Showing posts with label omakase. Show all posts
Showing posts with label omakase. Show all posts

Saturday, August 17, 2019

GLORIOUS MALAYA OMAKASE & LUNAR FORTUNE AT NOBU KL


Gear up for a double celebration at Nobu Kuala Lumpur. Executive Chef Philip Leong and his Nobu KL team have put their creative culinary prowess to proffer a 7-course omakase set to commemorate Malaysia’s 62nd Merdeka Day with local ingredients and Japanese-Peruvian flavours.


Simultaneously, a selection of Lunar Fortune Mooncakes takes centrestage for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, from now until 13 September 2019.
Paying homage to Malaysia’s bounty of local ingredients, the Nobu KL team has incorporated palm sugar, tamarind, coconut and monk fruit into the Glorious Malaya Omakase (RM500++ per person). Available until 31 August 2019, the opening volley of Seared Toro with Caviar & Tamarind Sauce is an uplifting appetiser to savour.

Dollops of caviar and refreshing pineapple salsa alongside charred fern tips lend invigorating interest to fatty slices of raw tuna. The palm sugar and tamarind sauce tempers the fish’s inherent richness, making this dish a noteworthy curtain-raiser.
The gastronomic parade continues with Nobu Style Sushi — a sumptuous quartet of handcrafted sushi with choice toppings of tuna with chopped truffle, kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) with chopped yuzu & jalapeno, yellowtail with fresh jalapeno, and snow crab. This artful composition is an apt distillation of the Japanese-Peruvian influences Nobu is famous for.

Slices of fresh apple, cucumber and pear complemented by baby spinach and kataifi bits serve as a healthy, wholesome canvas to showcase the Scallop Salad with Peanut Den Miso Dressing. The flavourful clincher for this seemingly simple dish is den miso — a Japanese sweet-salty cooked paste created by founder Nobu Matsuhisa blended with peanuts.

Crushed local vegetable keropok (cracker) makes the main course of Artic Char Wasabi Palm Sugar the show-stopper of this celebratory menu. The crunchy crust atop the artic char fillet together with sweetish, tart and zingy wasabi zuke pickles and palm sugar sauce left us singing praises of the delicious dish.

Melt-in-the-mouth slices of Wagyu with Nori Cream continues the charm offensive.
Accompanied by creamy rich seaweed sauce and savoury mounds of chickpeas and lentils, the buttery beef is an indulgent treat no discerning gourmand will fault.



Then a glassful of silky Somen with Watercress Soup is entrusted to ensure a clean sweep of an amply flavour-satiated palate; an ingenious way to stave off any cloying aftertaste from the earlier meat course.
Bringing the epicurean menu to its final flourish is Monk Fruit Mousse with Coconut Ice Cream, Vanilla Sponge & Monk Fruit Jelly. Again, this dessert masterpiece ticks all the right boxes: visually pleasing, texturally exciting and tastefully balanced so you won’t walk away feeling guilt-ridden but exhilarated from such a wonderful dining experience.

LUNAR FORTUNE MOONCAKES


 
Drawing from its distinct culinary approach, Nobu KL has unveiled Miso (fermented soya bean paste) Yolk, Wasabi Yolk, Green Tea and Black Sesame fillings for its range of baked, Shanghai-style or snowskin mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.



Presented in beautiful lacquer boxes with wood finish inspired by the interior décor of Nobu KL, each Lunar Fortune gift box comes adorned with a miniature gold or silver koi — a symbol of good luck, prosperity and fortune in the Japanese and Chinese culture.
Guests can enjoy 10% discount for purchases of 5 boxes above and 15% for 10 boxes above. The Lunar Fortune Mooncakes will be available until 13 September 2019 at Nobu KL and a special kiosk at Pavilion KL from 23 August to 12 September 2019.

For inquiries or reservations at Nobu Kuala Lumpur, please call tel: 03-2164 5084 or WhatsApp 019-389 5085.

