Ishin Japanese Dining @ Old Klang Road

An Indulgence of a Kaiseki Style Menu

For 6 years since it opened its doors, Ishin Japanese Dining has been creating a name for itself for serving some of the best Japanese cuisine in our metropolitan city. Located in Old Klang Road, the fine dining Japanese restaurant is housed in a bungalow that can be quite discreet if one is not looking out for it.

Ishin continues to be a force to be reckoned with among Japanese diners as well as local diners. Many flock to this elegant dining scene for their luscious list of tempting Japanese dishes filled with lavish as well as premium ingredients. Helmed by Chef William So currently, Ishin offers a solid list of ala carte dishes as well as lunch sets and the classic Kaiseki style menu.

The dining scene in the restaurant is elegant with minimal décor dressed in lots of shades of wood. Paintings of Japanese Sakura gave the ambiance a beautiful charm. An unusual circular sushi bar is the center of attention in the room. Glowing in golden halo, the bar is a place to be where diners can catch sushi chefs in actions and enjoy some sake from their sake list.

There is also private dining areas on the higher level with tatami room as well as more sectioned rooms.

I have personally had Ishin’s ala carte menu before and enjoyed the amazing meal tremendously. Back at Ishin, it was to savor their Kaiseki style menu that is now available upon request. Though one need not make any reservations, it is still recommended for the best possible dishes from Chef William.

Kaiseki  (懐石?) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理?) is a traditional Japanese menu that consists of several courses of selected food served to diners on a tray individually. It is literally an art form today where Japanese chefs focuses on serving a balance Kaiseki menu of taste, texture, presentation and colors of food. Using and focusing on the freshest seasonal ingredients are a must in any Kaiseki menu. Another important element is the presentation so even the plates used are carefully selected to enhance the food.

Our Kaiseki menu kicked off with the Saizuke or Appetizer course of Nama Mie Kaki With Tabasco, Ankimo Ponzu and Ume Shu On Snow served on a long platter.

In full glory on its own, the Nama Mie Kaki served on ice is just unbelievable gorgeous in flavours. Hailed from the pristine waters of Mie Prefecture in Japan, the Mie oyster is utterly sweet and creamy with salty briny finish. A gentle squeeze of lemon added the final perfection for this piece of exquisite molluscs. I wanted more of this oyster…

Ankimo Ponzu may not be for everyone but it is certainly a favorite of mine. The foie gras of the sea, Ankimo is monkfish liver. Steamed and served in classic Ponzu sauce with chili-tinted grated daikon and scallion, I really enjoyed the luscious rich notes of the liver. The citrusy sauce cleverly balance the richness of the liver and gave it a vibrant boost of flavours.

Ume Shu on Snow features the popular Umeshu wine with plum served in a pretty square glass to act as a palate cleanser as well as to sweeten the course after two savory appetizers.

The next course is Futamono, a soup course of Double Boiled Blue Fin Soup. The Japanese uses every part of the fish and this dish was created using the gelatinous fin part of the much sought-after Bluefin tuna. The collagen like fin is double boiled over low heat in dashi stock till it becomes a firm gelatinous texture. More ingredients such as charred leek, mushroom and yuzu peel is added for flavours. The soup has a thick consistency to harmonize with the gelatinous pieces of fin. It is quite a unique dish as I have never tasted this part of the tuna before.

One of my favorite course of Kaiseki is the Mukōzuke or Sashimi course. Our plate of Akazai Ebi and Itoyori Tai with Caviar was beautiful at sight. Itoyori Tai or Threadfin Bream is paired with Akazai Ebi or Langoustine with black caviar for a contrast of flavours and textures. The fish has a firm but tender texture with a gentle sweet note while the langoustine is simply divine with its superb sweet note of the sea. I also enjoyed the texture of the langoustine as a sashimi as it has a firm and almost crunchy and gelatinous texture all rolled into one. Black caviar added a salty briny note to balance the sweetness from both fish and langoustine. Divine….

