KYOMO KOHI BREWS UP DELISH EATS

 

“Kyomo” in Japanese means today or daily, the essence behind Kyomo Kohi, the minimalist Japanese-inspired café at New Ocean Fine Food City. Channelling Japanese artisan café vibes, Kyomo Kohi takes pride in serving artisanal coffee drinks, creative beverages, and artfully prepared East meets West dishes as well as tempting cakes and pastries as its drawcards.

We felt at ease instantly within the bright, cheery and clean-lined interior. Coupled with friendly service and the stellar selection of good eats, we were charmed by this trendy outpost.

Finger-thick, lightly battered Japanese Sweet Potato (RM18) stirred our interest prior to our mains’ arrival. Drizzled with Thai brown sugar syrup, the yummy sweet potato fingerlings severely tested our restraint from gobbling up the whole lot in one go.

Slaking our thirst with chilled Cantaloupe Yuzu (RM17) and the newer Matcha Strawberry Latte and Tiramisu Latte, we found fresh appeal from the first drink’s citrusy yuzu accent while the other beverages’ fruity and creamy coffee appeal kept our animated conversation flowing.

Gyukatsu Don (RM65), headlined by a panko-crusted, 110-g Aussie wagyu cutlet emerged as the day’s favourite ‘must try’ dish. Done medium rare, the slab of tender beef accompanied by Japanese rice, miso soup, fresh mixed salad, house-made curry sauce and potato salad was not only great value but also delectable to boot.

Coming in a close second was the soulful Salmon Ochazuke Yuzu Spice (RM30). We love relishing the comforting succour of the hot seasoned dashi, poured over grilled salmon fillet and Japanese rice. Ikura (salmon roe) and bonito furikake (flavoured rice puffs and seaweed flakes) bestowed bursts of briny and savoury flavours.

 
Thick, rich and lightly spiced Japanese curry with well-balanced savoury-sweet accents complemented crispy fried chicken to create a most delicious Chicken Karaage Curry Rice (RM28). Along with a runny soft-boiled egg and sweet corn kernels, it was one of the better versions we had sampled. Even though I’m not a fan of Japanese curry, I found this likeable.

Go for breakfast (7am to 3pm) and you’d find a notable start to the day with spongy-light Buttermilk Pancakes (RM20). Served with seasonal fruits, berry coulis, Chantilly cream and maple syrup, the pancakes were deftly made and went like a dream with the various accompaniments.

 
Playful sweet-savoury nuances teased our tastebuds when we dug into the Brioche Blossom French Toast (RM26). Topped with supple slices of smoked salmon, fresh rocket salad, a medley of fresh fruits, grated cheese and maple syrup, the thick-cut toast came up to mark.

We left no scone unturned and succumbed to the delightful Lemon Scone (RM9). Buttery with just the right amount of crumbly and airy lightness, we enjoyed smearing it with clotted cream and lemon curd.

Kyomo Kohi is definitely a noteworthy outpost for coffee and good food in our books.

For reservations at Kyomo Kohi, please call tel: 03-8408 8021. Address: L1 - 01, Level 1, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 8pm; Sat, Sun & public holidays 7am to 8pm
 

AN VIET’S SOUP-ER HOT STONE WAGYU PHO

Listen up beef lovers. If you're partial to Japanese wagyu, An Viet has a pho-nomenal deal on-going until 31 January 2024. 

Starting from just RM34.90 per serving, you can savour sliced premium A5 Japanese wagyu imported from Tokushima, Japan for An Viet’s signature pho.

Served in a hot stone bowl, components for the beef noodles are served separately, allowing you to customise it to your own liking. It comes on a compact tray; the hot stone bowl keeping the broth constantly hot throughout your meal. 

We added noodles into the piping hot broth first as per the instruction card. If you’re unaware, An Viet’s MSG-free pho soup base is deeply flavourful as it has been painstakingly simmered for 12 hours using two types of beef bones and various spices. The resultant broth forms the basis of the restaurant’s signature noodle dish. 

Next, we added in the beansprouts, fresh herbs, shredded lettuce and basil leaves. Since I opted for the honeycomb tripe and beef ball combo, these went into the broth too.

Instead of simply throwing in the slices of A5 Japanese wagyu, I prefer to swish the tender, marbled beef slices in the hot soup until they are cooked to desired doneness. A squeeze of fresh lime juice lent the final touch before I slurped up the noodles along with the delectable beef. 

For a tantalising dimension, I found adding in a dollop of An Viet’s housemade sriracha sauce didn’t go remiss either.

While we were waiting for our pho to be ready, we feasted on Mini Savoury Vietnamese Pancakes. Filled with prawns and minced pork, the little bowl-shaped turmeric and coconut pancakes tasted sublime when eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs. The accompanying Vietnamese dipping sauce enhanced their deliciousness further.

