We’ve been hearing lots about this Japanese restaurant in Plaza Arkadia. Two of my friends have been there and love indulging in the buffet spread every once in a while. Me and buffets are usually miles apart because I do not usually enjoy eating many things at one go and as a result, I rarely go for buffet. However, as this was a Japanese buffet rather than a Western one, I don’t think I’d mind as much, especially when this particular cuisine is a whole lot healthier and fresher.
We visited Hama on a weekend, during lunch and it was a good thing we made reservations. We arrived five minutes after the buffet started and at that point, customers were just starting to trickle in but fast forward just 15 minutes later, the Ground floor of Hama was fully occupied. Wowza! So, make reservations folks. If you intend to try their Japanese buffet spread, especially on a weekend – a reservation is necessary.
The Japanese buffet offer you a variety of choices, with more than 100 dishes to choose from. It is available for dinner on weekdays, from 5.30 pm to 10 pm. On weekends, the buffet is available for both lunch and dinner, at 12 pm to 3 pm and 5.30 pm to 10 pm respectively. Buffet cost is RM 98 ++ per pax for adults and RM 58 ++ per pax for children and senior citizens.
The restaurant has both outdoor and indoor area with the indoor occupying 2 floors. They have done up the eatery tastefully. The color tone exudes a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Customer service was great. Initially, I had no idea what to expect. I thought that with the buffet, all the dishes with be spread out on a table and I’ll have to go over to each dish and pile on what I’d like on my plate … usually how a buffet works but here they make it fresh for you.
Basically, you’d have to look through their Menu, write down whichever items you’d like and then, they would cook it fresh for you. Best part was, despite the full house, food did not take too long to arrive. I guess they’ve got time management down to a tee. Just when I almost finished one diah, another arrives just in time. So, I never stopped eating the entire duration I was at Hama 😁. I also liked the fact that while most of the meals are cooked fresh, the desserts they display buffet style. There are no limitations on how much you can eat but be sure not to waste food as they do charge you for wastage.
Menu
Overall, food was yummy and the seafood especially were fresh.
Spicy Kaisen Nabe. This dish is a seafood vegetable soup. To me, the soup tasted like a spicy version of a Miso soup. It included lots of filling and is a dish good enough for 2 or more people. It includes large prawns, clams, squids, several types of mushrooms, tauhu and etc.
Fukuhire Chawan Mushi. This dish consisted of steamed egg custard topped with shark fin. It was a light dish with a soft texture. There was a piece of shark fin on the top, with mushrooms, ginger strips and etc.
Horenso To Buta Butter Itame. This dish includes stir fried spinach with bean sprouts, pork belly, bonito flakes with garlic. While this is a simple dish, it included a number of items. So, rather than just eating a mouthful of vegetables, you’d get a good mix of meat and vegetables, with a nice flavor aided by the flakes. I enjoyed eating it by itself, on its own.
Kaki Furai. This dish included 3 pieces of deep fried breaded oyster. I am generally not a fan of oyster thanks to the overpowering taste of it that lingers but this one here was bearable. I think it was the combination of the oyster and its perfectly breaded exterior that helped tone down the strong taste. I ate a whole piece on my own and enjoyed it.
Unagi Maki. Ooooo this sushi I liked. I ate the whole dish myself. It included fresh water eel, egg and cucumber. The sweet sauce drizzle on top of it only added on to its yumminess.
This was essentially popcorn chicken with a mayo dip. As I’ve always been a fan of this dish, I naturally enjoyed the one served at Hama too. The outer layer was crunchy with a more solid texture, the inner was soft and chewy. A good dish to munch on while waiting for another dish to arrive.
This is a half and half. A half of Shake Tataki (Steamed salmon drizzled with wasabi dressing) + a half of Maguro Tataki ( Steamed tuna drizzled with wasabi dressing) served on a plate. The wasabi dressing was not as strong and overpowering as I though it would be. It was more of an undertone that provided hints of it with every bite you’d take. It was pleasant and refreshing.
This was a iced tray of fresh seafood. After tasting it, I realized it has been a while since I’ve eaten fresh seafood, a long while in fact.
Ko Ebi Kaarage. This dish consisted of deep fried baby shrimp with chili sprinkle on the top. There were 3 pieces of chewy meat with a flavored crispy, crunchy outer layer. Yum!
Spicy Hotate Yaki Meshi. This was basically Scallop Fried Rice and it was delicious. If you are a fan of Garlic Fried Rice, as I am, then know that this one here was good. It is worth ordering. Garlicky and buttery with eggs, spring onions, scallop. An awesome combination.
Ebi Tempura. This dish included 3 pieces of deep fried prawn. Just like the other dishes, this too was yummy. Large prawns with a crispy outer layer that tasted awesome. Yet another dish I would not mind having another.
Hamagiri Butter Yaki. This dish consisted of stir fried clams in butter sauce which I enjoyed slurping it up and munching on. I would not have minded having another plate.
Mochi. I had this for dessert and ate 4 pieces. The mochi came with different fillings which included chocolate, peanut butter and sesame. Just like the other dishes here, I enjoyed munching on this too. Also liked the fact that each ball consisted of a good amount filling. Biting into it was a joy.
Besides the Mochi, there were 3 – 4 ice cream tubs available too for desserts. Haagen Dazs with salted caramel, sesame and chocolate chip flavors. You can literally scoop up as much as you desire and eat to your hearts content. The Salted Caramel ice cream was my favorite.
They also serve Japanese alcoholic baverages here, Sake, Soju and Yuzu. It also comes in several flavors. These drinks can be an add on the buffet. I tried the one with a fruity undertone. While it was bitter-ish, the hints of fruityness created a rather pleasant result that made drinking it a good experience.
Overall, I had a good time at Hama Japanese Dining. The food quality exceeded my expectations. It is worth giving the buffet here a try. You’d be spoilt for choice from the 100+ dishes you can choose from. I ate to my hearts content. Thanks for having us, Hama.
Address: Unit F-G-7, Plaza Arkadia, Desa Parkcity, Kuala Lumpur.
Opening hours: Everyday. 12 pm – 3 pm, 5.30 pm – 11 pm.
Contact Num.: 014 – 632 2688
Reservation link: Hama Japanese Dining | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (letsumai.com)
FB page: Hama Japanese Dining | Kuala Lumpur | Facebook
Signing out now, Ciao.
