CHEF KAZUO TAKIZAWA’S NEW GRAND MENU AT ZIPANGU

 

Chef Kazuo Takizawa’s new Grand Menu at Zipangu reads like a love letter to the seasons of Japan, gently kissed with the flavours of Malaysia.

Thoughtfully composed like a haiku, the meal begins with a whisper — a cool, textured tumble of Salmon and Avocado, slick with salted kelp and wasabi soy sauce. It arrives atop a crisp rice cracker lined with fried nori, a poetic symphony of flavour and crunch.

The richness of salmon gives way to the clean zingy note of wasabi, while the umaminess of kelp hums softly in the background like a distant tide. It’s the kind of dish that makes you pause between bites, out of reverence.

Then comes a heartwarming bowl of Chicken and Vegetable Miso Soup that feels like slipping into a cherished coat in the heart of winter. The broth is gentle, faintly smoky. The chicken—salt-marinated, grilled, then eased into the miso—lends depth whilst young corn, lotus root, and shimeji mushrooms tumble through the comforting broth. Takizawa-san calls it “home-style” and it resonates with us.

 

Spicy Salmon Zanmai Roll arrives next, lush with layer upon layer of salmon: raw, cooked, and jewelled with pearly roe. Cucumber, surimi and egg make this sushi roll indulgent without being boastful, the touch of sriracha leaving a gentle glow rather than a blaze. A sip of cold Junmai Daiginjo sake draws the flavours together—clean and fleeting.

The signature mains emerge as a quartet of restrained brilliance. There is the familiar Black Cod Teriyaki and Japanese White Radish yet the fried cod, a nod to Malaysian tastes, holds greater allure thanks to the daikon steeped in Takizawa’s own blend of dashi and teriyaki sauce. A dish updated for its audience without compromising its heritage.

The Grilled Bluefin Tuna Collar is a study in devotion and sustainability. Sourced from a humongous 80kg fish, the collar—often overlooked—is treated with the kind of care and respect reserve for something sacred. 

Marinated in sake, doubanjiang (spicy bean sauce), ginger and secret herbs, then grilled, the rich and meaty tuna collar flesh tastes faintly of the ocean’s depths: hints of minerality mingled with whispers of oyster and brine, soothed by the gentle sweetness of capsicum in a lush, complex sauce.

For me, the conversation-stopper has to be the A5 Japanese Halal Omi Wagyu Tenderloin. Cooked simply, perfectly with a dash of salt—seared until just charred outside, but pink and yielding within.

 
Each bite is warm velvet. On the side, there are fried garlic chips, mustard, wasabi, and a Japanese steak sauce—unnecessary but delightful if variation is called for. Grilled vegetables lend a gentle counterpoint. This is the kind of breath-taking dish that leaves you in awed silence at such masterful culinary perfection.

 
Finally, the crescendo of heat: a Spicy Chicken Curry unlike any you’ll find in Japan. It has swagger, warmth that builds and lingers. Takizawa uses a 30-year-old recipe, refined and reworked with Malaysian heat. The chicken, braised with leek, is tender; the spices—paprika, ginger, garlic—meld into a bold, unapologetic chorus.

Sweetness to soften the ending is Yuzu Sorbet. Icy and fragrant, the yuzu sings—sharp, floral, clean with a kind of silken poise renders by a sticky, almost translucent starch syrup woven through it for unexpected elegance.

In the hands of Chef Kazuo Takizawa, every plate from Zipangu’s Grand Menu tells a story—seasonal and soulful. Each creation soothes as much as it stirs.

For reservations at Zipangu, call tel: 03-2032 2388. Address: Level 1, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL. https://www.facebook.com/shangrilaKL
 
 

SUSTAINABLE FINE-DINING AWAITS AT EQ'S SABAYON X JAMPA DINNER

A four-hands, one-night only dinner partnering Sabayon’s Chef de Cuisine, Steve Ariffin at EQ with JAMPA’s Executive Chef, Rick Dingen from Phuket will be held on 26 April.
 
Billed as a sustainable seven-course menu (RM650 nett per person), the dinner will showcase T’lur – Malaysia’s own local caviar, the vaunted Harumanis mango and exotic ingredient like bael, known as the Bengal quince or wood apple.

