Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki offers the same menu choices as Sakae Sushi, but with the addition of teppanyaki (鉄板焼き) dishes. The nearest outlet is located in Auto-City, an outdoor strip mall where parking is free and ample. The large green frog logo makes this outlet difficult to overlook during our lunch food trip today.

Fortunately for us, there is an on-going 1-for-1 Pink Plate promotion for Citibank credit card holders. This entitles the cardholder a free pink plate item for every purchase of pink plate item, to a maximum of 3 pink plates (i.e. 6 pink plates in total). Although the fineprint specifies that only items on the conveyor belt are applicable, in reality any item from the menu is allowed as long as the price is RM3.99.

Like many Sakae Sushi outlets, there is an iPad mounted to each dining table to serve as a digital menu. This gives you some perspective on how lucrative this franchise business is. Orders can be made electronically to be conveyed directly to the kitchen. For baby boomers who have not embraced the digital age, the traditional printed menu is also available.

As usual, we took advantage of the maximum 6 pink plates today. Realistically, most pink plates (RM3.99 each) fall under nigirizushi (握り寿司), makizushi (巻き寿司) and gunkanmaki (軍艦巻) categories. One should not expect more expensive items such as sashimi (刺身) or bento (弁当).

The Ika With Plum Jelly Gunkan (イカとプラムジェリー軍艦, RM3.99) is a new item on the menu. This sushi dish is made of seasoned squid and plum-flavored jelly. The texture and taste of both ingredients are similar, yet complementary with each other. This dish is quite special and definitely worth trying.

Honey Ebi Sakura Gunkan (ハニーえび桜軍艦, RM3.99) is topped with sweetened shrimps which are mildly spicy. The taste is reasonably delightful but we find the overall impression too dry. In addition, the shrimps do not stick well on the rice and flake off easily as we pick the base up.

As for the Spicy Salmon Mayo Gunkan (スパイシーサーモンマヨ軍艦, RM3.99), this gunkan dish is covered with a mixture of minced salmon and spicy mayonnaise. Due to the presence of salmon and close-guarded mayonnaise formula, this dish has a nice savory flavor which is quite delectable.

Moving on to the Chuka Hotate Gunkan (中華ホタテ軍艦, RM3.99), the rice is covered with seasoned strips of scallops and sesame seeds. The scallops have a nice springy sensation, but the seasoning unfortunately lacks flavor. Still, the overall taste is considered acceptable.

Moving on to the Salmon Nigiri (サーモン握り, RM3.99), this is perhaps one of Sakae Sushi's best seller. Each bite-size rice clump is topped with a thin slice of raw salmon flesh. Since the salmon is served fresh, it has a nice oily texture that is absent if the flesh were cooked.

The Maguro Nigiri (マグロ握り, RM3.99) is a huge disappointment as the slices of tuna flesh are not as appealing (solid red in color) as they are illustrated on the menu. The tuna flesh feels stiff because it was not thawed properly. Taste-wise, the tuna pales in comparison to the salmon (pun intended).

Wasabi (山葵) and gari (ガリ, pickled ginger) are vital condiments when enjoying sushi. These items are readily available on the conveyor belt. As I am almost impervious to pungency of both spices, I am liberal in helping myself between servings of sushi.

Our drinks are Genmai Tea (玄米茶, RM2.00), which is green tea combined with roasted brown rice. The brown rice gives the drink a distinctive rice-husk aroma especially during the first brew. For the hot version, a tea bag is provided instead. A hot water tap at each dining table allows refills at the customers' convenience.

The Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki outlet has a separate dining area with iron griddles to prepare teppanyaki dishes. However, we did not order any such dishes today.

Due to the Citibank credit card promotion, our meal today is reasonably cheap and enjoyable. Citibank credit cards tend to have nice dining privileges.