ROPUDON 肉山の霸丼 at Permas City, Johor Bahru first came on my radar through RedNote posts flaunting their drool-worthy donburi bowls. I’ll admit, I was completely hooked by those pics. Since I was heading over to Plentong for some shopping at Eco-Shop and Ninso, and Permas City was right along the way, I figured it was the perfect chance to check out this Japanese spot on my must-try list.
The Setup: Permas City’s Growing Food Scene
It’s amazing how much Permas City has evolved since my last visit. Back then, it was still pretty new with empty shop spaces scattered around. We’d had lunch at Edward’s Urban Fish & Chips – which my husband still raves about as one of the best fish and chips he’s ever had. This time around, Permas City buzzed with new food outlets and shops, making it the perfect lunch stop before our afternoon shopping spree.
We arrived at 12.20pm on a Tuesday and scored the first customer spot. Shortly after, three other customers trickled in – likely office workers from nearby. The ordering system is straightforward: staff hands you a menu and QR code, you scan to order, food gets delivered to your table, and payment happens at the counter when you’re done.
Pricing at ROPUDON
Let’s talk brass tacks – ROPUDON positions itself as an upmarket Japanese food joint, and the prices certainly reflect this ambition. By local standards, these prices feel expensive. But here’s the silver lining: unlimited refills of rice, shredded cabbage salad, and butajiru soup (that’s pork and vegetable soup flavoured with miso) when you dine in.
Pro tip I discovered: ordering add-ons with your main dish saves money. Mentaiko fries cost just RM15 as an add-on versus RM20 if ordered separately.
Mentaiko Fries
The mentaiko fries arrived first. I thought I’d steal a piece quickly while waiting for the mains, fearing they’d turn soft and soggy. Turns out, they weren’t even crispy to begin with! These looked like regular shoestring fries topped with what seemed like ready-made mentaiko mayo from a tube, plus bonito flakes, seaweed, and spring onions.
Though not crispy, the overall flavour was actually good and quite shiok to eat.
Long Wait Times
Here’s where things got a little frustrating. We waited half an hour for our mains despite the restaurant being far from full – only 5 customers total including us. I couldn’t help wondering how long the wait would be during weekends or busy hours. This definitely isn’t ideal if you’re on a tight lunch hour schedule.
Make sure you’re free with nothing pressing afterwards before coming here, just in case.
What puzzled me more? The three customers who arrived after us got their food served first. Hmm.
Main Dishes Arrive
Each main comes in set meal format with soup and sides like wakame, pickled radish, and potato salad. The butajiru soup was genuinely lovely – Chinese cabbage, radish, and kelp created a naturally sweet, flavourful broth that wasn’t overly salty. Every table gets goma dressing for the unlimited shredded cabbage, plus sesame seeds and furikake to help yourself.
I must admit, when our food finally arrived, I felt slightly disappointed. The main dishes didn’t look as ‘mega’ and appealing as the social media posts suggested. Those close-up shots can be pretty misleading – piling ingredients on top of smaller bowls creates an illusion of bigger portion sizes. Food photography versus reality is always tricky, isn’t it?
No big deal though, since we weren’t planning to stuff ourselves silly – afternoon tea and desserts awaited us later.
Karaage Chicken Don RM30
Fried chicken pieces topped rice and scrambled egg, served with tartar sauce for dipping. The chicken pieces were nicely fried without feeling overly greasy, and the inside meat stayed moist. I loved the bonito flakes topping that added extra umami flavour.
The major disappointment? Overcooked scrambled egg. If it had been smooth and moist, it would have added lovely creaminess to the dish.
Not out of this world, but still delicious and comforting if you’re a fried chicken fan.
Hamburg Rice (Pork) RM28
Two thick pork patties on rice and scrambled egg – just right so hubby and I could have one each! Again, the scrambled egg suffered from overcooking, what a pity. But the meat was beautifully marinated with the inside staying juicy.
Combined with the sauces and condiments, everything worked perfectly together. I actually preferred this to the Karaage Chicken Don because the meat carried more flavour.
Iced Green Tea RM5
It’s our go-to drink whenever we hit up Japanese joints — sugar-free, healthy, super refreshing, and best of all, it’s refillable too.
* Prices mentioned are before service charge and SST.
Service Quality
The service was genuinely attentive, though our server was quite soft-spoken and sometimes hard to hear. When I requested extra shredded cabbage, she literally brought out the whole colander from the kitchen – quite funny actually!
What impressed me most? Her thoughtfulness when serving our set meals. She didn’t remove the soup bowl lid from my husband’s meal because he was on the phone and not eating yet. She explained she wanted to keep the soup from cooling too quickly. I really appreciated that initiative.
The Bottom Line
All in all, ROPUDON delivered a decent Japanese meal. I wouldn’t call the food amazing – definitely overhyped – but I wouldn’t mind returning if I was nearby and craving Japanese comfort food like this.
My husband wasn’t particularly keen though. I guess the meal simply didn’t impress him much. At these price points, competition is fierce among Japanese restaurants, and ROPUDON needs to address consistency issues like those overcooked eggs and service timing.
The unlimited refills are a nice touch, and the thoughtful service moments shine through. But when social media creates sky-high expectations, reality can feel like a gentle letdown. ROPUDON serves up solid comfort food – just temper those Instagram-fuelled expectations before you visit.
Would I recommend it? Sure, if you’re in the area and have time to spare. Just don’t expect the mega portions from those social media shots.