It has been months since I last hung out with my friend C (life just gets too busy sometimes! ) – so when we both had some free time on Labour Day, we went to check out a yakiniku place we saw recommended on social media.

Tucked on the ground floor of Nexus Bangsar South, Arigato Latin Japanese Cuisine & Yakiniku offers relatively affordable lunch sets with beef as the main highlight, including wagyu. These are less-luxurious cuts (hence cheaper), but I think the sets are good for what they’re worth.

The restaurant sports an elegant, modern look with dark walls, ambient lighting, and a semi-open kitchen. The fun and colourful mural of cats, as well as the squiggly neon light suspended from the ceiling adds a whimsical touch, so the decor doesn’t appear too sombre.

Arigato serves what they call “Latin Japanese cuisine”, which I think is the best of both worlds – you get the bold, fun flavours of Latin food paired with the more traditional approach of Japanese food that favours fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The Latin menu is only available for dinner, and includes unique fusion dishes like wagyu beef mini tacos, kakiage tostadas, and nori tacos. They also have classic grilled items like yakitori, and of course, their specialty, wagyu. Meanwhile, the lunch menu offers more traditional Japanese fare and set meals, to cater to Nexus’ large business / office crowd.

For appetisers, C and I shared some deep fried Japanese ice fish (RM10). They were served fresh from the fryer, piping hot and moist on the inside. I think it would make a great bar snack for those who like alcohol. There are other options too like octopus with wasabi, edamame, and grilled squid, all priced around RM10 – 18.

C and I each got one Solo Yakiniku Set, which is Arigato’s signature lunch offering. Each set includes rice, soup, salad, fruits, and kimchi. For the beef, you can choose from Australian Angus, Wagyu Beef, or Premium Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu, as well as different cuts of meat. What I like: they have recommended portion sizes, so if you’re a light eater, you can go for a 60g serving, while heavy eaters can opt for 120g.

C went for the 90g A5 Wagyu Kalbi (above), while I got the 90g Angus Garlic Pickled beef Kalbi (short rib) (RM39.90). The portion was just right imo – large enough to be satisfying, but not to the point that I felt overly satiated afterwards, which is common with a meat-heavy meal.

Although the beef flavour was supposed to be garlic pickled, the garlic flavour was quite faint – it was more a sweetish teriyaki-like glaze. Not that I’m complaining, though: the meat was excellent, tender, and very tasty. The fat was rendered well without being overly chewy, and the smoky-sweet taste paired perfectly with fluffy white rice.

Sides were not too shabby either: I don’t like the kimchi served at a lot of restos in Malaysia because they’re not prepped well and always has this funky earthy cabbage-y taste – but the kimchi here tasted refreshing and clean.

Lunch was a satisfying affair, and I think RM40 for a quality beef set like this (with all the trimmings) is a very fair price. Service was impeccable as well. I’m already itching to take the Hubs here next time, since he’s a big fan of beef.

ARIGATO LATIN JAPANESE CUISINE AND YAKINIKU

Unit G6, Ground Floor, Nexus, Bangsarsouth, Jalan Kerinchi, Bangsar, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: 11AM – 3PM, 6PM – 11PM (12 AM on Fridays and Saturdays)

Phone: 012-502 0849

https://www.instagram.com/arigatokl/

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