Kushikatsu Daruma

ShizukaPhonic

3.0

First heard of this place from the game Yakuza which featured it (even had its own substory) and got curious ever since. Ordered assorted kushikatsu which is their specialty. It's easy to get carried away with ordering since there are just so many to choose from (ended up getting 10 sticks). They also have sets available if you can't be bothered ordering them yourself. The ones I found good were their classic kushikatsu (beef), beef tongue, chicken intestine and camembert cheese. Disappointed with the oysters as they're so tiny and so not worth the price at P129/piece. Also tried their Gyudon and Tantanmen. Both were good though the gyudon serving size is kinda bitin particularly the rice. Wanted to try their Matcha Lava Cake as well but it was unavailable at the time.Overall, food was ok. The vibe of the place was cool and quirky which I liked. Serving time was somewhat quick particularly for the rice bowl and ramen. The skewers took longer to prepare. Servers were attentive and give water refills without us even asking. Ventilation was great as we did not end up smelling like we stepped out of the kitchen upon leaving (a feat considering they primarily serve fried food all day). The "no double dipping" rule is kind of scary though if not everyone complied. Do they reuse the sauce already served to customers? I certainly hope not.

Intan Sari Wanci

3.0

Skewered items took too long to serve but it still worth the wait. The kushikatsu is crunchy and not oily and the dipping sauce is zestful. But yeah, nothing can beat the original in Osaka. One thing I hate is that the dipping sauce was filled just half of it's bowl and it doesn't reach the top of some skewers. The sauce maybe is communal just like the ones in Japan so you should not dip your katsu twice. They gave you some side vegetables and you can use the lettuce or cabbage as a spoon if you really want to have the sauce on your katsu again. However, the veggie sides came late for us; it should be served with the kushikatsu at the same time. I hope they don't reuse the dipping sauce because after we ate, crumbs from our food are left in the sauce. Food is good but pricey.

Osman Sayallar

4.0

It seems they revampes their menu and now have ramen! This is why rating is at 4.5. Without the ramen, it would just be a 3 as the sticks are not that great. The karaage is good too!