Food Blog | Nippori Cafe | Empire Damansara

Eating with my girlfriend in KL usually means more Japanese food, so this is what ends up getting on my blog… more Japanese food. But this is one that I’m pretty happy to share with you guys: Nippori Cafe!

Context: Back in KL for a bit, having a small dinner date with my girlfriend at a Japanese restaurant I chanced upon on the Burpple KL app.

Is it Halal?

No pork on the menu, but this is one of those that don’t source their meats from a halal certified supplier, so do eat at your own discretion if you are concerned about this aspect. (I suppose Mirin is also used in some of their dishes, so do not eat here if you’re concerned about this)

Where it Is

It is located on the first floor of Empire Damansara. You either have to take a lift up (I believe there is only one lift going up there) or take one of the many winding staircases in order to get up there. Not going to lie, with so few stores actually open on the first floor, it almost feels like a ghost town, but Nippori contradicts this, as it is pretty lively at night.

You can choose to sit inside the store or the alternative area. I personally think eating at the store itself is pretty cozy, so I honestly think it is worth to wait even 10 minutes if you can get a seat.

 

Address: 102 (First Floor), Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Operating Hours:

Weekdays: 12-2:30pm, 6-9pm (Fridays until 9:30pm)
Weekends: 12-9:30pm

Snacks before the meal

What it Costs

Dinner for the two of us came up to RM106.72. Not the cheapest, but not the biggest bomb you’ll find for Japanese food. I also think that we get quite a lot back in terms of what is offered in the sets.

I had more of the Deep Fried Fish & Salmon Sashimi set (RM42.40) whilst my girlfriend wanted the Ham Katsu, Croquette & Salmon Sashimi Set (RM42.40). The rest of the bill is made up of ocha, service tax, etc. but that’s the rough maths behind the dinner.

How it Tastes

They start off with a savoury Japanese biscuit as a small snack for waiting for your food.

Then you’ll kind of see how big the sets here are. I would definitely say there isn’t really a need to order additional appetisers to share if you’re eating here, because the sets are definitely big enough to fill your stomach.

The Deep Fried Fish & Salmon Sashimi set is actually listed as a bestseller of some sort, which is why I decided to give it a try. I’ll start off by saying that my girlfriend didn’t tolerate it that well - she felt a little bit sick after eating a bit of it - but the disclaimer here is that she isn’t that big on fish that is not salmon.

I personally thought it was nice. The homemade tartare sauce is lighter than I expected, so I feel like it isn’t one of those that you keep eating and get sick of. Then you have 5 thick and delicious pieces of salmon sashimi, some kind of salmon appetiser (I would say that you kinda need to appreciate fishy tasting food in order to like that dish), a meh Chawan Mushi, two pieces of watermelon and a Miso Soup that is pretty hearty (has pieces of what I think is fish and other bits and pieces inside).

The difference between my set and my girlfriend’s is pretty much just the main dish. Her set swaps my deep fried fish for ham and cheese croquettes. I would say that the ham croquette is pretty unique because it isn’t something I’ve even seen anywhere else, but it has an interesting texture and a nice saltiness coming from the ham.

I would say that the cheese croquettes almost feel chicken cordon bleu - esque simply because of the concept and taste. But overall, I’m a fan of both of the sets here.

Star Rating

7.5/10. Overall, a solid dinner. Can’t really go wrong with this place. A really cozy ambience with high quality food. (Honestly speaking, as far as restaurants go - as in not Omakase - this is definitely on the higher range in terms of quality of salmon sashimi).