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
 
 

EXQUISITE, TIMELESS MOONCAKES FROM SHANGRI-LA KL

 

Available now until 17 September 2024, an exquisite range of timeless mooncakes is available from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

My Blossom Bliss Gift Set in a pretty pink gift box contained a set of four baked mooncakes. The auspicious gift box of Snowskin Indulgence set came with 8 snowskin mooncakes.

Priced at RM288 for the latter, the 60g snow skin creations feature Musang King, Butterfly Pea Flower Skin with Coconut, Mango & Passion Fruit and Yuzu & Cheese variants.

Delicately crafted, you’d know the luscious Musang King filling from the ripe aroma alone. Since I’m an avid durian fan, I adore the creamy richness enfolded within the delicate layer of mochi-like snow skin.

Light and fruity with refreshing tanginess denotes the Mango & Passion Fruit variant whilst the Yuzu & Cheese filling exuded a delightful pairing of citrusy and savoury accents. For a touch of local flavour, the subtly sweet Pea Flower Snowskin with Coconut filling proved enticingly on-point.

Purists may prefer the baked Red Bean Paste with 30-year Dried Tangerine Peel (RM41). This was one of my favourites too as the dried tangerine peel imbued the red bean paste mooncake with a mellow sweet tangerine nuance.

The Black Truffle Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM46) turned out to be a dark horse; a thoroughbred creation that romped home a winner. Unconventional but I found myself liking how the musky-earthy truffle aroma was amplified by the savoury yolk.

Likewise, the distinctly heady floral scent of osmanthus was noticeable when I sampled the Osmanthus Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) mooncake. Another outstanding pairing worth savouring if you’re looking for a new twist to old-school baked mooncakes.

Of course, you can always return to classic Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) if you’re a stickler for tradition. The sweetness level is just nice with the jade-green filling exuding a nice vanilla-like aroma.

The Blossom Bliss or Snowskin Indulgence gift sets from Shangri-La KL will make impressive gifts for family and friends to celebrate this Mid-Autumn Festival.

For more information, call Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2786 2378 or email: festive.KL@shangri-la.com

 

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.