[Kuala Lumpur] Sushi Qubey @ Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur

Saw that this restaurant offers omakase and I have not tried one before, so why not? Made reservation for 12pm slot for the MYR188++ lunch omakase. A deposit of MYR100 was required when confirming the reservation.

entrance

I was there like 5 mins earlier and staff informed that one needs to wait till the appointed time to be seated.

staring at sake bottles to pass time

Seemed like no one arrives on time for omakase? It was a whole 10 mins of awkwardness as the Chefs saw that I was the only attendee who had arrived for the 12pm slot and our small talk only lasted for about 2 mins before they decided to leave me alone and go about their prepping work.

first person view

gari was set ahead of lunch

sauce glaze for the sushi

various toppings for the nigiri

Was a tad surprised that no complimentary green tea was offered at the establishment. Ordered the Kojimaya Untitled #01 sake to try. The 'Untitled' is the brewery's way of expressing going beyond the concept of categories.

Kojimaya Untitled #01 (per 100ml carafe) - MYR50++

Taste profile of the sake was light and crisp with rounded sweetness.

My omakase session started at about 10 mins past 12pm. 

Asked Chef if he mind people taking photos, and he said go-ahead and that they are used to it.

Lunch Omakase

Appetiser

appetiser - fried fish with corriander sauce, crab meat with spinach and ikura

The spinach was lightly blanched and hence, the flavour was subtle for the first dish in the appetiser.

fried fish with corriander sauce

The fragrance from the fried fish was captivating and the green sauce had a mild hint of spice. 

Sashimi

kanpachi, ika and toro (added MYR30++ for a piece of toro)

Thus far, my experience with ika sashimi outside of Japan has not been great and likewise, the version here did not dispel that notion. I loved kanpachi and this met the expectation and it was a good choice to top-up for toro. Chef slightly aburi'ed the toro and hence, I could savor the lovely oily fragrance from the fish.

Chawanmushi

with truffle and cheese

Oh my, first impression of the chawanmushi was "Why is it so big?" Ok, I was amused alone as the rest of the dining companions were still at their appetiser/sashimi course.

This dish came in the biggest container that I have ever seen for a chawanmushi! Impressed and there's this naggy feeling that I'd be full by the end of course #3.

cheese pull~

Served piping hot, so it naturally one needs to slow down even for fast eaters. The truffle was not overpowering and I was surprised, that cheese works in chawanmushi too.

Nigiri

Chef Danson preparing the 1st nigiri

seabream with plum sauce

Had accidentally smeared almost half the plum sauce onto my fingers so am not sure if that was the reason why the 1st piece was just clean tasting.

Aji (spanish mackerel)

pretty looking akami with caviar

Actually, I had no idea how many pieces of nigiri would the Chef be serving. He didn't mention, and I didn't ask and menu did not state. Haha!

I was also wondering if one was supposed to take the sushi plate from the counter or just the sushi piece but seemed like the service staff would be hovering nearby and will assist to take the plate placed at the counter by the Chef and places it in-front of the diner. 

next piece, aburi in-progress

aburi saba with ginger flower

I can safely conclude, that I liked the aburi'ed version of the sushi more than non-torched version. And, I overheard the couple next to me requesting Chef to aburi all the nigiri in the set for her companion as he doesn't eat raw fish.

hotate with ikura and cream cheese

The junior Chef was helping Chef Danson to torch something else while he was prepping for the others. I was wondering whose dish was that for, and it turned out, it was for the finale handroll. 

Handroll

Engawa Handroll

Of course, the handroll was handed directly to the guest, with which I accepted with thanks.

delicious handroll

Ok, now I understand why so many raved about engawa handrolls. It was simply delicious with the oily mouthfeel and the slightly torched fragrance. And to have two pieces of engawa in the roll, was indeed luxurious.

Soup

red miso soup

The red miso soup helped to cut away any greasy feels from the previous courses. 

Dessert

goma ice-cream with blueberry

I was feeling rather full while trying to finish the miso soup. Black sesame ice-cream was just the right remedy to end of the meal.

Service was good at this establishment. Chef Danson explained all the dishes served and he was happy to respond to any queries that the guest might have. Service staff was also pro-active in clearing away empty plates.

Sushi Qubey

Address: Jln Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Website: http://sushiqubey.com/

Business Hours:

Closed on Mon.

Tue - Sun: 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm

Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2 (Rooftop)

Made reservation and was surprised to receive a whatsapp notification, complete with screenshots on how to find the restaurant when you're at Oxley Hub 2. Nice.

I followed the instructions and managed to find the restaurant easily. 

entrance

let's browse the menu

The place looks cosy but the vibes coming from the staff was rather nonchalant.

interior

sip sip

mini chalkboard menu

we need food

We ordered a bunch of things, and I got myself an Asahi Black. This drink was smooth and malty, and a tinge of savoury akin to soy sauce.

