Sakura Promotion @ Genji Japanese, Hilton Petaling Jaya

Sakura Spring Blossom Food Fest & New Signature Dishes

Back at Genji Japanese Restaurant at Hilton Petaling Jaya for a taste of their Sakura Spring Blossom Food Festival! Available until 31 March, 2017, diners should not miss Chef Richard Teoh’s gastronomic dishes inspired by the prettiest season in Japan. Hoping to paint our culinary town with lots of spring dishes in celebration of the pretty pink and white flowers in bloom, diners are treated to some of the freshest and tastiest Japanese dishes this season.

In celebration of Hanami, Chef Teoh’s inspiration are beauty as well as scrumptious dishes prepared with as little cooking method as possible to showcase the fresh and bountiful ingredients of the spring season. Genji Japanese Restaurant has always been a long-time favorite when it comes to Japanese cuisine in the city. Serving a la carte to buffets on the weekends, Genji has been serving sumptuous Japanese cuisine to diners since two decades ago.

The award winning restaurant has even air flown in fresh Sakura flowers and its season’s freshest ingredients in tribute to this promotion. Expect the spring season’s bountiful ingredients in the menu such as sea bream, shellfish and a variety of sansei (mountain vegetables).

Spring season denote lightness and floral prettiness. Celebrating the season’s attributes is Maguro Nano Hana Nutta Ae (RM39). Glorious cuts of the finest tuna paired with blanched stem of rape blossoms and miso sauce. The subtle wasabi hint in the miso sauce is really clever, teasing our palate together with the rich creamy and nutty miso. The delicate bitterness in the rape blossom added another dimension of flavour to the tuna and sauce. So well controlled with finesse in flavours…

Thinly sliced sea bream served with ponzu sauce is beautifully presented in Tai Usuzukuri (RM130). The soft sweet nuances of the fresh sea bream is a joy to savor. What was unexpected was the bold heat in Chef Teoh’s ponzu sauce that gave the dish a kick of flavours. It’s like watching fireworks in spring season for the dish.

Sashimi Moriawase Tokuijo (RM380) is Genji’s premium set of chef’s choices of sashimi. Only the best premium cuts get on this huge platter and we were definitely pleased with the Toro, Yellowtail, Salmon, Aji and Scallop. The sashimi were thickly cut, adding sublime touches to the already sumptuous raw fish.

The Toro melts-in-the-mouth while the creamy and divine Yellowtail was sensational. Ajj or Spanish mackerel is one of the most underrated fish, simply because it has such wondrous rich flavours from its oil and is healthy as well. The usual Salmon and Scallop, needless to say, are of the finest quality.

A bold creative piece of dragon is cleverly presented in Unagi Avocado Ura Maki (RM72). The reversed roll of avocado is draped with thick slices of caramelized smoky eel and seaweed. Each piece is creamy, smoky, sweet and savory on the palate.

More eel to satisfy those who loves unagi and it’s definitely a match made in heaven in Unagi Chawan Mushi (RM28). Generous cut of thick smoky, sweet and savory unagi goes so well with the wobbly soft steamed egg custard. There were also gingko nut and crab in the custard. Comforting in every spoonful…

For mains, the Wagyu Beef Nano Hana Maki (RM120) turned out to be a fine choice, especially if you are a fan of the luscious wagyu beef. The tender wagyu beef is rolled with the blanched spring rape blossoms and cooked on the teppanyaki with the moreish butter garlic soy sauce. Served with more vegetables and crispy garlic chips, the dish is deliciously delectable.

For non-beef eaters, one can opt of the Kue To Enoki Teppanyaki (RM85) or grilled grouper with enoki mushroom in yakiniku sauce. The firm grouper meat goes well with the robust sweet and savory yakiniku sauce. There were plenty of enoki mushrooms as well as other vegetables to balance up the fish.

Rape blossoms are delicious when prepared well. Despite its subtle bitterness, the vegetable has a crisp texture and is a delicacy to savor. Making another appearance in Nano Hana Tempura (RM45), I never knew rape blossoms can taste so good in golden crispy light tempura batter. A squeeze of lemon enhances the freshness of the rape blossoms while the tempura sauce added savory notes. It’s addictively and polishing off this basket of vegetables has never been easier.

While other cuisine may opt to start their course with soup, the Japanese tend to enjoy soup at the end for a comforting ending. The clear clam soup hit all the right notes of soothing and warming flavours on the palate. Such earthy flavours with beautiful bonito essence, the soup with the tender large clams in Hamaguri Jiru (RM28) was divine to the last drop.