Most of the set meals at An Viet comes with a trio of appetisers comprising Sugarcane Prawns, a wedge of Fresh Spring Roll and Deep-fried Spring Roll. Made from a hundred percent minced tiger prawns, the sugar cane skewers are always a surefire palate-pleaser.

The two types of spring roll also proved moreish; the former featuring rice paper rolled with tiger prawn, vermicelli, homemade pickle, fresh veggie and herb whilst the latter, deep-fried rice paper roll with tiger prawn and pork mince filling, proffered crispier texture.

Suffice to say, a meal at An Viet never disappoints.

For the locations of An Viet Restaurant, visit: https://www.anviet.com.my/

 

 

DOUBLE INDULGENCES AT SINFUL SEAFOOD & DESSERT

They say life is short so eat dessert first. Opened in late December 2018, Sinful Seafood & Dessert aims to satisfy the hankerings of local seafood and dessert lovers in one spot.

Furnished like a hipster café, Sinful’s simple and spartan interior treads the fine line between the raw industrial feel of bare concrete walls awash in warm, mellow lighting and the practical modernity of blocky wooden furnishing and dark armchair seating.

True to its name, Sinful’s straightforward menu focuses solely on seafood and dessert. Sweet-tooth enthusiasts should get the ball rolling with the Chocolate Magic Ball (RM29.50) or the Chocolate Crepe (RM20). Both are equally sinful but heck, you only live once so go for a sweet surrender.

A decadent treat no chocoholic should pass up on, the Chocolate Magic Ball is served at the tableside with some flourish. A small jug of warm chocolate is poured over the white chocolate ball — the melted chocolate dissolving the white chocolate ball before completely blanketing the dark, fudgy chocolate cake inside.

We like the thoughtful touch of presenting the ultra-chocolatey treat with a mound of fresh strawberry slices and cream; the burst of tart acidity a welcome counterpoint after that rush of rich chocolatey sweetness. 

Somewhat lighter in texture albeit no less generous on the amount of chocolate used, Sinful’s signature Chocolate Crepe has white, milk and dark Belgian chocolate drenched over it. The top quality chocolate is silky smooth with a lingering finish, making it a heavenly pairing with the paper-thin crepe.

Personally, I prefer the Sinful Fruits Waffle (RM38.50). IMHO, the waffle is hefty enough for sharing. Texture-wise, it’s a light and pleasant canvas to pull the assortment of sliced banana, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple and chocolate together.

More tropical fruits make their presence felt in the Sinful Fruits Pancake (RM28.50). The stack of fluffy soft pancakes came up to mark, layered with chunks of tropical fruits and lashings of chocolate. A creation that’s hard to fault and guaranteed to leave you replete.

Wallet-friendly Seafood Combos are the other headliners at Sinful. Solo and group diners are catered for so you’d find different combos available; from RM22.90 for a Single Combo (for 1 person) up to RM224.80 for a Party Combo (for 10 persons).

Each Seafood Combo consists of deep-fried crispy baby crabs in addition to mussels, squid, prawns, fish and clams prepared in a choice of piquant house-made sauces available: Sinful Signature, Honey Mustard, BBQ, Spicy & Sour, Garlic or Curry. Also part of the meal deal is free flow of Rice, Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes and Coleslaw.

Our top vote goes to Honey Mustard — the subtle mustard zinginess works well to blunt the saucy richness whilst simultaneously enhancing the natural seafood sweetness.

Coming in a close second is the Curry sauce. More delicately spiced like a Japanese curry than a local one, we find it works like a charm with the seafood; suffusing their inherent flavours with rich complexity. 

Savoury-sweet accents are most pronounced in the Sinful Signature sauce. Admittedly, it’s an acquired taste for me personally but some diners may find it float their boat. Give it a shot and decide for yourself since the jury is out on this one.

If you’re working in the vicinity, Sinful offers a wallet-friendly Single Set Lunch at only RM14. Choose from Seafood (with a choice of Curry or Sour-Spicy Sauce) or Chicken Wings accompanied with Rice & Egg and a complimentary drink.

Delectable snacks to stave off hunger pangs while you wait include Chicken Wings (RM10.90, 6pcs) and Chicken Balls (RM10, 8pcs). Both are freshly cooked to order so you can be assured the crowd-pleasers are notable enough to make waiting time bearable or work up the appetite before succumbing to the main attractions.

For reservations, please call Sinful Seafood & Dessert, tel: 03-2780 7336 or 016-2205 713. Address: Block Hutton, G-3A, Plaza Arkadia, Jalan Intisari Perdana, Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur.