Kampachi EQ Sunday Buffet @ Equatorial KL

The Iconic Sunday Japanese Buffet is Back!

Sundays are meant for indulgence… and one of the best indulgences in the metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur is the legendary Kampachi Sunday Buffet housed in the newly remade EQ. The new Kampachi EQ is making its return after its absence since 2012 when the hotel was closed for re-development.

Now ardent Japanese gourmands will be able to savor the acclaimed Japanese buffet once again in the gorgeous Kampachi EQ. Kampachi, one of the most established Japanese restaurants in the nation, serves haute authentic Japanese cuisine set amidst a minimalist Japanese contemporary dining ambiance.

The restaurant takes prides in their beautiful interior where nature’s elements are used to create the elegant and stylish ambiance the place is renowned for. Sparing no expense, Kampachi General Manager, Theresa Wong proudly presented the restaurant’s gorgeous sushi counter made from the owner’s selection of imported Japanese Inoki wood as she personally took me on a tour of the restaurant.

The dining area is cleverly sectioned to offer diners an intimate and private dining affair. Each area features elegant and clean lines of Zen theme utilizing wood, stone and paper along with modern furniture. The restaurant also has a view of the city through the glass walls and is wonderfully filled with natural lights through the day for a warm appeal of comfort.

Kampachi is renowned for their Sunday Buffet ever since it was first offered. I am also an ardent fan of the buffet myself after several dining experiences at their Kampachi Plaza 33 outlet. The anticipation of the return of this Sunday Buffet was definitely a positive one. Kampachi Plaza 33 also offers the Sunday Buffet with slight variation of the menu.

From the Sushi and Sashimi counter, tuck into gorgeous thick cut slices of sublime salmon, yellowtail, tuna, snapper, squid and octopus. The freshness of the sashimi is amazing and accentuated further with house made soy sauce.

Kampachi offers three versions of soy sauce – low sodium, medium sodium and Tosa. Tosa is cured with bonito flakes for 2 weeks to elevate the umami note in the soy sauce. My personal favorite is the Tosa of course. The balance of umami note is just so perfect with the sashimi and sushi.

Rows of perfectly shaped Nigiri Sushi and cut Maki Rolls are deliciously satisfying. From Japanese seasonal Kohada or Gizzard Shad to luscious Salmon, Tuna, Snapper and Prawn, it’s all classics that never fails to please Japanese gourmands. Even the large Maki Rolls is wondrously filled with crispy soft-shell crab and assorted sashimi along with the usual condiments.

Snack on nutritious Edamame along with colourful Japanese Pickles or savor your choice of Salad Selections to whet your appetite for more to come. There are also tiny portions of lovely Salmon Carpaccio.

Kampachi’s Crab Chawan Mushi is divine! Perfect wobbly egg custard steamed with gingko nuts and fish cake, crowned with sweet crab flesh is simply a must on the list of dishes to savor…

The hot counters feature a list of Japanese all-time-favorites. Start with a tummy warmer of Hamaguri Clam Miso Soup. Sweet and succulent clams in earthy and nutty miso broth. Follow up the next course with Seafood Yosenabe where large oceanic scallops and beautiful prawns bathe in dashi and konbu broth along with creamy leeks, napa cabbage, assorted mushrooms and more.

Let’s tuck into juicy pink slices of Roast Beef too…

Not to be missed, another highlight of the buffet at this outlet is the Beef Sukiyaki. The chef will cook the beef to your liking. Mine was simply sublime with glorious medium rare beef slices lightly flavoured with the sweet and savory Sukiyaki broth. Enjoy the sidekicks of bamboo shoots, konnyaku, mushrooms and more vegetables but don’t forget to complete this Sukiyaki with an egg yolk for extra lusciousness.

Oden, a hodgepodge of ingredients cooked in soy and dashi broth, never fails to please the palate of many when in seek of familiar comfort food…

Hot warmers filled with golden crispy Seafood & Vegetable Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki, Grilled Eel, Vegetable Croquette, Grilled Salmon, Mackerel, Prawns, Salmon Collar and Karaage are definitely crowd pleasers in any Japanese meal. The tempura is delightful perfect with its thin and crispy batter enveloping prawns, fish, squid and assorted vegetables. Grill salmon, prawn and mackerel are simply faultless too.

The combination of smoked and sweet Grilled Unagi on Japanese Garlic Fried Rice is simply a match made in heaven!

There may not be many options of desserts, but the ones served is truly authentic Japanese favorites. Fresh cut fruits along with a huge bowl of grapes are ideal after an indulgence. There are pretty glasses of Matcha Pannacotta where every spoonful of the beautifully set cream tinged with aromatic matcha evoked such lusciousness on the palate.

Dorayaki, and not just any dorayaki for that matter, is freshly made on the live station. Every single Dorayaki is handmade, cooked and carefully filled, pinch-sealed and finish with a special hot seal. Savor traditional sweet creamy red bean or nutty peanut butter. The staff was so friendly and took the effort to make a Mickey shaped Dorayaki for my little one! Kudos for the service and smile…

No Japanese meal is complete without Matcha, Black Sesame or Yuzu Ice Cream.

A personal favorite, the Abekawa Mochi is perhaps a dessert that many would go for a second helping. I know I did. Mochi is first grilled and then boiled before finished in a coating of kinako or soy bean powder. It has a very subtle hint of sweetness and has great nutty aroma. The mochi is sublime as it has a soft and chewy texture. Simply not to be missed!

The legendary Kampachi EQ Sunday Buffet did not disappoint. Retaining solid quality and freshness, all dishes are prepared with classic spot-on techniques of Japanese cuisine. Gourmands are already seen flocking to the new Kampachi EQ on the Sunday that I was there. It’s truly a delicious Sunday experience for ardent Japanese foodies!

