Shinjiro at Tropicana City Mall: Review

Shinjiro is an interesting new addition to Tropicana City Mall, serving izakaya-inspired fare with several adventurous twists. The setting is pretty cool, featuring floor-to-ceiling artistic flourishes that make this entire space fun to explore & photograph.

Complimentary Edamame and Small Plates for Sharing and Sampling

Complimentary edamame paves the path for potential pleasures that range from small plates for sharing & sampling, such as a salad of baby shrimp with mixed seaweed (RM15.90), to single-bowl meals like fried rice topped with a runny egg & crispy toppings (RM16.90), or with options including salmon sashimi, unagi, beef, fried chicken or tofu & vegetables.

Recipes of Diverse Textures

Shinjiro dishes out recipes of diverse textures – from the crunch of battered prawns (RM18.90) & cheese-stuffed gyoza with berry compote (RM16.90) to the creaminess of a shrimp bisque (RM13.90) & oven-roasted papaya with cheese (RM14.90).

Extensive Skewer Selection

The skewer selection is extensive too, showcasing poultry (chicken thigh teriyaki, wings, skin, gizzard, liver, heart, back end & more, costing RM4.90-RM6.90 per plate), beef (sirloin, fillet with enoki or asparagus, tripe, liver & lungs, RM5.90-RM8.90) & seafood (salmon, mackerel fillet, Pacific saury, tuna, shrimp, scallops & squid tentacles, RM7.90-RM14.90). The skewers come with creative, chef-recommended sauces, such as sweet-&-sour, garlic chilli, salsa, shio, teriyaki & sesame pistachio.

Customers can also expect savoury, gravy-soaked pastas, like one topped with seared salmon (RM27.90), a reverse seafood sushi roll served piping-hot with miso sauce (RM21.90) & a nutritiously complete hambagu burger steak with veggies & matcha mashed potatoes (RM18.90), plus everything from salmon sashimi & tuna tataki to marinated octopus & baked oysters.

Desserts

The dessert list is compact but fairly inventive for a mall-based Japanese joint, with a nutty chocolate finger & green tea tiramisu (RM13.90). Mochi is also available, as is artisanal ice cream in flavours like black sesame & white chocolate wasabi.

Beverages

Shinjiro’s name seems to be a nod to Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii, so it’s not a surprise that Japanese whisky is a highlight here – try the Suntory Kakubin (RM24.90), Nikka By The Barrel (RM29.90) & Nikka Taketsuru (RM30.90). Japanese-inflected cocktails are offered too, including a Mojito sake mix with mint syrup (RM23.90) & Caffeinated Whisky with coffee & caramel (RM23.90). Many thanks to Shinjiro for having us here.