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 19th Sept – 1st 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 27th and 28th 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.



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.


Overall, it has been a amazing and memorable experience for us to be able to enjoy this special dining session.

Watch our video review on YouTube



Kampachi

Two Pesos Steamboat Restaurant@SS2 – Quick, Nutritious and Delicious Steamboat in a Zippy Review - Best Restaurat To Eat



As we know, to truly savour a steamboat meal it would easily takes a lengthy time of between 1.5 hours to 3 or even sometimes 4 hours. It is ever possible to eat a steamboat meal in less than 30 minutes.


Taiwan had been the epicentre of Chinese fast food fads and now you can enjoy a sumptuous steamboat meal in less than 30 minutes. We, Malaysian are very fortunate to get to experience new food and dining experience thru the daring entrepreneurship of many, to bring in specialties food to Malaysia.


We were indeed delighted when we were invited for a food review session at the newly opened Two Pesos @SS2 Mini Steamboat Restaurant located at 7, Jalan SS2/67, Petaling Jaya, which was opened on 25th August 2014


This restaurant offers mini steamboat set in a personal cast iron, or ceramic pot all ready to be eaten within minutes. Some takes less than 5 minutes to cook while others up to 10 minutes. You can literally have a complete meal in less than 30 minutes. Isn’t that fast for a steamboat meal.


The restaurant is designed as a fast food style with vibrant décor and colour theme. It is very brightly lit and provides a nice atmosphere for you to enjoy this mini steamboat without the rather hearty, sweating at most steamboat restaurant that we are familiar with.


The concept for Two Pesos @ SS2 is Fast, Affordable, Nutritious Steamboat offering a wide variety of soup base served in a uniquely designed pot.


The ordering process is a self service i.e. upon entering the restaurant;

  1.  Pick up a washable menu from the counter and a crayon pencil.
  2.  Head to your table, use the crayon to choose the Steamboat set that you want.
  3.  Mark the type of meat you want.
  4. Mark whether you want Rice, Mee Hoon or Yee Mee and hand over to the waiter/counter.


Two Pesos have gone thru many trials on the best way to enjoy mini steamboat, it boils down to the use of the right type of pots for different cooking style with each of the soup base. The right type i.e. ceramic or iron cast, closed lid and etc can make the real difference as was experienced by us.

Most steamboat restaurant offer very limited soup base, but here at Two Pesos @SS2, there are altogether 12 different sets of mini steamboat offered, of which we gotten to try only 5 pot namely (based on my preference) which is


Two Pesos Stone Pot – ours is served with pork slice – the pork slices are firstly fried in the pot together with garlic, onion, spring onion and sesame oil. During the frying, the strong aroma of the sesame oil was very enticing. The staff will do this for you to ensure that it is cooked to a specific level. You will need to cook it in the pot later.


After frying, the pork meat are removed and the chicken broth are poured in it to be boiled up, which is then followed by your preference of either the vegetables or other ingredients to be steamboat and don't forget your juicy fried pork slice.


This soup base is best eaten with Yee Mee.


The next pot of goodness was the Tajine Seafood Pot. This is a very unique ceramic pot, which is also called the Moroccan Pot, which has a natural way to cook the food thru the vaporisation process.


All the vegetables and seafood are arranged in the pot, the pot is then cooked at high temperature. It uses very little soup in.  As the soup boils and due to the conceal nature of the lid (the vaporisation process takes place here), water are thus extracted from the natural ingredient like the vegetable and seafood i.e prawns and lala. This extracts are blended into the soup base to increase the volume of the soup.


Once it is boiled, as you can see from the water overflowing out from the side of the lid, which should be around 5 to 6 minutes, you turn the fire to medium and boil another 3 minutes and viola, the whole pot of goodness, which had a very strong seafood especially the lala aroma (the minute you open the lid) is ready to be eaten. You can really taste the natural flavours of each of the ingredient. This is best eaten with rice or Bee Hoon.


My third choice was the Japanese Sukiyaki pot. It was served with a covered iron cast pot with a lid. The pot comes with the Sukiyaki soup and all the ingredients are already pre-arranged into the pot. 


Fire up the stove, and cover the lid. About 5 minutes later you can enjoy all the wholesome goodness of the ingredient all cooked up with the natural extract into the Sukiyaki soup.


I was surprised as the Sukiyaki soup was not too sweet and just the right flavour for me. I am not a real fan of Sukiyaki. For those who want a lighter version of the soup, you can add in the additional broth to dilute it further. This soup is best eaten with rice.


Fourth pot was the Basu Spicy Pot – this is one pot for those who love to have a spicy version for their steamboat. Basu actually was the old name for Sze Chuan. So, this is actually, a Sze Chuan soup, which explains the extra zing in the soup. The soup is served in a special brass like pot.


The spiciness of the soup comes from the use of the special hot peppercorn that has a very pungent after taste which lingers around your throat for sometime after you have eaten it.


This soup base will go well with the Bee Hoon as the Bee Hoon can really absorb the soup into the Bee Hoon.


The last Steamboat pot, we had was the Milky Seafood Pot – we understand that the milk used was imported from Germany and henceforth it has a special milky flavours and have a light cheesy taste.


It is quite mild and compare to your normal Fish Head Noodle, it does not have the strong oomph of the evaporated milk taste.  


You can only enjoy this broth towards the end, and just like the Basu Spicy, Bee Hoon is the preferred choice.


By the way, there are free soup refill, so if you need more soup like me, you can get your refill from the counter – self service.



There are 3 type of sauce served in Two Pesos, which you can mix it based on one’s personal preference i.e. chilli sauce, bean paste and sacha sauce.


The bean paste sauce


and sacha sauce (taste a little like the Bonito fish paste) are imported from Taiwan.  I tried mixing all the type of sauce with different proportion, it was indeed very delicious and a perfect match. For those that love to have a little more spiciness, you can add more chilli sauce to your blend.


For those, who do not have the time to savour the steamboat at the restaurant, or need to pack back for loved ones, there is a counter at the main door, where you can order the take-away.


The takeaway are nicely pack into this takeaway cup, where you can just i.e. pre-heat the soup and enjoy your delicious one-pot wonder.


Overall, it has been a real new experience to try so many variations of steamboat without over burdening with too much food. It is really a simple, healthy, hygienic (if you don’t enjoy eating steamboat with a big pot) and fast (can finish your meal in 20 to 30 minutes), so you can literally have steamboat for a quick lunch or if you are rushing for time.


We got little curios, how a Taiwanese Steamboat ended up using Two Pesos (sounded more like a Philippines Restaurant) as the shop name. Ironically the husband and wife team chanced upon a coin which was kept after their visit to Boracay, Philippines and it was a 2 pesos coin. So, it explains this little mystery.

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