WINSOME CULINARY GEMS AT BURI

Signature BURI Maki

A rolled sushi crowned with six different toppings: spicy salmon; scallop with avocado; sweet prawns with a cube of foie gras; marinated ikura (salmon roe); unagi with slivers of cucumber and crabstick dotted with caviar makes up the visually pleasing Buri Signature Maki (RM45).

It’s one of the many signature specialities by Chef Steve Chua and his partner Chef Edmund Chong for BURI by Two Chefs, a new Japanese outpost which opened on 9 September by the award-winning Two Chefs Lab team.

 

Named after the prized Japanese yellowtail, it’s a propitious indication of how well Chua and Chong have weathered the challenging times. A champion of the prestigious World Sushi Cup in Malaysia, and winner of the World Gourmet Award, the talented chefs now aim to win diners’ hearts, minds and palates with an even more tempting and creative selection – straddling crowd-pleasing sashimi and sushi, rice bowls and slightly fusion offerings like grilled lamb and torched black pork carpaccio at BURI.

As for the Buri Signature Maki, it’s a sublime serving worth savouring slowly. The freshness of each ingredients is unquestionable, and you’d have to take time to appreciate the myriad of textural contrasts and complementing flavours emerging from each of the morsels.

The creative handiwork is underscored in the whole platter so the resultant rolled sushi is not only visually pleasing, but it also teases sensuously. Suffice to say, the proof is truly in the eating.

When it comes to curtain-raisers, the beautifully presented Avocado Salad (RM22) is one of many notable choices. The profusion of fresh greens with mashed avocado decked with lotus root crisps, cherry tomatoes, beetroot spirals and a dollop of ebiko will spur salad-averse diners to load up without nary a complaint.

I give extra points for the Japanese sesame dressing being house made – it isn’t overly cloying, and used with restraint in the salad.

Prefer a tummy-warming appetiser? Then consider the Foie Gras Chawan Mushi (RM14.50). Silky smooth steamed egg custard topped with cubes of savoury rich foie gras...heavenly indulgence!

As Malaysian consumers become more sophisticated, some are beginning to realise it’s worth paying for good quality pork and beef. Hence the increased interest and demand for premium Waygu and Iberico. At BURI you’d have a chance to sample Kuro Buta Carpaccio (RM19).

Served with housemade chilli vinegar sauce, each piece of the juicy and tender sliced black pork is akin to a flavour bomb; an enticement for repeat helpings.

Diners with hearty appetite will enjoy BURI’s Gyu Don (RM42). Sliced Aussie beef complemented by an onsen Kenkori egg, two slices of takuan (Japanese yellow pickled radish) and chopped scallion graced the Japanese rice bowl.

While Aussie beef is already known in the local market for its eating quality, Kenkori eggs have yet to achieve that level of mass awareness. Produced using Japanese farming methods in Malaysia – the first of its kind – Kenkori eggs are enriched with Japanese Astaxanthin and Probiotic, are antibiotic and hormone-free, and are anti-salmonella and e.coli. These two ingredients already raise the quality standard of this particular rice bowl.

To further amplify and bring finesse to his culinary creation, the chef uses shio kombu and truffle oil as the finishing touches. According to Bon Appétit, “shio kombu are kelp boiled in soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then dried and cut into small pieces. The flavor and aroma are intensely sweet with a hint of the ocean.”

With white rice serving as the canvas for all the different ingredients to meld and form a wondrous picture on the tastebuds, I daresay you’d find it hard not to succumb to such a heartwarming offering.

Japanese dessert is always simple and light and BURI follows the same philosophy. Try Warabi Mochi (RM12)– a summery Japanese jelly-like confection made from bracken or potato starch, served with kinako (toasted soybean powder) and a scoop of yuzu sherbet.

For more information and reservations, please call BURI By Two Chefs, tel: 03-97663438, hp: 010-5539910. Address: E-1-1, Pusat Perdagangan Bandar, Jalan Persiaran Jalil 1, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: Monday to Saturday from 1130 am to 8pm.

GENKI SUSHI'S BACK ON TRACK IN MALAYSIA

Inspired by the Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains, Genki Sushi Malaysia is banking on its Kousoku Express triple-track sushi delivery system to ensure kitchen-to-table freshness. Along with its signature Dai Man Zoku selection — sushi that’s 1.5 times bigger — Genki Sushi is back in the local F&B scene with the opening of its Sunway Pyramid outlet.

Jun Uchida (far left), Executive Director, Genki Sushi Singapore & Malaysia said “we knew we had to bring our A-Game to Malaysia as this market is a melting pot of culture and a food-obsessed nation. People are constantly on the lookout for fresh and affordable Japanese cuisine. Genki Sushi aims to bring the experience of Japanese efficiency and quality to the table with top quality sushi and service for an overall enjoyable experience.” 

The popular Japanese sushi chain with an established presence in most food capitals across Asia now looks set to establish its local presence and emulate the success of its strong and expansive footprint across Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China. 

During the opening, members of the media were taught how to make their own handroll in a mini contest. They also had first-hand opportunity to test out the resto’s Kousoku Express sushi delivery system. We like the fast and efficient way our orders were swiftly brought to our table.

As the first brand outside Japan to adopt a three-level sushi delivery system propelled by model trains, the brand’s Kousoku Express system promises optimum freshness for a seamless dining experience.

From an expansive menu of 122 items, Genki Sushi now proffers a signature Dai Man Zoku menu, a selection of sushi portions averaging 1.5 times larger than usual. Priced at RM4.80 a piece, the bigger sushi promises maximum satisfaction for Japanese food lovers. 

Priding itself on providing an authentic sushi experience, Genki Sushi’s core sushi ingredients originate from Japan. Its shoyu (soy sauce) pairs wonderfully with the fragrant and premium-quality shari (rice). The rice is further complemented by the use of su (sushi vinegar) specially formulated for Malaysia, to bring out the right balance of flavours and to suit our local palate. 

IT also played a central role in the food ordering system now. Diners would have to scan the QR code, to view the menu and place their food orders. You can key in a maximum of 8 items each time then sit back and wait for your orders to be delivered. 

In celebration of its first outlet opening in Malaysia, Genki Sushi will reward customers with the following:

Amount Spent	Promotional Reward
Every RM60 nett in a single receipt	RM 10 voucher for next visit
RM120 nett in a single receipt	Limited edition Genki Sushi umbrella

Genki Sushi is now open at Lot LG1. 109 Lower Ground One, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall. No. 3 Jalan PJS 11/15 Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For more information on Genki Sushi, please visit www.genkisushi.com.my or its social channels via Facebook and Instagram: GenkiSushiMY.