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

When chatting about omakase dining, what normally comes to thoughts is normally a sequence of sashimi and nigiri sushi. Perhaps even a rice dish, a couple grilled goods, or an assortment of tempura. At Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur’s Tatsu Japanese Cuisine, nonetheless, I found out that points are fairly different.

Helmed by Head Chef Tommy Kuan Soon Seng, the 147-seater restaurant features a bold, modern tactic to Japanese cuisine that displays the chef’s adventurous cooking design. Armed with more than two decades of culinary knowledge, Chef Tommy has formerly honed his knife capabilities functioning in the kitchens of Nadaman Japanese Cafe, Iketeru Japanese Restaurant and Benkay Japanese Cafe right before signing up for Tatsu in 2015.

You are going to get that perception of contemporary Japanese dining the moment you step into the restaurant on the to start with ground of the hotel. Dark timber furnishings shell out homage to a common Japanese placing, contrasted against fashionable seats adorned with floral pillows and delicate azure accents around the airy space. There is also an intimate sushi counter as effectively as a private sake bar for these who want additional privacy though dining right here.

In real omakase manner, I left the menu wholly up to Chef Tommy throughout my take a look at to savour his interpretations of the finest elements he experienced to provide. Examine on for an inkling of what to anticipate from the six-class omakase experience at Tatsu Japanese Cuisine.

My evening meal kicked off with an appetiser of ebi senbei (shrimp crackers) served with Australian caviar and tobiko sauce. This right away struck me as a little something contrary to the sort of omakase dining I’m utilised to, which held me intrigued in the course of the meal. On its personal, the caviar leaned on the saltier facet but when eaten collectively with the ebi, the pure sweetness of the prawn balanced the flavours out.

Future was a more familiar sashimi platter, comprising tai (sea bream), botan ebi (shrimp), and kampachi (amberjack). All a few seafood dishes tasted as clean as you’d assume, provided that the cafe routinely imports its elements straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji industry. The botan ebi was my favorite of the trio, presenting sweet, clear flavours and a good company texture.

The third study course arrived as an intriguing shock mainly because I experienced in no way tried goose barnacles (occasionally called ‘turtle hand’) just before. Served with abalone in a heat bowl of hamaguri suimono (crystal clear clam soup), the intimidating crustacean essentially tasted quite related to soft-shell clams. The broth was imbued with sturdy flavours of the sea many thanks to its contents, but the mild, apparent consistency made it soothing to sip on in in between the morsels of seafood.

Ahead of shifting on to the subsequent training course, I was served a generous bowl of chawanmushi, which comes complimentary with just about every omakase food at Tatsu. And by generous, I necessarily mean it was the greatest serving of the egg custard dish that I have ever experienced in my lifetime. Built with mushrooms, gingko, fish, prawns, and hen, this dish proved a comforting intermission from all the seafood flavours.

Up future was a further unforeseen grilled tsubayaki dish, served with obvious broth in its giant shell that has been stuffed with leek. Arriving on a common Japanese grill, this dish was a showstopper in its individual suitable. The flesh tasted new and mildly sweet, with a organization, chewy texture. On the other hand, the broth supplied robust, onion-like aromas of leek that paired well with the molusc.

The main course arrived in the kind of a grilled oni kasago fish, a seasonal capture through summer months in Japan. To my shock, the part could simply feed two or three men and women. Chef Tommy described that the fish is simmered in in a sauce built of sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce—also regarded as sakana no nitsuke in Japanese. The result was a blend of sweet and umami nuances that ended the savoury element of the food on a punchy note.

Rounding off the food was a platter of musk melon (delightfully sweet and juicy), akebawa mochi (tender and beany), and daifuku (not far too sweet or chewy—just the way I like it). Overall, Tatsu Japanese Cuisine’s brand name of omakase is not for these who like usual traditional Japanese delicacies (you can buy all those off the a la carte menu instead) but if you like surprises, you are in for a deal with. 

The Tatsu Omakase menu is available daily for lunch and dinner, priced from RM688+. For reservations and enquiries, contact +603 2783 6000 or electronic mail [email protected].

---

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

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

Call: +603 2783 6000

Web site | Facebook | Instagram

Uncover much more foods assessments in this article.