[Pork-free, Halal ingredients] Kingu Kongu is the newest Izakaya-style restaurant in town, but without the booze.
While that might sound ironic (izakaya literally means a place to drink in Japanese), Kingu Kongu excels in terms of food, ambience and service – making it one of the more exciting new Japanese spots in town.
Vintage kaiju-inspired decor
The name Kingu Kongu comes from the Japanese word for King Kong.
The space is as playful as its name implies – colourful vintage Japanese pop culture posters adorn the walls, adding a pop (pun intended) of colour to the wooden furnishings.
Banners and lightboxes featuring tattoo-ed neko (cats) motifs further enhanced the space.
In fact, Kingu Kongu’s logo is modeled after a daruma doll with a suitably simian face.
Kingu Kongu is Muslim-friendly
While Kingu Kongu’s decor is inspired by the izakayas of Japan – the food and service are Muslim and family-friendly.
While management have yet obtained a Halal license, be assured that no alcohol is served and all ingredients are Halal-certified.
Service is efficient and attentive, with most of our food arriving soon after orders were placed.
A communal affair at Kingu Kongu
If you’re familiar with izakayas (Japanese style-pubs), dishes are meant to be shared with everyone at the table. This is similar to the Spanish tapas experience.
Kingu Kongu doesn’t stray from this concept – with small plates served for a communal dining affair.
Contemporary Japanese offerings
Kingu Kongu’s dishes are contemporary Japanese with a sprinkle of Malaysian influences.
Kingu Kongu serves everything from BBQ skewers to makimono (sushi) to donburi (rice bowls).
Enjoy the experience
As we came here to celebrate Max’s birthday (and meet friends we haven’t seen in ages), we were able to sample most of the items on the menu. Plates were flying off our tables as we devoured each dish as they promptly arrived.
A disclaimer: we were so keen on catching up with friends that we did not spend too much time analysing each dish (as should be the case when dining with friends after a long hiatus).
Overall, we collectively agreed that the food was delicious.
Tataki my heart with you
Nevertheless, let’s zoom in on some of the highlights of our meal.
Salmon tataki 
Beef tataki
Our evening started off well with the Salmon Tataki (RM35) – lightly seared and marinated salmon slices, topped with truffle sauce and mentaiko. The salmon was fresh with lovely zest from the ponzu dressing, and richness from the mentaiko sauce. The crispy sliced lotus root was a nice touch.
Also, top marks for the Beef Tataki (RM38) – seared just nicely to medium-rare to yield the best texture, with garlic aioli as a worthy companion.
Go ahead, maki my day
Salmon sambal petai maki
For something Malaysian-inspired, we enjoyed the Salmon Sambal Petai Maki (RM30) – maki topped with stink beans, salmon, and their homemade sambal. The sambal is sweet and complemented the pungent petai and the salmon bits well. It may sound contradictory on paper, but each element was well-integrated well in real life.
California maki
Also, we found no faults with the California Maki (RM28) – prawn was fresh and crunchy.
Special salmon truffle bomb
But if you had to only order one Maki for the day, go for the Special Salmon Truffle Bomb (RM32) – we ordered two!
The creaminess and richness of the truffle just blended so well with the succulent salmon pieces. It’s rich, decadent, and delicious!
Kaiju keju please
Chicken gyoza with cheese
The Chicken Gyoza with Cheese (RM24) is five pieces of deep-fried gyozas in a bed of cheese on a hot plate. We were advised to eat it early before the cheese hardened. The gyozas were stuffed with filling and went well with the slightly greasy and oozing cheese.
(Grilled) squid game
Our favourites from the BBQ grill were the Smoked Duck Yaki (RM12) and Whole Squid Teriyaki (RM32).
Smoked duck yaki 
The duck was perfectly charred to enhance the smoky flavour, but yet retained its juiciness and bounce.
Whole squid teriyaki
The whole squid was the perfect dish to share; it had a nice firm texture – not too rubbery or dry. A squeeze of lemon enhances the natural taste, but the mentaiko and spicy dips take it to the next level.
A few misses
Truffle fries
The Umami Fries (RM22) was underwhelming in our view – the thin-cut fries were under-seasoned and the bonito flakes and tonkotsu-mayo sauces did nothing much to excite our palate.
The Tori Karaage Salad (RM28) was nothing inspired either.
In summary, we recommend prioritising your calorie intake for their protein offerings (e.g. yakitori and tataki), as these two dishes were a bit lacklustre, in our opinion.
Summary
Did we enjoy the meal? Yes!
Will we come back again? Yes!
Service was prompt and friendly, food was delicious – albeit slightly on the pricey side.
However, Kingu Kongu brings a contemporary excitement to the yakitori scene in KL, with a bevy of unique dishes to enjoy in a chic setting. It also makes the yakitori experience (sans alcohol) accessible to the Muslim crowd.
We will return to try their Black Angus Beef Teriyaki (RM14) and Korean Spicy Fried Chicken (RM28) – as we had heard good things about them since our last visit. .
Kaiju battles in the heart of KL
Kingu Kongu is located on Jalan Yap Ah Shak, opposite the newest branch of Nasi Kalut Jitra Mai, and close to the Asian Heritage Row (Jalan Doraisamy).
Doors open at 4pm until 11pm (closed on Mondays) – so make sure to call in advance to make reservations to avoid disappointment. Selected food items are also available for delivery.
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What else to eat in the area?
For more recommendations nearby Kingu Kongu, check out our recommendations for the Chow Kit area below.
Our recommendations nearby Kingu Kongu
Here are some of our top picks for food nearby Kingu Kongu.
- If you’re hankering for some Kedah-style Nasi Kandar, check out the newest branch of Nasi Kalut Jitra Mai just opposite Kingu Kongu.
- Looking for boozy (and non-boozy) ice-cream in a cool setting? Head on over to Licky Chan just down the road.
- Our favourite Nasi Padang in KL is Nasi Kapau! We recommend the Ayam Pop and Dendeng Lambok Lado Ijo.
Kingu Kongu
Address: 5&7, Jalan Yap Ah Shak, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 4-11pm daily (Closed on Mondays)
Phone: 012-871 5456
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingukongu.my
Reservations: https://tableagent.com/kuala-lumpur/kingu-kongu/
Delivery: Grab FoodPanda
