Shin Nihon@ Sri Hartamas

When it comes to cuisine of choice on a date night, My family and I tend to gravitate towards meat – beef, in particular. We love the idea of tucking into freshly grilled beef or steak, especially if it’s a delicious, tender cut. Shin Nihon in Desa Sri Hartamas is said to offer one of the best yakiniku in town; so we went.

Getting a table at Shin Nihon isn’t easy. You will need to call ahead to reserve as they are almost always full come dinner time. It’s even more chaotic on a weekend night, so we experienced. On our maiden visit, we sat by the bar downstairs and watched as the team prepared everyone’s order.

It would be a cardinal sin to skip the beef at Shin Nihon, unless you don’t take beef. And if you fall under the latter category, please don’t bother going. Australian wagyu and Japanese wagyu are available for order – and it’s best to start with the Australian beef and work your way up.

Our Japanese wagyu platter featured sirloin, upper hind shank, lean top blade and brisket. I would have loved some ribeye but that wasn’t an option that night. Despite having more secondary cuts in this platter, the beef still tasted more superior than the Australian wagyu platter.

Shin Nihon’s Wagyu Beef Tendon Stew (RM26) is one of the best delicious stews I’ve eaten, period. The tendon is beautifully tender to the point it melts in your mouth and the gravy begs for a bowl of white rice to eat with. Even the radish is cooked just right and has absorbed all the delicious goodness of the beef and gravy.

The Kale Salad (RM28) is worth checking out – a Shin Nihon specialty of kale drizzled with house special dressing. This is light yet flavourful, and very refreshing to go with all the fatty cuts of grilled beef.

Overall, I like the food at Shin Nihon. What I don’t fancy is how difficult it is to get a table, and how (depending on your luck) cramped it can be. If possible, ask for the booth seat as I think it’s perfect for couples. The bar seat can get a bit noisy so it might not be “date appropriate”.

Prices aren’t cheap – expect to pay anywhere between RM100 to RM400 per head, depending on how much (premium) beef you order. And this is excluding alcohol.

Shin Nihon

Daily, 530pm–1am

Tel: 03-2856-7350

No. 26, Jalan 24/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.