COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Where does one go when the cravings for a kaiseki meal hit?
One of the more established Japanese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur which is well-known for its exquisite kaiseki cuisine is Ishin. Located along the busy Old Klang Road in a building by itself, Ishin exudes a cosy classy feel with its chic interior decor. The oval-shaped sushi counter takes centre-stage – a perfect perch to see the chefs deftly at work.
One wall is decked from ceiling-to-floor with racks of sake of every size, shape and brand. Private tatami rooms are available on the upper level.
A platter of appetisers appeared to kick-off our meal. On the long plate, there were these delightful morsels of Pan-fried Duck Liver with citrus sauce, Smoked Duck Breast salad with truffle dressing and crunchy Deep-fried Sweet Potatoes.
I savoured every single bite of everything there, lingering over the decadent velvety duck liver, the aromatic duck breast and the sweet crunch from the paper-thin sweet potatoes.
I have never had bluefin cooked in a soup before. Here at Ishin, the chefs were adept at double-boiling it and serving the soup piping hot. The Bluefin Soup was a rare treat indeed.
Bluefin Soup
The two precious chunks of umami gelatinous bluefin were just superb, the taste and texture really incomparable. The soup was sweet and clear with a hint of earthiness from the mushroom.
To ensure that the sashimi was 100% fresh, my sashimi was served on ice – on an igloo, no less! The carved ice provided a totally cold environment for the sashimi so the Akaza prawns, maguro and shima aji (striped jack) were perfectly fresh, sweet and succulent.
Sashimi
Next came the Kagoshima Beef. The almost-translucent slices (thanks to the awesome marbling) were stone-grilled at table side and I was cautioned not to overcook them. They just needed to be grilled less than a minute on each side and they practically melted in the mouth.
Kagoshima Beef
To round up my kaiseki meal, I had a bowl of Seared Otoro (tuna belly) and Uni (sea urchin) Don. Life couldn’t get any better than otoro and uni, and I had both on my bowl!
For dessert, I had the sweetest musk melon, persimmon and Kyushu grapes, all flown in from Japan, of course.
If there’s a special occasion for celebration and if a kaiseki meal is your cup of tea, why not indulge on a Kaiseki experience in Ishin?
Besides kaiseki meals, Ishin does serve daily set lunches too at very reasonable with prices.
ISHIN
202 Persiaran Klang, Batu 3 3/4
Off Jalan Klang Lama
58000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7980-8228
Business hours:
Lunch: 12pm-3pm
Dinner: 6pm-1am
*Pork-free
Chris Wan also blogs at Pure Glutton.