Our next course is Tempura of Amaebi Kakiage. The course is light and showed off how the Japanese popularized the crispy light batter of tempura that is now highly used all over the world. This one has a medley of matchstick vegetables with sweet shrimp in crispy tempura batter. Simple and rather nice for a change in the heavier courses earlier.

Tarabagani, Oyster Meat with Yuzu Sauce showcase more Japanese seafood of king crab with oyster in a yuzu sauce. Artfully presented, the lightly grilled king crab has a delicious sweet and subtle smoky note. The oyster is lightly battered and fried. The lemony citrus sauce enhance both crab and oyster nicely.

Kagoshima Beef was out-of-this-world!! With a marbling grade of A5, these pieces of beef hailed all the way from the Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan. It is superbly well marble evenly and is pretty in pink. Served raw with a side of hot stone, diners are recommended to just lightly grill this premium meat for a few seconds on each side only.

Such luscious umami notes and the beef literally melts-in-the-mouth… the Kagoshima Beef is one indulgence to be experience if you still have not had it before. There is a sauce made with chili bean, miso, garlic and more that is savory and lightly spicy served on the side. It gave the beef a different aspect of flavours. I still prefer to enjoy the beef with just salt and pepper. This one demands a hefty price tag of RM250 per 100gm.

Our savory last course was 3 Layers Toro Sushi. The least delicate dish of the Kaiseki menu but certainly full of flavours. Chef William’s creation of sliced seared Otoro or Fatty Tuna covering a roll filled with minced Otoro and Uni on sushi rice and crowned with salmon roes proved to be a mouthful. Nevertheless, it has such a great flavour combination of the fatty tuna and sea urchin with briny Shujiko salmon roes. The house cured salmon roes stood out with its gorgeous salty and rich briny notes. It has a unique popping texture that burst in the mouth wondrously. Superb roes but it also covered the natural sweetness of the Uni… not that I am complaining.

Our Kaiseki menu ended with another famed Japanese fruit of Musk Melon. A little too ripe but still enjoyable as the melon is very sweet and enjoyable.

Our Kaiseki style menu for the evening is priced at RM200 per set without the Kagoshima Beef. The Kagoshima Beef is available for RM250 per 100gm. Prices are on the heavier side but do remember that these are premium ingredients air-flown directly from Tsukiji Market, Tokyo, Japan. Ishin Japanese Dining has proved its worth in the Japanese dining scene that they still have what it takes to serve up a majestic fine dining Japanese experience. For more affordable dishes, there are lunch sets or ala carte dishes available daily as well.

For reservation, please call +603-7980 8228.

ISHIN JAPANESE DINING

202 Persiaran Klang,

Batu 3 3/4,

Off Jalan Klang Lama,

58000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 7980 8228

Website: www.ishin.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ishinmy

Business hours:

Lunch 12pm-3pm

Dinner 6pm-1am

Sasagawa Japanese Cuisine @ Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

An Enchanting Kaiseki Experience!

The moment I stepped out of Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel elevator and saw Sasagawa Japanese Cuisine restaurant entrance, I knew it was going to be an unforgettable dining experience. The gorgeous entrance with its artistic wood framework and lustre glass panel proudly etched with the restaurant’s name is mesmerizing.

Sasagawa has just taken over from Makishima at the hotel and officially operated as of June recently. Barely a few months old, the restaurant has already been the talk of the town. Named after and helmed by Chef Hitoshi Sasagawa who trained under Iron Chef Challenger Chef Tadamichi Ota, is set to showcase his skills in creating traditional and authentic Japanese dishes to our Malaysian diners. Leader of the Ota Faction of traditional Japanese chefs, Chef Ota defeated French Iron Chef Sakai in the Iron Chef challenge, reaffirming the skills and knowledge of authentic Japanese cuisine.

