Food review: Tatsu Japanese Cuisine’s brand of omakase is made for curious diners

When speaking about omakase eating, what frequently will come to thoughts is usually a sequence of sashimi and nigiri sushi. Perhaps even a rice dish, a several grilled goods, or an assortment of tempura. At Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur’s Tatsu Japanese Delicacies, nonetheless, I found that factors are pretty diverse.

Helmed by Head Chef Tommy Kuan Soon Seng, the 147-seater cafe features a bold, modern day strategy to Japanese delicacies that displays the chef’s adventurous cooking fashion. Armed with more than two a long time of culinary encounter, Chef Tommy has beforehand honed his knife techniques doing work in the kitchens of Nadaman Japanese Cafe, Iketeru Japanese Cafe and Benkay Japanese Cafe just before becoming a member of Tatsu in 2015.

You will get that sense of present-day Japanese eating the moment you stage into the restaurant on the very first flooring of the lodge. Dark timber furnishings pay homage to a conventional Japanese placing, contrasted versus contemporary seats adorned with floral pillows and refined azure accents all around the airy room. There is also an intimate sushi counter as well as a personal sake bar for these who like far more privacy whilst eating listed here.

In true omakase fashion, I left the menu totally up to Chef Tommy in the course of my take a look at to savour his interpretations of the best substances he experienced to offer. Go through on for an inkling of what to expect from the six-training course omakase working experience at Tatsu Japanese Delicacies.

My evening meal kicked off with an appetiser of ebi senbei (shrimp crackers) served with Australian caviar and tobiko sauce. This immediately struck me as one thing opposite to the variety of omakase dining I’m utilized to, which kept me intrigued throughout the food. On its possess, the caviar leaned on the saltier facet but when eaten with each other with the ebi, the purely natural sweetness of the prawn balanced the flavours out.

Following was a additional common sashimi platter, comprising tai (sea bream), botan ebi (shrimp), and kampachi (amberjack). All three seafood dishes tasted as new as you’d expect, provided that the restaurant frequently imports its elements straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji current market. The botan ebi was my favourite of the trio, presenting sweet, clear flavours and a wonderful company texture.

The 3rd system came as an fascinating shock for the reason that I experienced never ever tried out goose barnacles (often called ‘turtle hand’) just before. Served with abalone in a heat bowl of hamaguri suimono (very clear clam soup), the intimidating crustacean in fact tasted quite identical to soft-shell clams. The broth was imbued with powerful flavours of the sea many thanks to its contents, but the gentle, distinct regularity built it relaxing to sip on in amongst the morsels of seafood.

In advance of going on to the upcoming course, I was served a generous bowl of chawanmushi, which comes complimentary with each and every omakase food at Tatsu. And by generous, I imply it was the biggest serving of the egg custard dish that I have at any time experienced in my everyday living. Created with mushrooms, gingko, fish, prawns, and chicken, this dish proved a comforting intermission from all the seafood flavours.

Up upcoming was a further unanticipated grilled tsubayaki dish, served with clear broth in its big shell that has been stuffed with leek. Arriving on a regular Japanese grill, this dish was a showstopper in its own right. The flesh tasted fresh new and mildly sweet, with a company, chewy texture. On the other hand, the broth offered sturdy, onion-like aromas of leek that paired very well with the molusc.

The primary course arrived in the sort of a grilled oni kasago fish, a seasonal catch in the course of summer in Japan. To my shock, the part could very easily feed two or three persons. Chef Tommy spelled out that the fish is simmered in in a sauce created of sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce—also regarded as sakana no nitsuke in Japanese. The result was a mixture of sweet and umami nuances that finished the savoury component of the meal on a punchy notice.

Rounding off the food was a platter of musk melon (delightfully sweet and juicy), akebawa mochi (soft and beany), and daifuku (not much too sweet or chewy—just the way I like it). Overall, Tatsu Japanese Cuisine’s model of omakase is not for all those who choose normal classic Japanese delicacies (you can get individuals off the a la carte menu alternatively) but if you like surprises, you are in for a address. 

The Tatsu Omakase menu is offered daily for lunch and evening meal, priced from RM688+. For reservations and enquiries, simply call +603 2783 6000 or e-mail [email protected].

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Tackle: 165, Jln Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, 55000 Kuala Lumpur

Opening several hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm (lunch), 6.30pm to 10.30pm (supper)

Contact: +603 2783 6000

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