Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Pulau Tikus is home to a sizeable Japanese community, which explains why there are a number of Japanese restaurants in this area of George Town. One of these restaurants is Tonki Bento (とんき弁当) at Lintang Burma, several shops away from Public Mutual.
Upon entering the restaurant, I am greeted with a maneki-neko (招き猫) or “welcoming cat”. Its presence in Japanese restaurants has almost become a cliché.
The dining section of Tonki Bento is wooden themed. Bamboo screens and wooden panels partition individual dining tables. Quite a cozy place for a reclusive meal.
Authentic Japanese ornaments on the shelves and on the wall create a nostalgic Japanese atmosphere in the restaurant.
My lunch today is Ebi Furai Set (海老フライセット, RM14.00). The food is served in a plastic compartmentalized food tray typical for bento meals.
The spotlight of this bento meal are the four fried shrimps (海老). Coated with batter, the shrimps are deep-fried for a nice golden perfection. The prawns inside a quite dry, so the meal starts to go downhill around the third shrimp. Fortunately, there is a bowl of Miso Soup to help out.
The fried salmon (鮭) is served with some fried cabbage and carrots. I believe these ingredients are prepared with a teppan (鉄板) or iron griddle. Unfortunately, I find the salmon slightly soggy and not as palatable as expected.
A small portion of grated cabbage salad is included. The salad is accompanied by tomato slices, a pinch of coriander leaf and mayonnaise.
The rice is made from the traditional Japanese short-grain rice. Some black sesame seeds are sprinkled on top for a visual appeal.
I slice of orange serves as dessert for the meal.
The bowl of Miso Soup (味噌汁) is not as rich as it should be. More miso paste should have been used.
Condiments available on each table are soy sauce (醤油), vinegar (酢), Japanese spice mixture (七味唐辛子) and Japanese pepper powder (山椒の粉). I did not use any of these as I did not order any ramen (ラーメン) dishes.
My drink during the meal is the Green Tea (お茶, RM1.00). When dining in Japanese restaurants, I prefer to stick to green tea as the exclusive drink.
The food at Tonki Bento is just moderate in taste. The price is considered reasonable due to the generous portion. However, I don’t think it deserves a second visit. On a side note, I notice that Tonki Bento relies on take-away and delivery orders very heavily.