Asahi Black @$11

Water is chargeable at 50cents per head and refillable.

Sashimi Moriawase 7 Kinds @$78

When we order, we enquired from the staff on which type of seafood/fish would be in the assorted sashimi platter. She said that it would depend on what the Chef wants the diners to have on that day itself. There were salmon belly, scallops, abalone, sea urchin, hamachi, white fish (maybe tai), kajiki and  lightly vinegared mackerel. Thank you Chef for indulging us with some premium selection in there!

admiring the  beautiful platter

best pairing for sashimi

I always liked to try tamagoyaki from the various Japanese restaurants and here is no exception. The version here is the typical sweeter version.

Tamagoyaki @$10

Tori Karaage @$13

Of course, there'll be fried food in the mix and tori karaage it is! Flavourful and enjoyable with the cold beer. Not the best but still decent.

Oden Moriawase @$19

The oden version at Tora Tora Tora was more similar to local yong tau foo because of its many pieces that tasted similar to fish cake, there was meatball and tofu puffs in there as well. Unfortunately, the daikon was not as soft as I'd like. Broth was nice and flavourful but temperature was not that hot.

Surume Ika @$23

The grilled squid looked kinda photogenic, don't you think? Hahaa. The texture was nice and tender but not too soft. Sauce was leaning on the sweet side.

Tontoro @$28

The cubed tontoro was nicely grilled with a slight crisp edges. Firm and gives a nice chew. Tasted of natural flavours and I liked it without the sauce.

Hokkaido White Corn @$12

The Hokkaido White Corn was lightly salted and grilled. Not as juicy as one might thought it would be, but it was definitely sweet! Dip it into the wasabi mayo sauce from another dish and it was nicely creamy and sweet.

Niku Udon @$18

Niku udon for the birthday boy and it has an onsen egg in it too. Pretty apt to order this. Of course, we stole some bites from his bowl. Hahaha!

Hamachi Kama @$23

My favourite dish for the night, is the grilled yellowtail collar (hamachi kama). Smallish in size but has plenty of white cottony soft flesh. Nicely salted too.

Wagyu Fried Rice @$30

The wagyu fried rice was recommended by the staff when we enquired whether the seafood fried rice or wagyu fried rice was more popular. The plate of the fried rice was about maybe 2 pax portion and the beef was tiny but adequately scattered throughout the rice. Strong flavours but I think I'd go for the regular fried rice for another taste test next time.

It was nice to be able to try a good variety of dishes here with the help of the legendary group. Here's wishing Ivan, a Happy Birthday!

Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2

Address: 62 Ubi Rd 1, #11-19, Singapore 408734

Website: https://www.toratoratora.sg/

Contact: 98529148

Business Hours:

Daily: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 6 PM–1 AM

千両 sen-ryo @ ION Orchard

Located at Level 3 of ION Orchard, this was my first time to this restaurant. Thank you Kris for making the reservation.

The restaurant gave off a slightly grand vibe with its dark themed decor. Greeted at the entrance and was brought to our table after waiting for a few minutes as the staff was also attending to walk-ins.

menu

Opted for the Oyako Don Set and the Premium Bento Set to share.

Oyako Don Set 親子丼セット

Oyako Don Set @$16.80++

Was amused by the Oyako Don Set where the egg and chicken were served separately from the rice.

Nevertheless, the set came with side dishes such as pickles, seaweed, miso soup (these 3 components are also served for the Premium Bento set) and chawan mushi.

closer view of the egg and chicken

smooth steamed egg with a piece of firm prawn

loved these pickles

yummy seaweed salad

Premium Bento Set プレミアム弁当セット

Premium Bento Set @$25.80++

The Premium Bento Set has mini barachirashi don, tempura (1 prawn, 1 thin sliced pumpkin), braised beef, saba, cream croquette, tamagoyaki, ebi maki and warabi mochi. Served with side dishes of pickles, seaweed and miso soup.

braised beef

The braised beef tasted sweet savoury similar to those in gyudon (ぎゅ丼). 

mini bara chirashi don ミニばらちらし丼

One has to request for wasabi separately as it wasn't provided within the bento for the mini bara chirashi.

tempura ebi and pumpkin

cream croquette

I do like the cream croquette. Well fried and tasty. The prawn tempura was of a good size.

ebi maki, tamagoyaki and warabi mochi

The staff almost took away the bento when I haven't had the dessert on the tray. Probably the warabi mochi square was too small to be noticeable. Hahaa.

The place is popular during lunch hour. The ambiance was definitely nice while service was mainly perfunctory. Food was decent and price, considered pretty reasonable at this part of town.

Thank you Kris for the treat!

千両 sen-ryo 

Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #03 - 17/18, Singapore 238801

Website: https://inline.app/booking/-MQjry-X9jTsm5p4QyFA:inline-live-2/-MQjry8em01tWBhLQSga

Contact: +6569746782

Business Hours:

Daily: 11 AM–10 PM