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

When chatting about omakase dining, what normally arrives to mind is normally a series of sashimi and nigiri sushi. Potentially even a rice dish, a couple of grilled items, or an assortment of tempura. At Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur’s Tatsu Japanese Delicacies, nonetheless, I found that factors are really distinctive.

Helmed by Head Chef Tommy Kuan Shortly Seng, the 147-seater restaurant features a daring, modern day solution to Japanese cuisine that demonstrates the chef’s adventurous cooking design and style. Armed with extra than two a long time of culinary encounter, Chef Tommy has formerly honed his knife expertise performing in the kitchens of Nadaman Japanese Restaurant, Iketeru Japanese Restaurant and Benkay Japanese Cafe just before joining Tatsu in 2015.

You’ll get that feeling of modern day Japanese eating the moment you phase into the cafe on the initially floor of the hotel. Dim timber furnishings pay back homage to a regular Japanese environment, contrasted from modern seats adorned with floral pillows and delicate azure accents all-around the airy area. There’s also an personal sushi counter as properly as a private sake bar for those who desire additional privacy even though dining listed here.

In genuine omakase fashion, I remaining the menu totally up to Chef Tommy for the duration of my pay a visit to to savour his interpretations of the best substances he experienced to offer. Examine on for an inkling of what to hope from the 6-course omakase knowledge at Tatsu Japanese Delicacies.

My dinner kicked off with an appetiser of ebi senbei (shrimp crackers) served with Australian caviar and tobiko sauce. This promptly struck me as one thing opposite to the variety of omakase eating I’m used to, which saved me intrigued in the course of the food. On its very own, the caviar leaned on the saltier aspect but when eaten with each other with the ebi, the purely natural sweetness of the prawn balanced the flavours out.

Next was a additional acquainted sashimi platter, comprising tai (sea bream), botan ebi (shrimp), and kampachi (amberjack). All a few seafood dishes tasted as fresh new as you’d count on, presented that the restaurant on a regular basis imports its components straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji sector. The botan ebi was my favorite of the trio, presenting sweet, clear flavours and a good agency texture.

The third study course came as an intriguing shock due to the fact I had in no way experimented with goose barnacles (at times known as ‘turtle hand’) prior to. Served with abalone in a heat bowl of hamaguri suimono (distinct clam soup), the intimidating crustacean actually tasted very similar to comfortable-shell clams. The broth was imbued with solid flavours of the sea many thanks to its contents, but the gentle, crystal clear regularity designed it relaxing to sip on in involving the morsels of seafood.

Just before transferring on to the subsequent class, I was served a generous bowl of chawanmushi, which will come complimentary with every omakase meal at Tatsu. And by generous, I signify it was the biggest serving of the egg custard dish that I have at any time experienced in my daily life. Made with mushrooms, gingko, fish, prawns, and hen, this dish proved a comforting intermission from all the seafood flavours.

Up up coming was one more unexpected grilled tsubayaki dish, served with apparent 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 proper. The flesh tasted new and mildly sweet, with a company, chewy texture. On the other hand, the broth made available strong, onion-like aromas of leek that paired properly with the molusc.

The key training course arrived in the sort of a grilled oni kasago fish, a seasonal catch throughout summer season in Japan. To my surprise, the part could very easily feed two or a few persons. Chef Tommy explained that the fish is simmered in in a sauce produced of sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce—also recognized as sakana no nitsuke in Japanese. The final result was a combination of sweet and umami nuances that finished the savoury section of the meal 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 as well sweet or chewy—just the way I like it). Total, Tatsu Japanese Cuisine’s model of omakase is not for those people who desire common classic Japanese delicacies (you can order all those off the a la carte menu alternatively) but if you like surprises, you’re in for a treat. 

The Tatsu Omakase menu is accessible day by day for lunch and evening meal, priced from RM688+. For reservations and enquiries, contact +603 2783 6000 or electronic mail [email protected].

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

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

Contact: +603 2783 6000

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