cooked to his taste buds. The beef was juicy, tender and tastes heavenly and that everything else served on this tray was to his liking. Additional points to Kampachi and more brownie points for smart wifey ;)

At the end of our meal, the assistant chef came to our table, congratulated us on our celebration and told us this was what they could whip up for us quickly for our dessert... it was doriyaki with fresh mango slices and ice cream - on the house ;)

I am glad Mr Husband thought the experience was worth every ringgit spent - the food he had was good (mine was too, definitely, even though they were raw haha!), the table was perfect and the service was excellent.

I wouldn't say much about the ambience because there is no view of the KL city (if that's what you're expecting) but I went there for a good time with my husband and the good food that I knew I was getting. Therefore, Kampachi would always be a favourite Japanese restaurant for me. The best part was when a person who is known for not particularly liking Japanese food, mentioned to me that this was one venue that we should visit more often. I am glad that everything went well but more so I guess also due to the company you're with, don't you think? *wink*

4 comments:

Cik Lily Putih said...

nampak sedap lah. willing to try gak someday

toughcookie said...

cik lily,
actually yang my husband makan tu memang sedap and juicy, kalau you tak suka sushi or sashimi. i read many people also enjoy their soba. bila2 free tu, try la... memang best :)

Unknown said...

Hey toughcookie...I'm looking for a good Japanese restaurant around that area to celebrate an event. Kampachi looks good! What's the price like? TQ

toughcookie said...

dear elle,
the meal we ordered was around RM370 including tax. The sashimi set alone costs RM160, the california sushi is RM40, unagi sushi is RM52 and the beef teppanyaki is RM48. Free flow of green tea costs RM3 only while soft drinks (per glass) costs RM10 i think.

hope this helps :)