Food of The Land of The Rising Sun at Sunway Pyramid - A Restaurant Review

The word Zanmai means ambition, luxury, and indulgence. So Sushi Zanmai means loving sushi so much that it became the ambition of one, and gaining indulgence from eating or making it. Quite a philosophy.

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As an expat student here in Malaysia for quite a while, I’ve been hearing no other place beside “Sushi Zanmai” when someone is in the need of quality sushi (yes, it is a necessity). Although I’m just a timely craver for sushi or Japanese food, many of my peers are devotees of it.

Most of my visits to this restaurant were just to accompany my friends satisfying their cravings. Yet I always enjoyed the meal there as Sushi Zanmai has a lot of variety to offer in their menu. The sushi itself is ranging from House Specialty Rolls, Moriawase, Nigiri, Inari, until Makimono. I think one can only get used to those names after a lot of visits to Japanese restaurant (unless they are Japanese). If you wish to have more fulfilling portion on one plate, they have Donburi and Udon you can choose. In additional, the conveyor belt that’s dragging the mini-plates-of-yums around is feasting your eyes and helping your mouth to water.

Often Sushi Zanmai is in full-house when it’s the peak hours (lunch and dinner time); which makes you getting in queue before finally seated. But the queue is not that long. Just some conversations away with your company, then you will be greeted and directed to your table.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is modern Japanese style with greenish ambience. When you first stepped in, the scent of sashimi is around; which might be a plus or minus to some. The kitchen is an open station and in the center of the restaurant, one of the sight to see. The conveyor belt becomes one of the attractions, but not every table can get the access to it. However what’s served on the belt can be ordered from the menu book. On the belt, the prices are differed from the colour of the plate, ranges from RM 2.80 to RM 7.80.

Their tempting menus are really on point to lure appetite. It takes many practice for me to be careful on what I order and take from the belt. Only after you pay at the cashier you’ll realize how much you ate. The food quality & taste worth the price – most of the times. I had gotten some dishes that weren’t on the same standard. One time the sushi rice wasn’t cooked properly, all the sushi I ordered that day was bad. But again, the chance to get bad experience on their food is rare.

 

Depends on the busyness, the service quality you get isn’t always the same. When busy, they take longer to notice you – yet I’ve never seen any waiters idling around. They have always been attentive…….sometimes over attentive, especially the trainees. When it’s not so busy, they’d come back and forth to check on your table. One point I felt uncomfortable with their constant “stares” when I’m trying to enjoy my food. Another thing that rather annoyed me is when the waiters shout “irasshaimase” whenever a guest walks in, including the ones who are at the furthest side of the room. It creates the chaotic feeling with the shouting here and there. Their intention to make every guest feel welcomed is understandable, but it will be much better if only the waiters around the entrance doing it.

Rating:

Price 8/10

Food 9/10

Service 7/10

Ambience 7/10

Overall 7.75 / 10