A Sisterly Affair @ Sozo Japanese Cuisine, Sunway Giza

Once in a while, your sisterhood needs to be empowered. It needs to be renewed and be reinforced so that you have backing… when you are bullied- seriously! But of course other than that, it is to thank her for being such a supporter when no one else likes your FB posts, for lending you her dress for that dinner, for fetching you from Pudu back home when taxi fares double after midnight etc. What is the best way to treat your sister, cousin sister, sister-in-law? Follow my lead. 

Sozo Japanese Cuisine at Sunway Giza, Kota Damansara

I decided to fortify my sister-sister bonding by treating her to her favourite kind of food- Japanese! One-to-one, just the two of us and no other people. I took her to Sozo Japanese Restaurant for ala carte buffet dinner.  A choice that is definitely value for money with quality Japanese dishes. Let me show you why I find it the best buffet in town. (See bottom for price of buffet)

I noticed the large variety of food when I saw pages and pages of food on the menu

Order your food using the order form

Sozo Japanese Restaurant in Sunway Giza situated just next to The Beer Factory. We chose al-fresco dining as the night was cooling. The first impression I got when I was handed the menu was that it was very thick! My sister and I were spoilt for choice with pages and pages of food to choose from. To the uninitiated, ala carte buffet means you can order as much as you like from the menu, as many times as you like. There will not be a food spread as food will be dished out from the kitchen as per order. But do keep in mind, that wasted food will be charged. As our brain froze from the vast variety, we requested for recommended dishes the first round and restaurant manager Alex Tan ticked away. 

Special Soft Shell Crab Maki RM22.90

Succumbing to our gluttony, we decided not to go according to food etiquette. Therefore, appetizers did not reach first. The first dish was special soft shell crab maki. I understand that we have to cut the filling food during buffets but this one is exceptional. Soft shell crab fried to perfection rolled in sweet glutinous rice and topped with fresh mango with a hint of thousand island sauce will certainly satisfy your carb cravings without feeling too much.

Kakuni  RM17.90

Kakumi is stewed selected pork with chef's secret recipe sauce. The meat is tender while the sauce is appetizing. I savoured the remaining gravy by wiping it with the salad leaves.

Sashimi Moriawase 6 kind RM59.90

This plate of goodness is worth more than anything else in the menu. To those who has a fetish for sashimi, this cold platter will certainly blow you away. Each bite is sweet accompanied by a tingling of freshness in the mouth. The 6 sashimis are white tuna, hamachi (yellow tail), hamachi belly, maguro (tuna), salmon, prawn with a clutter of fish roe. Popping fish roe with your teeth while letting the liquid spritz the taste of the ocean in your mouth is a fantastic way to pass time. This plate is worth more than what you pay for if you buy the meal from Ensogo. 

Gyoza RM11.90

Craving for more porky dishes? The gyoza is dumpling stuffed with pork and assorted chopped vegetable and spices. It is a good filler dish to satisfy those who is full but still wants to munch. 

Oyster Aburi Carpaccio  RM12.90

This dish of fresh  oyster with special sauce adds a splash of flavour to mask the raw oyster smell while maintaining the oyster taste. This is recommended to those who are not really a fan of fresh raw oyster. A dollop of blended ginger and spring onions spices up the mouthful of delicacy. I do not recommend the Kaki Don (fried oyster) though. The batter is thick and oyster taste is totally quashed. 

Ticking my 2nd round of order

Assorted sashimi of your choce
Fresh oyster RM4.90 per piece
Fresh salmon belly RM8.80 for 8 pieces
Hamachi belly RM8.80 for 5 pieces

Of course being fans of sashimi, we will not leave until we are sated with raw fish. We delved into the menu to order assorted sashimi of our choice. The fresh raw oyster was the pearl of the dish as we slurped up the untainted ocean taste with texture so satisfying to the palate. We also savoured the richness of the salmon and hamachi (yellow tail) bellies. We were smug with our choice as the fatty part of the fish left a deep impression even after we left. I recommend their sashimis as they are fresh and sweet. This dish will redeem the price of the whole buffet even without discount. 

Chuka Wakame (Seaweed salad) and Chuka Kurage (Jellyfish salad)  RM6.00 each

We then tried the appetizers. the emerald chewy seaweed salad was fragrant with sesame oil and sprinkles of sesame. Great choice to chat over with. The Chuka Kurage on the other hand was not as appetizing as expected. It had a woody taste that I did not appeal to me. 

Ikura Cawanmushi RM11.90

The fun popping salmon roe enticed me for another round of it in a different variety. Salmon roe  in a warm eggy base is a pleasant combination. This choice leaves the mouth smacking for more. 

Maguro Aburi Teriyaki (Seared Maguro sushi)  RM7.90 per plate

To those who cannot leave a Japanese restaurant without having at least a shushi, try this tuna teriyaki which is infused with gravy that moistens the rice for a more scrumptious swallow.

Ocha Soba (Green tea cold soba)  RM18.80

The cold ocha soba was interesting as the raw quail egg has to be mixed with the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was not cold enough and the soba was not al dente enough. One will not lose out if this dish is skipped.

Green tea and ice cream included in the buffet

The buffet includes free flow of ocha (green tea) and free flow of ice-cream 

House sake RM30

You can wash it all down with a little sake at the end or take it during the course of the meal. Sake is not included in the buffet. My sister and I enjoyed warm sake that soothed the throat and of course we continued chatting till the sake reached bottom. 

Sozo also helps organize events for special occasions

Sozo's customer service is good with smiling waiters ready to serve. The manager is friendly and is approachable enough to recommend or explain any dish.

A sisterly affair

Price of buffet per pax is RM69.90 only....and yes with all the sashimi enjoyed! We most certainly had a jolly good time during our dinner, baring all of our appetite to the free flow of food and will come back with our parents and friends. I am also sure that your search for a good foodie night matches this post.

Still worried about the cost? Fret not as Ensogo is now offering 30% off for weekday lunch and 20% off for weekday dinner. Go to Ensogo and search for ‘Sozo’ or go to www.ensogo.com.my/deals/1-2pax-ala-carte-japanese-buffet-at-sozo-japanese-restaurant-1438193950

Definitely a good buy!

Sozo Japanese Cuisine

13-G, Block A, Sunway Giza

Jalan PJU 5/14,

PJU 5 Kota Damansara,

47810 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor

Telephone: 03-6150 7128/ 6143 5128

Reservation hotline: 012-221 9774 (Alex Tan)

Facebook: facebook.com/sozocuisine

Email: sozocuisine@gmail.com