Chef Teoh surprises us with an unusual pairing of Sakura Cheese Pudding with Black Sesame Ice Cream in celebration of the hanami. The Sakura cheese pudding is so pretty in pastel pink and tasted delicate and delicious. The nutty and aromatic black sesame seed ice cream is always a pleasant dessert and this one even comes with a pretty fresh Sakura stem on it. Presentation was indeed top-notch!

The Sakura Spring Blossoms Food Fest promotion is happening this whole month of March and the a la carte menu is available from RM23 nett for lunch and dinner. For reservations, call +60(3) 7955 9122 ext. 4071/ 4072.

GENJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel

No. 2, Jalan Barat,

46200 Petaling Jaya

Malaysia

Tel:  603 7955 9122

Fax: 603 7955 3909

Website: www.petaling-jaya.hilton.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hiltonpetalingjaya

Business Hours:

Lunch          Mon – Sat:  12noon to 2.30pm

                   Sunday Buffet: 11.30am to 2.30pm

Dinner         Mon – Sat: 6.30pm to 10.30pm

                   Saturday Buffet: 6.30pm – 10.30pm

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

Umeshu Sushi & Bar @ Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam

Japanese Cuisine at Affordable Prices!

A recent foodie round up at Umeshu Sushi & Bar had us all very satiated with the very affordable and scrumptious Japanese restaurant discreetly hidden in Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam. Thanks to dear foodie buddy Yvonne, Umeshu is a real gem that was just waiting to be discovered.

Umeshu Sushi & Bar opened in March 2015. It was a perfect spot as there were no Japanese restaurants nearby and the owners are well-aware that there are colleges nearby and Japanese cuisine is always a crowd pleaser for many. To cater to all the students and those living nearby, the owners made their prices very affordable and yet serves up very delicious and decent Japanese dishes. Umeshu also offers delivery services within the nearby area and college with 1 hour advance order.

Seafood delivery takes place every 2 days to ensure that every item is kept as fresh as possible. The owners also made sure that most of all their sauces and dressing are made in-house such as soy sauce, sweet sauce, sesame sauce and more to keep their dishes as homemade as possible.

The restaurant is decorated with simple and pleasing design. There are booths or regular seating. Since the restaurant has a long space, catering to big or small parties are not an issue too. There is even a lovely long tatami room for privacy.

Moving to serious eats, we had a classic favorite of Edamame (RM3.30) as we try out their Bavaria non-alcoholic malt drink that comes in Pomegranate or Peach. The fizzy malt drink is pretty enjoyable…

Dinner continue to our first appetizer of Jikasei Niku Miso Hiyayakko (RM5.30) or Cold Tofu with Umeshu met Miso. Simple, fresh and easy to enjoy… the flavours are quite intense and vibrant from the soy sauce to miso while the spring onions and tobiko added more textures and flavours.

Japanese salads are often really easy to enjoy. These salads are never heavy and always uses minimal ingredients to showcase the freshness of the seafood that is very often paired with salads. Ours was Soba Avocado Salad (RM10.90), a healthy soba noodle, avocado, corn, seaweed and greens mix paired with creamy dressing.

We also had another appetizer of Salmon Avocado (RM6.90), cubed salmon with creamy cuts of avocado dressed in a tangy and creamy dressing and finished with a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi powder. So delicious!!

Sushi time and these are definitely a crowd-pleaser as we checked out some sushi and maki rolls from Umeshu’s sushi bar. Salmon Zukushi (RM16.90) is faultless, a lovely platter for salmon lovers. Salmon sashimi, salmon sushi and salmon roll with mayo is creamy and delicious. With that price tag, I’ll gladly order two platters for myself.

Another personal favorite of mine is their Aburi Salmon Sushi (RM4.90 for two pieces). Creamy cuts of salmon is lightly brushed with teriyaki sauce, lightly torched and served with pearls of salmon roe and a dab of mayo. Simply scrumptious!

Goka Irodori (RM16.90) is a role one would love when one wants a little of everything in their roll. Sushi roll with pickled daikon radish and cucumber is covered with slices of assorted sashimi, finished with a drizzle of mayo and topped with ebiko.

Another roll to check out would be the house signature roll of Umeshu Special Fried Salmon Roll (RM13.90). Albeit a less healthy version of maki but is yummy as the maki roll has salmon, cucumber and cheese inside, crumbed and fried still crispy outside. A drizzle of sauce and a touch of ebiko sealed the deal. There’s more adventurous rolls to tempt diners with Fire Oyster Roll, King Prawn Roll, Norway Roll, Fire Spider Roll and more.

