Omakase @ Kampachi Pavilion KL

An Exquisite Omakase Experience

Omakase, a word that has now become familiar among Malaysians when dining in Japanese cuisine. Simply a phrase that means ‘to entrust’ the dining experience to the chef, omakase allows a gourmet adventure for avid foodies in the realms of the Japanese culinary world.

It is a Japanese tradition to leave the food choices to the Japanese chef, knowing that the chef knows the best ingredients of the season. One pays a price and depending on the number of courses, the chef goes to work on preparing an omakase meal that ranges from the lightest to the heaviest before finishing up with a sweet course.

For a taste of an omakase experience, seek out the acclaimed Kampachi for a culinary adventure in the heart of our metropolitan city. Kampachi, one of the long-time award-winning Japanese restaurants, has been serving authentic and scrumptious Japanese cuisine using fine premium ingredients air-flown from Japan for over four decades. For this round, we headed over to Kampachi Pavilion for a taste of Chef Alex Lee’s Omakase experience.

Twice a week, the freshest and fine ingredients are imported from Tokyo’s iconic Toyosu Fish Market (formerly known as Tsukiji) and from Kansai Area in Japan. Each omakase experience takes diners from appetizer to sashimi, soup, grilled dish, main course and dessert. An omakase course at Kampachi starts from RM318 onwards and diners can also let the chef know if they do not take a certain ingredient or raw food.

Our omakase course kicked off with a trio of appetisers with Kurumi Konago, Ninniku Miso and Bettara Zuke. When translate to layman’s term, Kurumi Konago is walnut with anchovies while Ninniku Miso is raw garlic with miso and Bettara Zuke is pickled radish with rice wine.

The delicate bites of appetisers is an interesting interplay of flavours and textures. The various bites summed up contrasting flavours of savory, sweet, sour and umami notes from the various ingredients prepared with minimal ingredients and seasoning. The combination of textures from soft and firm, crunchy and crispy whets the appetite for more courses to come.

For the Suimono course, we sip on Hotate Suimono. The bowl of Hokkaido Scallop Clear Soup soothed the tummy and soul at first sip of the broth. Soft delicate flavours from the clear broth has a subtle sweetness of oceanic notes while the large pieces of premium scallops are deliriously delicious and sweet.

My all-time favorite Sashimi course is presented with much glamour and vibrant finesse unlike the usual Zen presentation. Featuring three types of sashimi of Hamachi, Maguro and Amaebi, each sashimi is delectable and tasty. The amberjack has a clean flavour and firm flesh that goes so well with Kampachi’s housemade soy sauce – Tosa. The classic tuna and sweet prawn are equally delicious with their distinctive flavour from the sea.

An element of surprise peaked our curiosity and excitement at the fourth course of Yakimono. The paper cover revealed a beautiful Ohyou Shioyaki, grilled halibut with salt. Lightly enhanced with just salt, the halibut pieces were cooked to perfection. Tender and sweet, the fish flavours were further jazzed with a gentle squeeze of citrus and grated radish.

August denotes the ending of summer in Japan. Summer vegetables of edamame, shitake and bamboo shoots are the highlights in the traditional Takigohan. Served in a clay pot, fluffy grains of rice is seasoned with dashi and soy sauce along with summer vegetables. The result is an enticing pot of colours with the lightest and freshest flavours of the vegetables. Wonderfully aromatic, the rice was so tasty, most of us had a second helping of it.

At last, our omakase journey came to an end with the sweetest tasting Yamanashi Peach served on ice.

True to its tradition, Kampachi focuses on showcasing the natural flavours of the premium ingredients at its best. Each course is prepared with skills and minimalist of additional seasoning and other ingredients, allowing the highlighted ingredient to be tasted at its finest. It’s a beautiful omakase dining experience without having to travel to Japan!

KAMPACHI PAVILION

Lot 6.09.00, Level 6,

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,

168 Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2148 9608

Email: kampachi-pavilion@equatorial.com

Website: www.kampachi.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KampachiOfficial/

Business Hours:

Daily 11am to 10pm