Sasagawa is the perfect venue for the 38 year old Chef Sasagawa to showcase his culinary repertoire. Japanese cuisine is all about featuring the freshest and finest ingredients that Mother Nature has to offer and so Sasagawa stays true to the same concept in serving premium imported ingredients flown in directly from Japan four times a week for the restaurant’s menu. Gourmands have the option of a full regular a la carte menu or simply be surprised by their Kaiseki dinner courses or Bento lunch courses.

The majestic and Zen ambience is designed by local designer from Kyoto to replicate the tradition and atmosphere of Japan’s culture. Using lots of wood backed by modern touches of contemporary furniture and influences, the restaurant has lots of sectioned private dining rooms as well as its regular dining room.  The awesome architectural structure of the wood element creates a halo pathway leading to the private dining rooms. There is also a Zen fountain at the entrance. The restaurant also has bar that played dual roles as a sushi bar as well as a perfect bar to hang out to the long list of Japanese sake and whisky together with other beverages.

Our evening was graced with a serene Zen ambiance, excellent discreet service and an unforgettable Kaiseki experience. Kaiseki, a multi-course haute dining experience, pays homage to the skills and techniques of Japanese cuisine together with the ingredients. Gourmands are taken on a journey of selected premium ingredients prepared with minimal cooking touches to enhance the true flavours of fresh quality ingredients.

There are basically 3 choices of Kaiseki of Yuki (RM460 – 9 courses), Hana (RM350 – 8 courses) and Tsuki (RM280 – 7 courses) at Sasagawa. There are no minimum number of diners so one can even order Kaiseki while your other dining companions enjoy a la carte. Chef Sasagawa recommends diners to make reservation at least 1 week in advance in order for him to offer the finest ingredients from Japan in the Kaiseki experience.

Our Hana Kaiseki experience showcase 8-course meal of Appetizer, Sashimi, Simmered Dish, Main Dish, Steamed Dish, Deep Fried Dish, Shokuji and Dessert.

APPETIZER

Our Appetizer or Hassun course has 3 small bites of Egg Tofu, Cutlass Fish and Boiled Greens with Fried Tofu served on long wooden plate as per its tradition. These are meant to tease and open up our palates with a delicate ode to the Japanese cuisine.

Egg Tofu Topping with Salmon Egg, Golden Powder, Radish & Wasabi was my favorite of the three. Exquisite in sight, a cube of smooth, creamy and luscious egg bean curd was cleverly paired with a host of salty roes, crisp fresh radish and a tiny dab of fresh Japanese horseradish. Evoking all taste senses, this egg bean curd was further enhanced at sight as well with edible gold.

Cutlass Fish Nanbanduke, Kikka Flower & Loofah Marinated with Vinegar had a fresh and vibrant flavour. Sweet Cutlass Fish was delicately battered, fried and served in a pickled form. Edible Kikka flower may not add flavour but was crowned on the fish to reiterate the importance of presentation of the cuisine.

The third appetizer of Boiled Greens in Bonito-Flavoured Soy Sauce, Fried Tofu & Mizuna Baby Fish reminded diners that the cuisine originate from humble homes in the country. Its simplicity of greens, inari and tiny Mizuna baby fish represents the land and sea produce of Japan.

SASHIMI

The second course of Otsukuri was another tribute to Japan’s cuisine and its surrounding ocean that produces some of the best seafood in the world. Every Sashimi served in the Kaiseki course varies as it depends on the freshest available catch imported from Japan four days a week.

For our Sashimi course, we had the honors of savoring Otoro (Fatty Tuna), Maguro (Tuna), Ishidai (Parrot Fish), Salmon and Tenshi Ebi (Angel Shrimp). Each sashimi is truly a haven of oceanic sweetness. Worthy in every sense are the Otoro of luscious creamy fatty tuna and the sweet firm Ishidai sashimi enhanced by fresh wasabi and premium soy sauce…

This platter of Sashimi prepared by Chef Sasagawa serves 3 pax.