We edged in slowly to mains and had the Salmon Kobuto Teriyaki (RM10.90) to start. The grilled salmon head has a nice teriyaki glaze. It may need some effort to pick through the head but the fleshy bits are silky smooth and creamy.

Seasonal Pan Fried Salmon Bone is a dish the chef whipped up especially just for us. There is a lovely spicy note to the dish. The salmon bone still has a fair bit of meat on it and we did our best to polish this clean too. The additions of onions and bell peppers with other bits of vegetables made the flavours sweeter. Not in the menu but do ask the waitstaff…

More Yakimono followsw with Ika Maruyaki (RM14.90) or Roasted Squid and Saba Shioyaki (RM14.90). Both nicely grilled and sufficiently satisfying in flavours and textures.

Steak lovers will definitely enjoy the Teppan Gyu Steak (RM18.90). The steak was gorgeously charred and remained tender and juicy. Served with mashed potato, corn and broccoli on a sizzling hot plate, it was certainly a delicious main course. If you prefer your steak a bit more rare, make sure to let the staff know.

We moved on to more classic favorites in Japanese cuisine. We had two tempura dishes of Tempura Moriawase (RM15.90) and Tempura Mantis Prawn (RM8.90). The Tempura Moriawase was a classic mix of fried tempura prawn, capsicum, eggplant, pumpkin and mushroom. Nicely executed with light crispy batter and sweet prawns with various vegetables cooked well.

The Tempura Mantis Prawn were more unique as I haven’t seen this much in Japanese restaurant. Still, I am not complaining as these were decent too with the crispy tempura and tempura sauce.

If there is one thing to order at Umeshu, it’s their rice dishes! We had three and all 3 were indeed awesome in flavours and textures.

Ishiyaki Salmon Tobiko (RM15.90), a hot stone bowl rice topped with salmon, egg, ebiko, spring onion and special sauce. Mixed these all together and it is sublime! Crusty bits of rice coated with egg yolk and lightly cooked salmon, sauce and ebiko is such an amazing dish that I will indeed return for. I had two helpings from this portion because it was just too darn irresistible…

Kamameshi or Kettle Rice, is the traditional Japanese way to prepare rice. The special Kama or iron pot makes a perfect single dish meal as one can also add any other ingredients in and cook them together. Then the rice is usually served in the pot at tableside as it will also keep the rice warm. We had two varieties of Kamameshi of Gomoku Kamameshi (RM20.90) and Unagi Kamameshi (RM29.90).

Gomoku Kamameshi is assorted seafood, chicken, mushrooms, burdock, aburage, spring onions and ebiko while Unagi Kamameshi is Japanese grilled eel with mushrooms, burdock, aburage, seaweed and wasabi. Choosing one is not easy as both are really aromatic, flavourful with crispy bits of the fluffy rice. So choose either one depending on your favorite ingredient and you won’t be disappointed as these make great tummy fillers as well as sharing meal.

Umeshu also has lots noodles dishes from ramen, soba to udon and we tried their signature Ishiyoki Curry Udon (RM10.90). The thick and creamy Japanese curry is moreish, leaning towards more savory than sweet. Just my kind of flavour as I do not enjoy sweet curry. Serving bubbling hot in hot stone bowl, the udon comes with a tempura whole egg, seafood and spring onions. This one is really pretty decent in my books.

We also had a large bottle of Umeshu Wine from Choya, classic Japanese plum wine that the restaurant is named after. Perfect to go with the dishes if you asked me…

We barely covered their menu at Umeshu Sushi & Bar. All of us really thought that the prices are very reasonable for their dishes served and portions are good too. Umeshu definitely serves much credit for their effort in serving up affordable and scrumptious Japanese cuisine. Must-orders for me are their Salmon Avocado, Aburi Salmon Sushi, Teppan Gyu Steak, Ishiyaki Salmon Tobiko and Kamameshi!

UMESHU SUSHI & BAR (Pork-free)

8, Jalan U1/36,

Glenmarie Industrial Park,

40150 Shah Alam, Selangor

Tel: +603 5567 9692 / 013-232 6338

Email: ume.sushibar@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Umeshu-sushi-bar-824111654301588

Business Hours:

Mon-Sun: 9am - 9pm

Closed on alternate Sundays – please call for confirmation