Sasagawa Authentic Japanese Restaurant - Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur - Omakase Set Course Review

Japanese cuisine has always been a number one favorite food for yours truly. +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to Sasagawa Authentic Japanese Restaurant located at Level 2 Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250 Kuala Lumpur.

Sasagawa Authentic Japanese Restaurant offers a modernist Japanese setting restaurant which is elegantly decorated to welcome us for an authentic Japanese dining experience.

Sasagawa Japanese Restaurant offers the highest-quality of traditional and gourmet ingredient for the customer to savour the original taste, colours and texture of each of the dishes.

Our review is on the HANA Course Menu which is a "Kaiseki" meal priced at RM 350.00.  The course set which is a typically Kaiseki meal consists of Appetiser, Sashimi, Simmered Dish, Main Dish, Deep Fried Dish, Rice with soup and Dessert. A Kaiseki menus typically consist of between 7 to 14 courses.

Our Hana Course set started with a simple and light appetizer; which consist of Fruit Tomato which is a seasonal fruit tomato from Kochi Prefecture served on a bed of ice, a Nanbanzuke Fish Cutlet served with Kikka flower & loofah marinated with vinegar and egg tofu which is topped with salmon egg, golden powder, radish and a tinge of wasabi.

Next on is the Ocean Fresh Platter Omakase Sashimi (Otsukuri) Set of Chef Sasagawa's daily special of 4 selection of freshly air-flown fish for the day. Our Omakase Sashimi set was a combination of Maguro (Tuna), Chutoro (Tuna belly), Shimaaji (Striped Jack) and Salmon Aburi. It was indeed a special premium selection as freshness of the fish really shone on its own.

Next is the Grilled Dish (Yakimono) which was the Kuroge Waygu Steak - the tender and soft steak was char grilled to perfection while the meat was medium done, extracting out the full flavour of the of these premium wagyu beef steak.  The beef steak is served with grilled vegetables like zucchini, red & yellow peppers, mushroom and lotus root to complement the succulent and juicy beef.

After that is the Pot Stew (Nimono) - A Nimono is a dish made by boiling, simmering or stewing vegetable and meat or seafood, often in a mixture of soya sauce, sweet cooking sake and sugar; here the Chef uses the Kujo green onion based stewed for our Nimono; which has an extra sweet taste with a strong aroma and flavour of these premium onion. The fresh ingredient on our Nimono were the flamed Pike Conger, Sea Bass, Octopus together with Mizuna, rolled Chinese cabbage, Maitake mushroom and lime.

After that we had the special Steamed Dish (Mushimono). Our steamed dish is the Chawanmushi which was specially crafted to use, Goma (Sesame) Tofu together with the silky smooth egg custard and topped with thinly sliced winter melon and wolfberries, leaving you with a blend of different texture and taste to a plain Chawanmushi.

As for the tempura dish, we were in for a real surprised which is the Deep Fried Dish (Agemono) Tempura; the tempura is a wrap of soba sushi with seaweed, unagi, potatoes which is dipped in a special tempura batter and then fried. It is then served with the stock sauce mixed with Glazed Daikon Raddish; thereby giving you a texture of soft on the bottom and crisp on the top. According to the Chef; in the older days of Japan, tempura was served in this style and as time progresses and the popularity of tempura (as we see in most Japanese restaurant now) as just fried with tempura batter and the sauce are separately served.

For the rice dish, we were served Shokuji (Rice); the rice are cooked in small pot and topped with Salmon, Salmon Egg, Burdock and Shiso Leaf. A filling dish to end the night which was accompanied by Miso Soup and Arima-Ni pickles.

Our desserts is a light dessert that makes up the final course. Sasagawa serves 4 choices of ice cream which range from the tangy Yuzu Sorbet, Matcha Ice Cream, Black Sesame Ice cream and last but not least, the Yukimi Daifuku. We loved the Yukimi Daifuku which is a vanilla ice cream wrap in a thin layer of mochi skin; much like a snow skin with ice -cream. Simply delicious end to our hearty meal.

It was an indeed experience to savour this fine dining Hana Course Set from Sasagawa Japanese Authentic Restaurant which offers a procession of elegantly authentic Japanese dishes using the best seasonal ingredients. To enjoy this culinary delight; be prepared to expect the unexpected as the dishes in this Hana Course will be Omakase style.

De Hunan Hot Pot Fahrenheit 88 Bukit Bintang - A Hot and Spicy Affair With Hunan Homey Specialty Cuisine

There are a lot of food from China coming into the Malaysian market. You really do not need to spend so much to travel to these places to enjoy these authentic dishes. +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to savour some of the specialty dishes from Hunan i.e. De Hunan Hot Pot located at Lot 2.05, Level 2 Fahrenheit 88, No 179, Jalan Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur

Hunan cuisine, also known as Xiang cuisine, It is one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine and is well known for its hot spicy flavour, fresh aroma and deep colour which accentuates all your senses.

De Hunan Hot Pot has been in Malaysia for the past eight years and this newly open outlet in Fahrenheit 88 is catered for customer from the Kuala Lumpur Central Business and Shopping District. 

