Yoko's

36, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03 2144 3378
Open Mon-Sat from 5pm-2am, Sun 3pm-11pm.

www.yokos-kl.com

At Yoko's you get a taste of Japan far from ordinary. Located in a beautifully restored 1940's link house, Yoko's exudes a charm and vitality that is uniquely its own. But it's not just about ambience here, it's about the immaculately prepared Japanese food which is both gratifying to the palate and pleasing to the eye. While the typical Japanese favourites are found here, there is also a whiff of fusion. With a variety of Japanese beer to choose from the bar, great food and live bands playing here on Fridays and Saturdays, Yoko's would make a great place just to hang out and chat.









Daikanyama

42 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 KL
Tel: 03–2141 0323

Of course, there's always something new opening down on Changkat these days (witness last month's feature story); it will literally take us the next six months of reviews to clean the slate.

But let's start where we start and this month's is a terrific new Japanese offering called Daikanyama, plopped down near the former Café Ole. Daikanyama is by its own admission a sake bar, the first real sake bar in KL, one that serves a terrific selection of the stuff and the associated uniqueness of that proposition to a drinking crowd (imagine dropping in bits of sake trivia to a date as you sip lightly on some of the high-end stuff). The design lends itself to this urban image; recycled scaffolding planks have been used for the seating and the décor of the bar area, a slightly audacious touch by Lukas Lim, designer of Palate Palette, and you get the feeling (as with many Changkat venues) this could be Soho or Greenwich Village NYC. As a drinking proposition, the place will go down well, no doubt about it.

As a food place though Daikanyama is a hidden gem. They have some innovative fusion plates that are amazing, meant to support the drinking (where the money's made) but terrifically thought out and executed. Take for instance the truffle oil drizzled salmon (RM30), a signature treat, absolutely fantastic as was a dish the Hotatei Garlic Yaki (RM16), excellent with just the right amount of garlic to bring attention to its presence without going into overpowering territory. A bowl of Inaniwa Udon was ok but there are better in the city. Still, the price points are reasonable and it's filling.

The main prize of the Sake Bomb Maki (RM26), lightly topped with Japanese Mayonnaise, was the highlight. Tasty, well presented and a good sized portion for two when combined with other plates, I found my new favourite dish on Changkat (don't worry, it changes weekly). Daikanyama is a hit and while we'll have a special place in our heart for Yoko's fare a few doors down, this place is a great new addition.


Isaki Japanese Restaurant

Jalan Sri Hartamas 7,
KL
Tel: 03–6203 5562

There is no great shortage of Japanese restaurants in KL, that’s for sure. Attribute that to the sizable Japanese community here or to the context of Pax Asia, fact is we’ve got a good level of choice for dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Still, quantity doesn’t denote quality and while we have the breadth of these eateries, there aren’t too many genuinely good Japanese restaurants that grace the city. Enter Isaki, a new eatery in the old Hartamas area, down from the Petronas, near the Bulldog and Caterpillar. A slightly out of the way area, even for Hartamas residents, but nothing that once you locate it the first time you couldn’t navigate again. Barely six months old, it put its flag down in the KL sand and declared that authentic Japanese has arrived.

But has it? Coming into the open bench area that is its portico, one gets a nice feeling to the place, a friendly vibe that Isaki has a casual dining side to it. Once in you see a small pebble lined walk, the predictable Japanese wooden lanterns and small pine wood slats that the waitresses scurry across in typical wooden sandals. Upstairs is a large area that lends itself perfectly to parties and events, with ample bar and seating. You get the overall impression of intimacy and minimal pretensions here, a fact buoyed by the sufficient, if not thrilling menu. The sashimi and other sushi items are very good and the buta kakuni is a lovely dish of steamed pork belly, definitely one to order. The drink menu is full with good sakes taking centre place. It’s not that you’d travel across the city for Isaki, but if you’re in the area, it’s a great option, and one that deserves the business over the cacophony of other Japanese peers. SAM COLEMAN




Kirishima

Lot 1.2, First Floor,
Dua Annexe, 211
Jalan Tun Razak, KL
Tel: 03–2162 8127

Open daily, 12noon-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm

Sure, who doesn’t love Japanese food, treasures from the land of the rising sun, honourable treats that are one of life’s great tasting moments. Trouble is, I don’t want to break my bank to enjoy said delights. Some of our five star establishments have some formidable Japanese restaurants with high quality produce, great service and contemporary settings but despite the pleasure enjoyed during the meal the bill at the end is beginning to grate, and that’s not great. I think some of our hotels and their restaurants are fabulous but when I get charged the same in KL as I do in London, New York or Tokyo someone is taking the proverbial. KL the same staff costs as New York? The same square footage price as Tokyo? The same food costs as London? They answer themselves, don’t they?

So it was with interest when perusing the reasonably priced menu of newly opened Kirishima outside Dua Residency on Jalan Tun Razak how the food would compare to the over-priced big boys in town. The setting is airy with typical light wood furnishings and cool relatively private booths which are worth booking for especially when you have kids if you worry about disturbing others. I couldn’t resist the special of the day. It’s not every day I get the chance of trying braised chicken grunt fish which just for clarification is all fish and no chicken. It was extremely fresh, a bit bony for my liking but tasted terrific.

I ordered a little scatter-gun as I wanted to get a full overview of things so garlic rice, prawn tempura, crab salad, salmon, mackerel and yellowtail sashimi as well as a great Kobe beef served on its own hotplate ensued. All in all the quality of food was excellent. The fish was immaculately fresh but then again I was there on a Tuesday, and Tuesday and Fridays are when the new shipment of fish arrives from Japan so box clever and make your reservations on those days. The menu may not be as imaginative as some of the top hotels but the staples are all there and there is plenty of choice. The service was as good as I would expect with one or two very knowledgeable waitresses and the remainder friendly and attentive. The setting is good, though not a five star experience but it’s pleasant, clean and best in the booths. Probably around 30 per cent cheaper than the top Japanese’s in the hotels and in my view negligible difference in the food quality. Certainly worth a try if you, like me, want to start saving some sen in the current crazy climate. GP


Ozeki Tokyo Cuisine

Menara TA One
Jalan P.Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 2166 4263

You don’t have to leave town to give your taste buds a vacation.-just head over to Ozeki. Exotic yet somehow familiar, this is comfort food from another continent. For Japanese food, the one thing I’ve learnt is, always go in a group. That way you can try more dishes.

That’s just what we did one evening. The menu mad a variety of dishes. We wanted everything, it all sounded good. But we decided we will not be greedy (or we shall try). Between us, we had beef carpacio with wasabi mayo (yes, wasabi..) and soy sauce, thinly sliced boiled octopus topped with garlic, tomato and dressed with basil and olive oil and a barbeque platter of prawn, squid, salmon, oyster and scallops. The first two dishes maybe seem Italian but it was far from it. The platter was delicious with the seafood being not too overcooked. We were done with these dishes and ordered some sushi namely, the California roll wrapped with 5 kinds of raw fish, boiled prawn and avocado, oven baked California roll topped with creamy seafood sauce gratin, pressed sushi with grilled eel (my favourite!), steamed egg custard, assorted tempura and agedashi tofu which is deep-fried bean curd with tempura sauce. No, we weren’t being greedy…I assure you these were all small portions. (how else will you know what is good). The sushi were all fresh and best eaten with a little wasabi and soy sauce.

The food was great, delicious and just like how we expected it to me…satisfying. We had a good time and left with full stomachs but with a plan for a next visit. Hmm, maybe with a bigger group. Care to join me?