Jan

Kozue Japanese Restaurant @Gurney Plaza, Penang

Posted by: CK Lam in Gurney Drive, International, Japanese, Penang Restaurant

My first post for the New (Niu) Year 2009! Finally settled back into routine after days of eating & celebrating…

I’m sure the majority of you had a dining experience in Gurney Plaza, Penang, no matter if it was Nandos, Manhattan Fish Market, Food Loft or something else. However, if you are craving for Japanese food of a different kind compared to Sakae Sushi or Sushi King, perhaps you can head over to Kozue Japanese Restaurant that sits on the 3rd floor of this shopping complex. This new outlet, which is situated just beside Kim Gary HK Cafe, opened in December last year and has a nice water feature at the entrance.

The colourful menu shows a lot of variety ranging from tempura to sushi and udon and has the descriptions of all the dishes. With just the two of us, hubby and myself went for a light meal.

Both of us had the refillable green tea. The first thing that caught my eye in the menu was the Sushi Sandwich - RM8. This is my first time eating Sushi Sandwich. It is shaped like any ordinary sandwich but instead of using bread, they uses sushi rice. Advocado and Mayonnaise is part of the ingredients. Pretty tasty but having some difficulty holding up the sandwich.

We tried out the hand-roll - Salmon Crepe Temaki RM5 and Unagi Nama Harumaki RM6. This cone shape hand-roll uses crepe sheet instead of the common seaweed sheet. They are best eaten with an added bit of soy sauce.

Kushi Yaki - This is the Hotate Bacon RM12. It is actually a whole piece of scallop wrapped in a piece of bacon. I like the taste of the hotate as it has the sweetness from the scallop and salty taste from the bacon. It is nicely grilled in a skewer. Recommended!

Cold Appetizer - Sanshoku Renkon Age RM16. This appetizer is a specialty dish of Kozue and it has pieces of red tuna, salmon and white tuna. The seared pieces of fish is roll up and laid on a piece of fried lotus root. The combination is good and is my favourite dish for the night.

Saba Salad Yaki RM15. The grilled fish is laid on a heap of pickles of cucumber, carrot, radish and yellow bell pepper. I particularly like the bell pepper as it was sweet and crisp crunch. This pickle is very flavourful eaten with the fish.

Besides the above dishes, there are plenty of other foods that can be savored. The two of us could not order so many other dishes, but I’m sure we are coming back for more in the future. Thanks to Pixen for introducing this place to me.

Other Review By : Food Paradise

Kozue Japanese Restaurant
170-03-59
Plaza Gurney
10250 Penang

Tel 04 2269336

Tags: Advocado, Appetizer, Array, Bacon, Cheese And Ham, Common Seaweed, Cone Shape, Cucumber, Favourite Dish, Fish Market, Food Paradise, Green Tea, Grilled Fish, Gurney Plaza Penang, Ham Sandwich, Japanese Food, Japanese Restaurant, Japanese Sushi, Kushi, Lotus Root, Market Food, Nandos, Penang, Pickle, Pickles, Plaz, Plaza Gurney, Radish, Refreshing Taste, Rm5, Saba, Salmon, Salty Taste, Scallop, Seaweed Sheet, Shopping Complex, Soy Sauce, Sushi King, Sushi Rice, Temaki, Water Feature, Yellow Bell Pepper

This entry was posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009 at 12:22 pm and is filed under Gurney Drive, International, Japanese, Penang Restaurant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

42 comments so far

Selba

What a nice Japanese restaurant! The food looks beautiful and… so cute those butterflies sticks
Selba´s last blog post..Imperial Treasure La Mian Xiao Long Bao

January 30th, 2009 at 2:51 pm

Ah Shui

I like their decoration, looks attractive and delicious…

Ah Shui´s last blog post..Kuih Puluh

January 30th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

New Kid On The Blog

this place looks small when i walked passed the other day… from the pictures above, am sure it all taste good.

New Kid On The Blog´s last blog post..Ichyo Ramen Restaurant

January 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

email2me

The food look rather small portion to me. It looks more on the premium Japanese food.

email2me´s last blog post..Dinner Cum Fashion Show By 360 Degree at Amuleto by Crystal Jade

January 30th, 2009 at 9:33 pm

adelyn & leong

hi CK,
we’re the couple who met you at Blue Reef, still remember us?
it was great meeting you.
drop me an email the next time u’re going to Sawara.
ciao, Gong Xi Fa Cai to you and your family.:)

adelyn & leong´s last blog post..Intuition

January 30th, 2009 at 9:37 pm

pigpigscorner

What a lovely place. Nice presentation of food!

Happy New Year! Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

pigpigscorner´s last blog post..Seared Tuna Steak with Butternut Squash & Mushroom Risotto

January 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm

CK Lam

Selba - They do look attractive…a part in decorating the food.

