Last Friday, Santa was spotted going “off-duty” at J’s Gate Dining – with no reindeer or sleigh in sight.
J’s Gate Dining, which opened its doors in January 2018, is located on Level 4 of Lot 10 shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.
It is a haven of authentic Japanese cuisine with 12 outlets serving a variety of food such as tendon, a traditional dish of rice served with tempura; hotpot; Japanese noodles such as soba, ramen and udon; as well as a variety of matcha desserts – all in a single location.
Santa, who is scheduled for photoshoot sessions with patrons on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, apparently arrived early and was first spotted reading the newspaper.
Unsurprisingly, the “off-duty” Santa drew curious peeks from adults, while children were clearly delighted to see him.
He then took some time to freshen up after his long sleigh ride from the North Pole, and was seen combing his signature white beard.
But the aroma of food was clearly irresistible, as he was spotted heading off to enjoy a good dinner.
Santa was certainly spoilt for choice as he walked past the outlets and finally settled on a big, hearty meal of beef soba from Shinanoji. The thin noodles come served hot in a soup or cold with a delicious dipping sauce.
He topped off his meal with an iced coffee from Marion Crepes, although it is surprising he could resist the variety of scrumptious savoury and sweet crepes at the nearby patisserie.
After such a satisfying meal, he took the opportunity to walk around the mall and was drawn to the display of beautiful Christmas trees.
Santa couldn’t help being Santa even when he was away from the North Pole, as he was seen adjusting the decorations.
He even took the opportunity to hand out sweets to children – and a few adults, drawing delighted smiles and laughter. In no time, he was taking photos with them!
As Christmas carols filled the air at J’s Dining Hall, one thing was clear: the atmosphere was made even more festive by Santa’s surprise showing.
Mamiko Endo, marketing manager of Sojitz Retail Management, said: “Instead of the usual fare, we wanted to focus more on people engagement through this event. After all, that’s what Christmas is all about.”
So head over to J’s Dining Hall to catch the “off-duty” Santa from now until Dec 23 and stand a chance to win either RM50 or RM100 in e-coupons. All you need to do is take a photo of Santa enjoying his holiday and post it on your Instagram or Facebook account with the tag #offdutysantajsgate.
If you’re lucky, you might even catch Mrs Claus in person, as it is rumoured she could be making an appearance!
Additionally, don’t miss the official photo session with Santa on Dec 24 from 6-9pm, and Dec 25 from 12-2pm and 6-9pm.
J’s Gate Dining (pork-free options available)
Lot P16, Level 4,
Lot 10 shopping centre,
50, Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 11am-11pm
Find out more about J’s Gate Dining through its website, Facebook and Instagram profiles, or contact 03-21106850.