Kuala Lumpur Eats - Hajime

Hajime Japanese Restaurant off Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful restaurant set in a bungalow - projecting a sea of calm the moment you step into its compounds. The food here is mostly izakaya style - Japanese tapas... some old favourites (think sashimi and tempura) and some with subtle twists (think wagyu fillet with grated fresh wasabi).

Everything here is done well, beautifully presented and the service personable. Food here is on the pricier side but you do pay for the quality and freshness of the ingredients which are perfectly cooked (or sliced in the case of the sashimi).

All in all, Hajime offers a feast for the tastebuds as well as the senses with the presentation of its dishes and its ambience. Worth a visit.

South Korea Part 2: Seoul Searching

Seoul intrigues me. The capital of South Korea is a constantly a case of extremes... tradition and fierce patriotism trying to remain relevant in a modern society thriving on capitalism and a fascination for the West. An urban sprawl of skyscrapers sprouting amongst the fertile crop of century old buildings. Impossibly expensive high end shopping proving just as popular as underground markets selling knock offs of their counterparts. And so it is with the food.




During my two days there - I was able to sample the most amazing and affordable street food which koreans simply adore - dok bokki (spicy korean rice cakes) and odeng (korean fish cakes) were just some examples of the widely available morsels, particularly at nightfall when the streets really come alive. We also had bi bim bap - probably the most popular korean dish outside of korea. But the mixed rice in a sizzling earthenware pot with the most colourful of vegetables topped with a raw egg was unlike any that I've tasted prior to this visit. The delicate balance and unique taste and textures of the assortment of vegetables and kim chee are quite a contrast to the often uniform, sweet tasting versions that you get outside of Korea.

On the other extreme, we also had the pleasure of the most decadent (and expensive of meals), courtesy of our extremely generous hosts. This was a once in a lifetime experience - a 10 course meal of the finest seafood you'll probably be able to get (some say even better) outside of Japan. From the sweetest lobster sashimi, to US$10 a serve of ottoro maki sushi. Run by an ex-trawler (pictured above) who is infectiously passionate about his craft, we are patiently told about how to appreciate each dish and its origins. The climax of the meal however was a sight to behold - the most incredibly marbled sashimi platter of the best tuna you will probably ever taste. Arranged in sections on the platter to represent the various parts of the fish, each mouthful was just pure bliss with the delightfully oily fish melting in your mouth with a touch of freshly grated wasabi root. Awesome.

And so - my two days in Seoul was without a doubt a sensory overload - the constant rush of extremes in this intriguing city was in itself a direct contrast to the quiet and simple experience in Jeju-do just 48 hours before... but that is exactly what makes South Korea an unforgettable destination.

A Hidden gem

We stopped by Keppel Country Club (10 Bukit Chermin Road) for a game of tennis the other night and decided to have dinner at one of the many restaurants there since it was starting to rain fairly heavily. Now I've never been fond of going to restaurants in Country Clubs... maybe because I have a perception that these restaurants cater to club members and face little competition compared to restaurants located in areas filled with eateries.

But I stood corrected on this night. We decided to check out Kome, the new Japanese restaurant in the club. The restaurant is open to the public but members get a 5% discount and have the 10% service charge waived. Bento lovers be warned - unlike many Japanese restaurants in Singapore, Kome only serves bento sets at lunchtime - dinner here is strictly an ala carte affair. Our table ordered a few dishes to sample given that it was our first visit.

The grilled hamachi cheek was perfectly grilled with sea salt, the firm fleshed fish still moist and packed full of flavour. We also tasted the pacific saury done in the same way - a much sweeter tasting fish than the hamachi, it was delicious.

The grilled cod, chawanmushi and the house specialty - garlic fried rice served in bamboo bowls, were ordered as sides. Each was very well executed and hard to fault.

What stood out for me however is the quality of the sashimi here. The Chirashi-don, an assortment of raw fish on sushi rice was heavenly. Kome uses a much thicker cut of fish and the selection was very generous. Most importantly - the sashimi here is very fresh and was pretty as a picture when it arrived - a testament to the executive chef, Tony Young's, experience from having trained and worked in Japan for many years.

We finished the meal very happy - Kome is a very competent Japanese restaurant with its sashimi being the star attraction for me here... however it wasn't as busy as I would have thought it would be on a Saturday night. Perhaps there are many out there like me that think less of restaurants located in country clubs - but for its sake I hope that, they too, will learn not a judge a restaurant by its location.