The two culinary creatives hope to reframe diners’ perceptions of value, creativity and promote the advantages of sourcing and using local ingredients.
 
Chef and Netherlands native Dingen has chalked up stints at Michelin-starred Dutch restaurants: La Rive and De Heer Kocken. Dingen’s Chef de Cuisine phase at celebrated Bangkok restaurant Savelberg saw the restaurant awarded a Michelin star.
 
He then proceeded to the one Michelin starred and Michelin Green Star Haoma which espoused sustainable, seasonal, local ingredients sourced from farmers, breeders, fisherfolk and the restaurant’s own garden. A subsequent stint at Madison Steak Avenue, Anantara Bangkok prepared him for JAMPA in Phuket.
 
At this one-of-a-kind dining destination, Dingen assimilated his fine dining restaurant experience with the use of local produce and woodfire cooking skills, elevating JAMPA’s fame throughout Thailand where live-fire cooking and sustainable gastronomy result in sophisticated dishes that celebrate the ever-changing seasons of nature. JAMPA also owns an organic farm, reducing their environmental impact while enabling the culinary team to showcase the best from the land and sea.
 

Back on homeground, Chef Steve Ariffin’s three-year tenure at Sabayon has cemented his reputation as a technical innovator. Conceiving and curating menus for some of Malaysia’s most influential personalities, historic wineries and gastronomes, Chef Steve Ariffin will work hand-in-hand with JAMPA’s Dingen, bringing the exclusive dinner to stellar heights.

For reservations, please contact EQ Kuala Lumpur:

https://www.eqkualalumpur.equatorial.com/guest-chefs/

BITES OF THE PHUTURE

Crispy ‘chicken breast’ patties, ‘popcorn chicken’ bites and breast strips that are plant-based, high-fibre and delicious? It sounds too good to be true until we tried PHUTURE’s innovative High-Fibre Chick’n range recently.

Delivered in a pretty picnic basket and picnic mat, our indoor picnic at home (it was still MCO then) gave us a chance to sample a burger with a crispy High-Fibre Chick’n patty, some criss-cut fries and a box of High-Fibre Chick’n crispy popcorn bites.

Although I was skeptical, the High-Fibre Chick’n Burger tasted better than I had anticipated. The crispy High-Fibre Chick’n patty was something to write home about as its outer lightly battered, slightly peppery coating and the accompanying dressing added to its appeal. 

Likewise, the High-Fibre Chick’n Crispy Popcorn Bites exceeded our expectations too. They taste unbelievably like the real deal; so deliciously addictive, it's hard to stop once you start eating them.

According to Jack Yap, CEO of PHUTURE, “While food is a big part of our culture, we discovered during our research a lot of Malaysians suffer from nutritional deficiencies. On average, Malaysian adults only consume about half the required amount of fibre daily, whilst plant-based food in the local market is rich in high-protein options but lacking in fibre.”

PHUTURE aims to bridge this dietary deficiency in the community with the creation of PHUTURE’s 4-fibre blend; to naturally replicate the texture and flavour of chicken and help Malaysians reach their daily dietary requirements.

“Our plant-based High-Fibre Chick’n range appeals to the Malaysian palate and love for fried chicken, yet it takes care of their daily fibre requirements through our innovative mix of soluble and insoluble fibres, including oat and apple fibres among others. This also makes PHUTURE High-Fibre Chick’n more sustainable than regular meat and more accessible to the masses.

●      PHUTURE®’s High-Fibre Chick’n contains 13g of fibre (half the daily required amount of fibre in just one serving), helping Malaysians increase their daily fibre intake through one of their favourite foods. 

●      High-Fibre Chick’n also contains 35%-45% less fat and 45% less sodium compared to 100g of regular fried chicken.

●     High-Fibre Chick’n contains 11g of rice and non-GMO soy protein per serving, which are good sources of vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and iron. 

●     High-Fibre Chick’n halal-certified by JAKIM, and is also free of preservatives, and has no added sugar and no added MSG. 

●    Additionally, PHUTURE®’s High-Fibre Chick’n’s sustainable innovations follow the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 (ending hunger and achieving food security), and Sustainable Development Goal 3 (good health and wellbeing).

High-Fibre Chick’n can be ordered ready-to-eat at www.orderhfc.com