SIMMERED DISH

The next course features comfort pleasures of Nimono or simmering ingredients in sauce or broth to gently cook and enhance its flavours. Chef Sasagawa is set to please all diners so if you should have a certain diet or ingredient that you do take, do let him know in advance and his dishes will be set to cater to your requests.

That evening, our simmered dish was a Kuroge Wagyu Yamato-Ni. Kuroge Wagyu is from one of the most sought after breeds of wagyu – the Japanese Black cow. Small cubes of Kuroge Wagyu is paired together with Japanese Turnip Boiled in Syrup, Pumpkin, Baby Eggplant Oranda-Ni, Lady Finger, White Onion and Bud of Japanese Tree Pepper. The beef is beautifully tender and so deliciously flavourful from its simmering in a sauce of sweet red pepper, soy sauce, Sake and soup stock. Every element played its role, whether in taste of texture, and the sauce completed the symphony of flavours in this dish.

One of our dining partner does not take beef and so he was served Abalone or Awabi Yamato-Ni. Similar to the wagyu, the premium mollusk was given the same treatment of simmering and pairing of ingredients.

POT STEW

Our fourth course of Suimono was another treat of the sea. Torched Octopus, Seabass and King Crab with KUJO Green Onion, Mizuna, Maitake Mushrooms & Lime is served on the side together with a pretty silver pot of Japanese Style Onion Soup Stock sitting on a small burner.

As soon as we lifted the cover of the pot, the aroma of the broth is simply sublime. A nudge of sweetness and smoky aroma starts tantalizing us as we quickly placed all the ingredients into the broth to gently stew it.

What a treat! A myriad of ocean’s treasures and the sweetest green onions with peppery Mizuna greens and highly-prized Maitake mushrooms has soaked up the beautiful smoky and sweet broth so well. This dish truly evoked all the senses of sight, taste, smell and sound in great depth.

STEAMED DISH

Special Chawanmushi with Goma Tofu topped with thin sliced winter melon, wolfberry and sesame cream is our Mushimono course of the meal. The delicate course of egg custard married with a piece of sesame tofu is beautiful. Simple and so comforting…

DEEP FRIED DISH

Our sixth course was Agemono and Chef Sasagawa chose to showcase a popular dish of Prawn Tempura with Andes Salt. Normally, tempura is served with a tempura dipping sauce but Chef Sasagawa wanted to let the sweetness of the Angel prawn shine through its light crisp batter, so Andes salt was paired this round. There were also baby eggplant, lotus root and Shishito chili pepper. 

Crisp, juicy and yummy!

SHOKUJI

Our last savory course was a Shokuji set of rice, miso soup and tsukemono pickles, a must in most Kaiseki meals.

Inside this Kama is a Kamameshi or Rice Cooked Small Kettle.

The pot unveiled rice crowned with a piece of salmon, small chunks of abalone, burdock, inari, salmon roes and shiso leaf. Believe by the Japanese to be the best method to cook rice, the short grain rice is cooked till tender but has a lovely bite. Mix all together and enjoy a bowl of fluffy rice with lots of protein and treats. A solid and filling end of rice, soup and pickled seaweed with Arima-ni.

DESSERT

Dessert was Yukimi Daifuku, vanilla ice cream encased with a mocha skin.

Chef Sasagawa held up to his promise of showcasing Japanese cuisine in the most authentic presentation and flavour at Sasagawa. The Kaiseki experience is a treat and worthy of its price with the quality of the ingredients, coupled with Chef Sasagawa’s skill and the restaurant’s ambience. There are value Bento lunch sets too so head on over to Sasagawa for an authentic and multi-sensory Japanese dining in the heart of our city.

SASAGAWA JAPANESE CUISINE

Level 2, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Jalan Sultan Ismail

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2602 3288

Website: www.sasagawakl.asia/access.html

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sasagawa.asia

Business Hours:

Lunch          12.00noon to 2.30pm

Dinner         6.00pm to 10.00pm