Ah Shui - Me too. You can see that they did put in extra effort to decorate their food.

New Kid on the Blog - The few dishes that I had turn out pretty tasty. Do try it out with your hubby.

Email2me - Not necessary. They do have bento sets and it so happen that both of us wanted to eat something light…’chiak kar’.

Adelyn & Leong - How could I forget this beautiful lady with his charming partner. Indeed my pleasure meeting both of you.
I will contact you after the CNY and it would be great if we could go & makan together.

Pigpigscorner - This place indeed has its own way in displaying the food. Btw…nice to see you dropping by. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

January 30th, 2009 at 11:39 pm

pixen

Yummmy… Glad you made it! Lovely environment and picts! What I like of this place is when you’re inside, you don’t hear much (or is it the interior and food distracted the attention?) of Kim Gary’s chaos Even though place is small they managed to maximise and balance their shortages to make it cosy.

pixen´s last blog post..BloggerAid - Bloggers Uniting To Aid In The Alleviation of Hunger!

January 31st, 2009 at 2:36 am

FoOd PaRaDiSe

We love the foods there. It is very tasty. Thanks for the link. lol Gong Xi Fa Cai!

FoOd PaRaDiSe´s last blog post..Kedai Makanan Nam Hooi

January 31st, 2009 at 10:13 pm

KJC Exchange Center

I absolutely agree with you. I have tried the food of this restaurant before on the opening day.

KJC Exchange Center´s last blog post..??????

February 1st, 2009 at 10:35 am

Criz Lai

The food looked impressive here. I think I should make a trip to GP since I had not visited the place for some time. Thanks for sharing.

http://crizfood.com/

Criz Lai´s last blog post..SET LUNCH AT SALSA RESTAURANT

February 1st, 2009 at 11:23 am

Fion

Oh, this is definitely a good news for me. I always do not know where to eat when I shop in Gurney Plaza. This one looks yummy. Thank you for sharing.

My Taste Heaven

February 2nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm

Big Boys Oven

oh! you are back! You won a food voucher for two come and collect it!

February 2nd, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Big Boys Oven

u are back! and you won a food voucher for two at Swiss Garden!

February 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 pm

lingzie

hahah you’re very fast! i spotted this last week, but didnt try it yet. the food looks good!
gurney plaza now seems to be japanese food haven! lol

lingzie´s last blog post..Valentine’s Day Ideas That Won’t Burn a Hole in Your Pocket

February 2nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm

iamthewitch

The pictures looked great! But the hand rolls and sushi sandwich looked rather small…

iamthewitch´s last blog post..Beijing Zar Jiang Noodles

February 2nd, 2009 at 4:12 pm

J2Kfm

glad that Gurney Plaza finally has a decent japanese restaurant.

rather reasonable as well.

J2Kfm´s last blog post..Sawasdee-Krub on the 6th Day of CNY? (Koh Samui Restaurant @ Ipoh)

February 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 pm

adelyn

hi CK, sure we can go makan togather..just drop me an email ya

February 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm

buzzingbee

haha i guess i have not gone to gurney plaza for quite some time…didn’t know they have a new jap shop. Looks good!!

February 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Chin

I dropped by Gurney Drive for hawker’s food on the 27th night and could not find parking. Expected. I went in Gurney Plaza and found parking. It is a certainly a big place looking at the parking. The food presented is impressive and creative.

Chin´s last blog post..Gurney Drive Hawkers, Coffeeshop Stalls and Home-Cooked Penang Food

February 2nd, 2009 at 10:05 pm

jinggy

Hi CK,

Can you do a compilation of restaurants in penang that you think are good to have the valentine’s day dinner?
jinggy´s last blog post..

February 2nd, 2009 at 11:02 pm

Nice food, nice ambience! This year, we had Japanese food for our reunion dinner.

lk´s last blog post..Scrambled eggs w/ tomatoes (?????????)

February 3rd, 2009 at 8:35 am

ZeekNotGeek

nice review! my cousin work there part time so it would be great to check out this place when im back and ask for some discount! hahah…

CK, i would highly recommend Miyaku, the jap restaurant at G Hotel. went there during cny and it was pretty good. affordable price! and huge selection of sake’s.

February 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 am

Alice

An awesome photos, savory sushi and cozy environment. Lovely!

February 3rd, 2009 at 9:03 am

CK Lam

Pixen - I totally agreed with you…it is indeed a nice dining place.

Food Paradise - I am sure you will be back for more with your family.

KJC Exchange Center - Good to know that you enjoyed your meal…just like I did.

Fion - Do give it a try…like to hear your feedback too.

February 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am

CK Lam

Big Boys Oven - Thanks BBO…this is the first win for me in the year. I can’t wait to try out the food

Lingzie - I think you might like the food…do share your review with us after your visit.

