Sushi Zento @ Precinct 10, Tanjung Tokong, Penang.

Well, I guess this is my first attempt on one of the new eateries in this new hot spot - Precinct 10. Located strategically at Tanjung Bungah area (right beside Island Plaza), Precinct 10 has ample parking space and most importantly, the parking is free (currently). Sushi Zento serves Japanese cuisine at reasonable price, especially all the sushi on their Kaiser Belt, from my observations, some of them are even cheaper than Sushi King and Sakae Sushi. As for ala carte, they have quite a lot to offer but since I was there for lunch, I opted for their set meals instead. The restaurant was not fully opened yet, the front part of the restaurant was still under renovation, worry not, you can always check with the restaurant whether they are open for business. Service was fine for me, mainly due to the sufficient man power in the restaurant, and the best part was NO government tax will be added to your bill.

You will be greeted by their friendly staff once you stepped into the restaurant. As mentioned earlier, their prices for the sushi on the Kaiser Belt are pretty cheap. Small sushi rolls are priced at Rm1.80-Rm2.80, while salmon sushi and some related sushi are priced at Rm3.80, Rm5.80-Rm7.80 are for those octopus, clams etc....

Crab Stick Sushi Rolls (White Plate, Rm1.80) were decent, just that they were not over priced like some other Japanese food outlets in Penang. You can always have some of these while waiting for your main course to arrive.

Ebiko Sushi Rolls (Green Plate, Rm2.80) was okay, as in the portion was a bit small in my opinion. They could have cut them into bigger pieces.

I simply adore their Salmon Sushi (Blue Plate, Rm3.80), the fresh salmon sashimi were perfectly sliced into suitable sizes and it did give me a very satisfying bit. The color of the salmon sashimi was very appealing too.

Wakatori Karaage Ramen (Rm17), it comes with a small plate of fried chicken and a bowl of Ramen. I shall start with the fried chicken, the chicken was disappointing, although the 5 pieces of chicken were quite crispy after some time but they were just ordinary fried chicken with no added flavors/distinctive flavors. Next on the Ramen, it 2 pieces of hard boiled egg, leeks, spring onions, Japanese fish cakes, and some bamboo shoots. The texture of the Ramen was quite springy and the portion was quite big enough even for a big eater like me. The soup was very so so only as it lacked of some saltiness in my opinion. The hard boiled egg was a failure. They have failed in sustaining the smooth texture of the egg (probably something happened when they attempted to peel the eggs) and ended up, the hard boiled eggs were fulled with "holes" on the surface and they affected the overall texture of the egg. Others were okay, especially the bamboo shoots, were very crunchy and juicy. 

Gyoza To Ramen Set (Rm25), it comes in a complete set which consisted of 3 Gyoza (Japanese dumplings), a bowl of Char Siew Ramen, a small bowl of Chawan Mushi, a Salad and 2 slices of Honeydew as dessert. Its definitely a set meant for big eaters, the portion served exceeded the value we were paying for! Start with the Char Siew Ramen, it comes with 3 pieces of Char Siew (Japanese Roasted Pork), others were pretty much similar to the Wakatori Karaage Ramen. The Char Siew were okay, the flavor was not too heavy nor unique but they were decent.

The salad and Chawan Mushi were not shabby, they have successfully maintained the soft and smooth texture.

Gyoza that comes with the set, there were not any shredded ginger provided earlier, and I had to request for them, anyway, the vinegar was mixed with some sesame oil which boosted the flavor till the max. The gyoza was extraordinary, the charred outer layer gives the dumplings extra crispiness and they worked well with the shredded ginger and vinegar.

Do always ask for their Seven Flavor Chili Pepper if you think that you need extra flavor in their Ramen soup.

Similarly to other Japanese Restaurants, you can find this Japanese Pickled Ginger on their Kaiser Belt too but unfortunately, their Wasabi (extra portion) will be given upon request only, they are not available on their Kaiser Belt.

Ratings:

Taste: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Price: 7/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)

Service: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Parking: 8/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Service Charge: Yes 10%

Government Tax: No

Additional Information:

Address: 10-A-11&12, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Precinct 10, 10470, Penang.

Business Hour: 11:30am to 3pm (lunch), 6pm to 10:30pm (dinner); Monday to Thursday; 11:30am to 10:30pm; Friday to Sunday or Public Holidays

Contact Number: 604- 899 2725