The setting is one that is very modern and comfortable to have a spicy meal and we particularly love the dining area by the window which overlooks the bustling Bukit Bintang street below.

To start off our Hunan gastronomy journey, we were first served with 4 Hunan Specialty appetizer; the first of which is cool pickled cucumber, 

the pickled seaweed, 

Bean Curd Skin

and pickled pig ears.

For the main dishes, we had the Hunan Hot Pot, we were served with 2 flavour pot; the first was the Fish Head Soup - the fish head used for the soup is the Ling fish (Small Pot - RM 15 (per pax) , Big Pot - RM 40 for 4 pax). Although it looks milky it has added a special Hunan Cili (yellow chilli) to cook this broth; in which it makes it a very spicy soup based. 

For the hot pot you can order the ingredients that you i.e. ala-carte style which ranges from fresh seafood, fishball, meatball, corn, slice cut meat of beef,  slice cut of pork belly, vegetables  and so forth,

The second soup based was the Duck Soup (Small Pot - RM 15 (per pax) , Big Pot - RM 40 for 4 pax). This soup broth was cooked with the duck meat, chilli, herbs, star anise, mandarin peel and spices that made this hot pot filled with a strong aroma and flavour. 

and then we moved on to Specialty dishes which the first is the Hunan Farmer Style Fried Pork (RM 22). This dish is literally filled with a special green chilli - it looks extremely spicy but once you eat it, it is not really that spicy. the green chilli was very crunchy.

Next is the Spicy Skewered Prawns in Hunan Style (RM 33). The prawns are first pre-fried to a crisp texture and then topped with a special chef sauce made by blending fermented black bean paste, dried chilies, sesame seed, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Loves the texture and the taste.

Next is a very plain looking comfort food of the Fried Homemade Beancurd with Salted Egg (RM 18). This is a chef specialty where the salted eggs are first melted and then followed by the Tau Foo and pan fried until you get this texture. The plain taufoo are fully coated with the salted eggs to give you a smooth and sandy texture to this dish. Really yummy eaten with steam white rice.

This next dish is a very popular Hunan dish called the Uncle Mao Special Braised Pork (RM 30). This is one of the favourite dish of Chairman Mao ZeDong. This pork is a five layer Pork Belly. We usually does not eat much white rice during review but this dish is an exception.

Next is the Sizzling Skewered Lamb (RM 28).

This dish above is the Deep Fried Spicy Chicken with Dried Chili (RM 30); looks awesomely spicy from the amount of dried chillies served. Although it was spicy but we just can't stop eating the pieces of chicken one after another and another. With the topping of sesame seeds, it adds an additional flavour to the dish. A cold beer would be best to slowly munch on the chicken as a snack.

This is another signature dish of DeHunan Hot Pot which is Hunan Yuen & Yang Steamed Fish Head - Ling (RM 60). Although the fish was very nice but the spicy level was a notch too high for us to slurp in the noodles and the fish head. Advice for this dish if you really want to try it; is to ask the chef to tone down on the spicy level.

Another dish that spring surprise to us is this plain looking Stir Fried Beijing Cabbage (RM 20). This dish has to be eaten while it is still hot as you can taste the crunch of the cabbage. Once it becomes cold, it will lose the crunchiness. According to the chef, the cabbage are hand pluck and the stem are removed for each pieces of the cabbage.

For desserts, we had 2 of the Hunan Specialty dessert; which is Potato Pancake (RM 10 for 4 pcs). The potatoes are mashed to a fine texture and coated with a special batter to be fried and served with condense milk. 

The last dish is the Golden Sweet Potatoes with Honey (RM 22). This is a special dessert in which the coated sweet potatoes are cooked with caramelized sugar and when brought to the table; is then simmered in cold water and you practically get a frozen crystal of sugar coating the fried sweet potatoes. A unique dessert indeed,

One thing about Hunan food, although it is a little torturing to our mouth due to the intensity of the spiciness level, you nevertheless can't really stop yourself for going for another spoonful and still want to go for another. It is that addictive. We really did enjoy this special Hot review.

2015 MIGF - Malaysia International Gourmet Festival Launch - Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur

The food events of the year is back. The MIGF - Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, the main theme for 2015 MIGF is Galactic Chefs! 2015: A Food Odyssey. +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to this special launch at Lower Ground Concourse, Berjaya Times Square on 14th August 2015.

This year, all the Master Chef from participating restaurant becomes Inter Galactics Warrior arriving from Earth to Epicure planet to spread the food culture of the earth.

Mission captain is non other than Dato’ Steve Day, MIGF Organising Chairman that emerged from the space ship followed by all the 25 chefs that took to the stage as a stylish video compilation played overhead, introducing each and every one of them to the applause and cheers from the audience.

“Every year, MIGF is powered by the sheer camaraderie, fun and fellowship of these amazing and talented chefs,” said Dato’ Steve, who also thanked festival partners and committee members in his welcome address. 

