Shokudō Niban Hin Bus Depot, Japanese Tapas Canteen

Shokudō Niban in Hin Bus Depot

Monica Tindall

Penang is full of hip dining concepts and perhaps one of the coolest places to currently find them is in Hin Bus Depot. This historic site has been converted to a dining and art space and the food and beverage outlets here are run by serious chefs. Shokudo Niban, a canteen and japas bar, is co-owned by chef Kim Hock and his team from the beautiful French restaurant across the way, Au Jardin.

Chef Hock explains that his team “have been tagging along with the company for so many years so it’s about time we do something for them. This is our first trial doing something like this. If it works, we’ll continue.” The idea is that every member of staff gets a share and a say in the menu and management of Shokudo Niban. For this project, the staff have chosen Japanese street food as the concept and converted an exposed brick hole-in-the-wall location into a hip eatery.

Small Plates

Serving a compact menu of small plates, rice bowls and boxes, the food is hearty, tasty and easy to love.

A traditional Japanese pancake, Okonomi Rice Yaki (RM 20), is an excellent choice to begin. Octopus and cabbage fill the pancake and a generous pile of yaki sauce, mayonnaise and katsuobushi sit on top. A mound of pickled onions on the side is the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the dish.

Tsukune Minced Chicken Skewers (3 for RM 22) are great for sharing. Choose between original, mentaiko and soy yuzu sauces (we have one of each) and dip them in the bowl of egg yolk and pickled cucumber.

A mouthful of temptation is found in the Chicken Karaage Pao Burger (RM 13). A soft white bun sticks to the teeth with every bite. It’s wadded with fried chicken, tempura nori, pickled cucumber and gochujang. Delicious.

The Chahan Rice Burger (RM 32) is another satisfying choice. The fried rice patty has a deliciously chewy texture from the charred edges (much like the best part of paella – the sticky bits close to the pan). Tempura unagi gives a lovely sweetness to the filling and the intensity is balanced with a light tang from pickled cabbage and fresh lettuce.

The small plates have all been big yummy messes. They’re meant for devouring with hands, biting in wholeheartedly and allowing the sauces to drip from the corners of your mouth. Wash them down with a cold Kirin Ichiban beer and it’s a perfect evening.

Donburi/ Rice Bowl

Besides the small plates, you can also order rice bowls, which make for a complete meal in themselves. Kaisen Chiriashi Sushi (RM 42 – the bowl pictured below has less rice so that we can continue on our taste adventure in Hin Bus Depot) is a bowl offering something larger to fill the tummy. This recipe comes with seasonal raw fish (salmon, tuna and tiger prawns today), pickled Penglai rice, deep-fried prawn head, soy and wasabi. The rice is near al dente to the bite, the seafood fresh and the soy and wasabi can be added to taste.

Shokudō Niban Hin Bus Depot

Shokudō Niban in Hin Bus Depot is such a cool space and concept that I recommend everyone visit. With every staff member owning a share, you can feel the passion in the service. Do note that at night the mozzies come out in full force so do wear long pants and sleeves or come prepared with insect repellent.

Reasons to visit Shokudō Niban Hin Bus Depot: tasty street-style Japanese food that is immediately satisfying; fun setting; progressive concept where every staff member owns a piece of the pie.

Shokudō Niban Hin Bus Depot
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