Sunday, December 09, 2018

KAPPO'S THE WAY AT TAKEBAYASHI


In Malaysia, Takebayashi is the first of its kind — a Japanese restaurant specialising in Kappo-style cuisine. Opened in September 2018, this Zen-like culinary temple has Chef/Managing Director Tatsuo Takebayashi as the central commanding figure, impeccably suited in chef whites and colourful camouflage pants.
According to Takebayashi-san, Japanese Kappo can be defined as a multi-course meal prepared by the chef in front customers and served directly to them. The small and intimate ambience enables customers to see each dish being prepared using the freshest, seasonal ingredients in close proximity at the kitchen counter. Everything is above board with no holds barred on hygiene and chef-customer interaction.
Having garnered stellar culinary credentials including past stints at NOBU in the US of A, Malaysia and Montenegro, Japan Airlines’ in-flight catering company and Crystal Cruise, Takebayashi is now charting a new course as the captain of his own Kappo Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Residences.
Located in a discreet corner of the towering high-rise, the tactile wood and slate grey interior is dominated by a long countertop where the restaurant team holds court. An overhead display of house wines and Japanese spirits coupled with warm, ambient lighting gives the restaurant an austere yet cosy feel. A private room with six seats accord those seated within a stunning view of the iconic Twin Towers. 
Set meals (RM50 onwards) and sushi rolls (RM40 onwards) are mainstays during lunch hours. Dinner is the best way to experience Takebayashi Kappo as the culinary team will have ample freedom to impress through an Omakase menu (RM280 per person) comprising Zensai (appetiser), Sashimi, Agemono, Charcoal Grill, Sushi, Soup and Fruits.
The current menu is a work-in-progress, to enable Takebayashi ascertain the types of dishes that appeal to his clientele. Our dining experience got off to an orgasmic start with the chef’s simple but ingenious Cream Cheese with Miso (RM30) appetiser.
Marinated in miso for 3 days, the nondescript tiles of cream cheese came lightly grilled under a salamander prior to serving. The resultant sensuous creaminess coupled with the Japanese beanpaste’s seductive savouriness literally knocked our socks off.
Hot on the heels of that show-stopper was the second appetiser, Cold Tomato with Umami Jelly (RM45). Skinned and cut into quarters, the red Japanese tomato came surrounded by clumps of crystalline konbu-dashi flavoured jelly. We detected the barest tinge of honey sweetness as we nibbled on the fruity tomato before the umami taste resonated across our tastebuds when the soft jelly melted on the palate.
From the Cold Dish section, Chef Takebayashi tempted us with White Fish with XO Salsa (RM60). In this instance, the serving of Kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) was artfully sliced and dotted with tiny dollops of his XO salsa: a zippy mixture of dried scallop, garlic, spring onion and fried shallot amidst the mild tanginess of ponzu sauce. It was a joyful flavour party in our mouths; the fish's unadulterated sea-sweetness punctuated by faint bursts of punchy onion-sharpness.
We also fell hook, line and sinker for the house speciality of Salmon Tataki with Jalapeno Sauce (RM50). Such a mind-bogglingly simple creation but one that left an indelible impression, thanks to the unmatched pairing of lightly seared succulent Norwegian salmon slices with creamy, wickedly robust jalapeno sauce.
Crispier texture piqued our interest in the form of Popcorn Shrimps with Spicy Mayo Sauce (RM45). The airy-light batter coating the curls of springy shrimp were most addictive and when dunked into the mayo dip, truly hit the spot.


Executive Chef Jhon Chang also proved his sushi-making prowess when he conjured up two varieties of Sushi: Toro (5 pcs RM190) & Aji (5 pcs RM40) for our dining party. The raw fish slices were sizeable atop clumps of vinegared rice. Complemented by house-made pickled young ginger that suffused our tongues with warm sweetness and the bracing spiciness of freshly grated wasabi, every piece was an epicurean treat.

Sometimes a testament of a good Japanese restaurant lies in its most basic offerings. At Takebayashi, the slippery smooth and savoury rich Chawan Mushi with Dried Scallop Sauce (RM45) underscores this maxim.  Topped with shredded dried scallop, the silky egg custard had plenty of textural surprises: ginkgo, chicken, prawn and a square of yomogi (Japanese mugwort gluten) embedded within it to tantalise us. 
Playing his role as the perfect host to the hilt, Chef Takebayashi also plied us with his eponymous wine by Castello di Luzzano Lolli Piacentini Malvasia. The semi-dry Italian sparkling wine brimming with bright, effervescent fruity-herbal notes went like a dream with most of the dishes we had savoured including Grilled Spring Chicken with Wasabi Pepper Sauce.


The elegant wine did wonders in amplifying the enticing smokiness of the lean kampong chicken and the muted sweetness of the accompanying grilled white corn and cauliflower, touched with viscous barbecue sauce.

When it comes to dessert, the fresh, in-season Japanese Pear and Vanilla Ice Cream brought our hugely satisfying visit to Takebayashi to a rousing conclusion.


For reservations, please call Takebayashi Kappo, tel: 03-2181 3364. Address: Concourse Area, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Laman Sentral Berjaya, 105, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 12noon-2.30pm, Dinner Mon-Thurs 6.30pm-10.30pm, Fri & Sat 6.30pm-11.30pm.Closed for lunch on Saturday & whole day on Sunday.



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