Dato Steve and the Master Chefs were joined on stage by Festival Sponsors including Fifty Six Degrees Managing Director, Kristine Goh and Assistant Director, Tourism Services Division for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Danendran Sugumar for a quick photo session.

Then the Master Chefs took to their respective stations for the customary tour of Festival dishes. VIPs and Guest of Honour, Tunku Dara Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah Tuanku Ja'afar surveyed the fare on display with salivating delight, while the chefs happily chatted with them and answered questions for the media.

Taste MIGF – The Preview Event for the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival

Taste MIGF will allow tourists and locals alike to sample food from all the festival restaurants as they gather together under one roof in a specially designed Theatre of Cuisines. This year, the two-day food tasting extravaganza that serves as a prelude to the festival will be held for the first time at Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur from 11am to 10pm on Saturday the 5th and Sunday 6th September 2015. 

It is open to the public and all you need to participate are Gourmet Dollars – the official currency at Taste MIGF – to go on a Super Gourmet Safari and taste sampling portions of the most exquisite cooking Malaysia’s finest have to offer. Additionally, the general public will also be able to get a preview of things to come at Taste MIGF which will take place at Berjaya Times Square. 

But that’s not all. At Taste MIGF, you can also expect to experience cooking classes from the Festival Master Chefs, wine appreciation courses and Epicure Lifestyle Workshops on a variety of topics. Meanwhile, the Epicure Gourmet Village offers a showcase of premium products and gourmet delicacies, from artisan chocolates to state-of-the-art kitchen machines. So what are you waiting for! Join us in this year’s food odyssey and start purchasing your Gourmet Dollars at www.tastemigf.com

See you at MIGF 2015.

Grand Harbour Restaurant Fahrenheit 88 - Bukit Bintang - 2015 Mid Autumn Moon Cake Review

Mid autumn festival is round the corner, with that Best Restaurant To Eat was invited to a special moon cake review at Grand Harbour Restaurant located at Lot LG2-01 (01) & LG2-01 (02), Lower Ground Two, Fahrenheit 88, 179, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Grand Harbour Restaurant is famous for its wide variety of Cantonese Cuisine and Dim Sum offering. Its décor is one of a modern Chinese setting with Open Kitchen concept.

We started the review with a signature soup which is the Double Steamed “Tian Ma” Fish Head Soup (RM16.00). The soup was very tasty and full of fish extract flavour with a strong herbal taste. 

Next we had the Stirred Sour, Sweet, Bitter and Spicy Vegetable (RM18.50 Small - RM33.80 Medium). This is a very special dish as the “Four Flavours of Life’ comes into this dish. The crunchy Bitter Gourds (Bitter), with salted mustard (salty), Stem of “Choy Sum” (sweet) and Cili Padi (Spicy) were very complementary to the overall taste of this dish.

After that, we had the Stewed “Kampung” Chicken with Chinese Wine (RM33.80 - Small, RM65.80 Medium) ; with the use of the Black Fungus and Foo Chok that soak up the sauce; this is a wonderful dish and best eaten with white rice. The sauce which is also infused with the sesame oil was slurped up to the last drop.

After that, we had the Fried Yee Mee with Assorted Mushroom & Truffle Oil (RM19.80 - Small). Upon setting the dish on the table; it looks very plain and simple. But after taking the first spoonful, you can taste the strong aroma of mushroom which was blended into each strain of the noodles.

The signature dish of the night has to be the Fried Glutinous Rice With Crab (RM85.80) – If you are game for this dish, you have to pre-ordered it as the imported crabs are very seasonal. Normally at other restaurant, this dish will use pork sausage to cook, but the use of this fresh crab adds a new dimension of taste and flavours to this rice dish.

Another specialty of Grand Harbour Restaurant @Fahrenheit 88 has to be the Roast Pork. We had it with a Braised Chicken combination. The Roast Pork was barbeque with a balance roasting that keep the meat still moist while the outer layer is a little charred.

For dessert, we had the moon cake; the first of which is the Sakura Chrysanthemum (RM18.80 per pc), it has a very strong Chrysanthemum flavour with a thin layer of crust. The sweetness level was at the right balance. Eaten with a nice cup of premium Chinese tea, it will bring out the full flavour of this moon cake.

The next one is the Shanghai Single Yolk Moon Cake (RM17.80 per pc), which has a special Shanghainese flaky crust with Grand Harbour Lotus paste and a single salted egg yolk.

Followed by Black Sesame with White Lotus (RM18.80 per pc) ; has a strong aroma of the black sesame.

and lastly the Snow Skin With Yam Paste (RM16.80 per pc);

Grand Harbour Restaurant is currently offering a very nice gift box of Moon Cake (which comes in 4 special premium flavour ie. Sakura Chrysanthemum, White Lotus Double Egg Yolk, Fruit Nut Mixture and White Lotus Paste) at RM128.00 ++.

For Hong Leong Bank Credit/Debit Card, you can get 15% off the Moon cake and 10% off for the Corporate Gift Box.

Moon Cake 2018 Mid-Autumn Festival at Grand Harbour Restaurant