Iamthewitch - Good enough for the ladies but could be slightly smaller for the big eaters.

J2kfm - It’s good to see new food outlets…especially serving something slightly different.

Adelyn - Will do that soon.

Buzzingbee - You find it easily as its near to Kim Gary.

Chin - Most important, the food must be tasty…besides that, the displayed plays an important part too. Visit this place to try out the food.

February 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 am

CK Lam

Jinggy - Will send it to you when its ready.

lk - That sounds interesting…a change from the usual stuff. Will KIV it.

ZeekNotGeek - Maybe we can makan together and you can introduce me to your cousin. Btw…thanks for your recommendation, I will check out the place.

Alice - Nice to see you dropping by.

February 3rd, 2009 at 10:31 am

cariso

Second visit odi , right?

cariso´s last blog post..???? (Che 6 Che 7) Activities

February 3rd, 2009 at 8:40 pm

Nic (KHKL)

the menu looks interesting. definitely not those run of the mill japanese spread. i especially like the concept of the Sanshoku Renkon Age. yummy!

Nic (KHKL)´s last blog post..Peninsular Restaurant

February 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 pm

StevenGoh.com

The name of the restaurant sound Korean but it is actually a Japanese food, very creative on both combination. For these kind of food the price is consider reasonable leh. Have to get a try one day.

StevenGoh.com´s last blog post..FREE Banana Cake Recipe

February 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 pm

CK Lam

Cariso - You are right…

Nic (KHKL) - I like the combination of the ingredients for the Shanshoku Renko Age…just right and tasty.

Steven Goh - Do make a reservation before you go.

February 4th, 2009 at 1:07 am

shell

Nice presentation of foods, especially the Cold Appetizer, Sanshoku Renkon Age.

February 4th, 2009 at 9:44 pm

jazziv

It’s not buffet style right? I would like to ask if this restaurant is better or Kirishima better?

February 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am

ck lam

shell - I too like their presentation…slightly different from other Japanese outlet.

jazziv - The food in Kirishima is more on the traditional side whereas Kozue is more fuzion, so the taste and the style is slightly different.

ck lam´s last blog post..Pan Mee @Macalister Road/Lorong Selamat, Penang

February 6th, 2009 at 11:10 am

beingMRS

i luv the agadeshi tofu there.

beingMRS´s last blog post..Kozue Japanese Restaurant (Opposite KimGary),Gurney Plaza, Penang

February 8th, 2009 at 11:09 am

CK Lam

BeingMRS - Glad to know you like the food. I will try out your recommended tofu.

February 9th, 2009 at 9:34 am

uaik

hi~
have a look on my article of Kozue?
http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/news/uaik/3/1313362695/20090715121720

hehe~~

July 15th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

tommy

looks good guys keep it up

December 4th, 2009 at 3:33 am

Chea Hoy

Thanks CK for the post.
Just went tonight, the food is great! We had a good conversation with the owner, Ivy as well. They import fish from Japan 2-3 times a week, that’s why it’s good to have fish in Kozue. We ordered the following dish and love the taste!
- grilled yellowtail fish with spring onions and vinegar
- kimchi ramen
- unadon (eel rice)
- asparagus rolled with bacon
- enoki (golden needle mushroom) rolled with bacon
- black sesame ice cream
- macha ice cream with red beans
Will go back for more! ^.^

January 7th, 2010 at 9:58 pm

CK Lam

uaik - Nice photos, especially the Salmon Crepe Temaki.

tommy - Thanks for dropping by.

Chea Hoy - Nice of you sharing your dinning outing with me. I do like the food at Kozue too!

January 7th, 2010 at 11:10 pm

Chea Hoy

Hi CK, pleasure What impresses me is the chefs are all locals, Penang BOLEH! But one of the partners, Ivy is very experienced in Jap food, she has been in this line over 20 years and was telling us the story of the first Penang Jap resto (still there, guess which one?) and many others that her former Japanese boss started.

January 8th, 2010 at 9:45 am

CK Lam

Chea Hoy - Ivy sure is a friendly person and did share a lot of her experience with me too. If I remember, the restaurant also starts with the alphabet K.

January 8th, 2010 at 11:25 am

One Trackback/Ping

Kozue Japanese Restaurant, Gurney Plaza Penang | What2See : Best of Penang Food! May 31 2009 / 9pm:

[...] Since Kozue’s opening in Penang Gurney Plaza in December last year, business in this modern and chic restaurant has been good; and has since developed a solid group of regular customers. My family have been to Kozue’s several times and have tasted many of its innovative fusion dishes which can be seen in my previous post. [...]

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Armed with a camera and a huge appetite, this food blogger & her family travel around looking for the best food and events & happily sharing them with you in this Penang Food Blog