Best Restaurant To Eat - Malaysian Food Blog: Kampachi Japanese Restaurant @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur – Best Japanese Restaurant

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Kampachi Japanese Restaurant @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur – Best Japanese Restaurant – All Kansai Festival Review

Kampachi Japanese Restaurant is a renowned Japanese Fine Dining Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur for over 4 decades. It is the oldest Japanese Restaurant in Malaysia having started in Equatorial Hotel in the early seventies.

I recalled those days, that there are not many Japanese Restaurant serving really fresh sashimi. It was a certain day of the week, the restaurant have their freshly delivered seafood from Japan and that was the day we would go to sample these freshly imported fresh delicacy.

These days, we were told, that there are at least 3 deliveries per week of fresh produce that Kampachi receives directly from the famous Tsukiji Market and from Osaka. No wonder, we can see a large crowd during our special pre-launch Kansai food review session at it’s newly refurnished Kampachi @Pavilion (voted the Best Japanese Restaurant By Time Out Kuala Lumpur for 3 consecutive year from 2011) located at Lot 6.09.00 Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Kampachi Restaurants in collaboration with All Kansai Food Promotion Committee and The Kansai Food Export Promotion Cooperative to bring a special culinary promotion featuring the finest autumn ingredients from Kansai region. Kansai is also known as the “Food Mecca Of Japan” with an abundance of food resources from the mountains, seas, rivers and lakes.

Through out the next 2 weeks i.e. from 19^th Sept – 1^st October 2014 , a special selection of a la carte dishes are curate by Kampachi’s Executive Chef Koji Tamaru and its team to showcase the purity of Kansai cuisine using the freshest seasonal and the natural taste of the ingredients.

Guest can expect to enjoy some exquisite gourmet seafood such as the Kamasu (Japanese Barracuda), Akamutsu (Japanese Ruby Snapper), Tennen Hamachi (Wild Yeallowtail) and Sayori (Japanese Halfbeak).

Fresh seasonal Kansai ingredients will also include the Muraski Zukin (Black Soybean), two different variety of Japanese Mustard Greens (Mibuna and Mizuna) and Fushimi Amanaga Togarashi (Sweet Green Peppers).

Prepared in a multitude of ways, these simple ingredients will be elevated to an artisan level by Chef Koji Tamaru and his team. The “All Kansai Festival” a la carte menu will only be available at Kampachi’s three stand-alone restaurants i.e. Troika, Plaza 33, Petaling Jaya and Johor Premium Outlets.

On 27^th and 28^th September from 3.00 to 5.00 pm, there is a special hands-on dessert master class at RM 100.00 ++ per person, where you learn 3 sweet delights using Japanese maccha alongside Kampachi’s expert Japanese chefs. The 3 desserts are Maccha Mousse, Maccha Cake and Maccha Dorayaki using the Kyoto’s finest green tea.

Participants are able to taste and take home the day’s creations at the end of each session in addition to receiving a complimentary recipe collection and a masterclass certificate.

We had the opportunity to have this hand’s off experience to make our own Maccha Mousse. It was truly a great experience to be tutored and guided to make this sweet tasting dessert.

This was the menu, that we had for this Pre-launch menu of the “All Kansai Festival”.

Our first dish for the food review started off with KYO MIZUNA SALAD – which consists of Kyoto Mustard Green Salad with Crispy Anchovies, Raw Onion Rings with Wasabi Dressings.

We were really surprised at the crisp green mustard that was air flown in. Coupled with the Wasabi dressing, it was a very good pairing to the fresh salad and the crunchy anchovies.

Our second dish was the FUSHIMI AMANAGA TOGARASHI – It is grilled marinated sweet Green Peppers with Special Sauce. This is actually the most spicy green peppers for the Japanese but to most Malaysian that have been accustomed to our Chilli Padi, this is just plain peanuts, there is just a little tinge of that chilli oomph.

It was quite a feat to be eating a chilli like that.

Next, we had the awesome TENNEN HAMACHI SASHIMI – which is slices of Raw Wild Yellowtail. I just love sashimi but this has to be one of the best that I had eaten so far, as you can really taste the smooth texture of the fish and it’s freshest with every bite.

Coupled with the in-house soya sauce and wasabi mix, no words can describe this special taste.

Finally, we had the KAMASU SHIOYAKI, which is Grilled Japanese Barracuda with Salt. With every chop-stick full of the wonderful white fish meat, you could really taste the natural fish flavours.

For me, the dip of the white fish meat into the in-house soya sauce with wasabi, was just the perfect link to satisfy my taste buds.

To pair off the evening fabulous food, we were offered the Kuwabara Shuzo Sake which came from Nakashima and we were told that no matter how much you drink, you won't get a hangover next the day, as they use the highest and finest quality of malted rice and water to brew this smooth sake.

We were offered the 2 serving style of the sake, which is the cold sake thru a special sake dispenser and

the normal hot sake, in a sake jug and a special sake cup.

As, you would have guessed it, for desserts, we had the MACCHA MOUSSE, which yours truly had made it before we started our dinner, as the desserts needed to be chilled before being served.

We had the final touch, to put in the décor to our MACCHA MOUSSE, which has smashed red beans, a piece of Japanese Glutinous rice and some gold leaf to top it all up.