The Kampachi EQ Sunday Buffet is available every Sunday from 12.00pm to 2.30pm, priced at RM168 nett per adult and RM78 nett per child (age 5 to 10). Reservations can be made via TableApp or by calling +603 2789 7723.

KAMPACHI EQ

Ground Floor, EQ

Equatorial Plaza,

Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Website: www.kampachi.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KampachiOfficial/

Business Hours:

Lunch – 12.00pm to 3.00pm

Dinner – 6.00pm to 10.30pm

Kampachi by Equatorial: Okayama Summer Food Festival Feast

The Best of Okayama Prefecture Produce

Japan is highly regarded for their perfectionist culture. Japanese take pride in everything they do and it certainly shows in the many industries they excel in. Japanese cuisine is also highly favored all over the world for their food and presentation. Japanese chefs take years and years of training and are always trained to go deep into details. They make such effort in showcasing their produce and I don’t blame them because Japanese agriculture is a much focus and important industry in Japan. Different areas of the country have different specialties and the soil in Japan produces luscious produce. We all know about the waters around Japan that produces some of the yummiest sashimi and sushi around. Well this round, we are taking the agriculture to the limelight.

Kampachi by Equatorial is proud to bring back The Okayama Summer Food Fair once again this year by showcasing bountiful offerings from the Oyakama Prefecture. Available from August 22 to September 5, 2014, the four Kampachi outlets nationwide will be offering diners a specialized menu as well as Okayama offerings available for purchase.

Okayama Prefecture consists of 15 cities. Surrounded by both sea and mountain, its geographical land coupled with its sunny weather throughout the year makes it the perfect place to produce some of the best produce from both sea and land. Coined as The Kingdom of Fruits, fruits such as peaches and grapes have a truly unique quality and superior taste like no other. Oysters, rice and vegetables also reign supreme in quality terms from the Okayama Prefecture.

Executive Chef Tamaru has whipped up a luscious menu featuring Okayama Prefecture produce from land and sea. This year, Okayama Prefecture’s white peaches, grapes and oysters are the main highlights in all Kampachi outlets.

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the dishes available on the menu featuring Okayama Prefecture’s produce.

Okayama oysters are cultivated in Seto Inland Sea and these are some of the best oysters I have ever tasted in my life. Served on a bed of chilled ice, the Nama Gaki Ponzu is fresh Okayama oysters served with homemade Japanese citrus vinaigrette grated chili radish and scallion. One can tell that these oysters are going to be fabulous by its pale opaque creaminess. It’s a good size too.

The oyster is fairly firm and one taste rendered superb flavor. Okayama oysters are just simply fabulous, sexy and luscious. The briny notes coupled with an oceanic sweetness are delicately enhanced by the ponzu sauce with notes of onions. The chill factor in the oysters also played a crucial part, enhancing the bold sweet flavors of the oysters like a dream.

I kid you not… these are utterly divine!

After those heavenly oysters, our next dish was Okayama Yasai Salad featuring a beautiful stuffed tomato filled with prawn, asparagus, endive and shimeji mushrooms sitting on a bed of broth soaked spaghetti squash and dressing.

The tomato taste so different from our local ones. This one is marvelous as it tasted like a sweet juicy crisp fruit. Though the vegetables are all cooked separate with the prawn, it’s the beautiful aromatic sesame wasabi dressing that brought it all together. The chef really showcases the ingredients to its max flavors with its minimal preparation. Each one has its own texture and sweetness. I enjoyed it because of the produce, especially the tomato!

Our third course was Salmon Carpaccio. Salmon sliced to Carpaccio-style enrobed Okayama tomato, asparagus and yellow chives. These vegetables are some of the prized vegetables that are grown in Okayama. The dish is finished off with salmon roe, garlic chips, avocado, spring onions and soy based dressing.

Beautiful harmonious sweet and savory flavors with a lovely hint of garlic note sang out to me. The salmon is silky smooth while the different vegetables provided different textures to compliment the fish. Overall, the Salmon Carpaccio is very delectable.

The last savory course was Toban no Ebi Soboro Ankake. This one smells heavenly comforting. A square piece of Oyakama winter melon is smothered in a delicately sweet thick sauce with minced prawns. It’s very simple but the ingredients shine beautifully. The winter melon is braised till soft and has a delicate sweetness while the prawns added more flavors. The dish truly represents Japanese cuisine in its finest.

We finished our Okayama experience with Pione Grapes. This is the elite of the grape varieties, said to be develop as a result of the improved variety from Kyoho. Did you know that Okayama Prefecture was said to be the first in Japan to develop a technique for producing seedless grapes? Pione grapes are famous for the large round shape with a strong sweetness in flavors. It is also seedless, making it perfect for many who love all the characteristics of the Pione grapes. Okayama Prefecture produces the largest share of Pione grapes from Japan.

Indeed, these three luscious grapes are gorgeous. I have never had such grapes before. It is so juicy and so sweet. The flesh rendered jelly like texture and taste so good. Peeling the grapes is pretty easy as the skin comes on easily and when served chilled, the sweetness really shines. A hefty price tag but once you tried these grapes, you’ll know why it’s an elite!

There are more dishes featuring the luscious produce of Okayama Prefecture land and sea. This is a great way to enjoy the country’s produce without having to fly to Japan. Besides the ala carte dishes, there are special Kaiseki Dinner set menu available at each outlet on specific dates. Head over to Kampachi outlets this August 22 to September 5, 2014 for a taste of Okayama Prefecture!

More details available at Kampachi website: www.kampachi.com.my and Facebook: www.facebook.com/KampachiOfficial

 * More photos available at my Facebook: Chasing Food Dreams