Kuriya Japanese Restaurant @ Bangsar Shopping Center

I love going to nice restaurants with friends. The cosy ambiance and good company always makes for a good evening out. Perhaps what keeps the practice regular is that feeling of indulgence that ushers the sense that life isn’t so bad after all. And indeed after feeling good about life too often, my mirror seems to tell the story of a fat boy who eats too much, too often. And my pants would agree.

It is not impossible to have the best of both worlds, though.

One fine Sunday evening, I found myself at Kuriya Japanese Restaurant, Bangsar Shopping Center. Located on the third floor of the old wing, the restaurant looks very Japanese, something that wouldn’t be inappropriate to impress business clients or first dates. I heard somewhere that the balcony overlooks the KL skyline, though I neglected to check it out for myself.

One word sums up the menu for the evening: Fresh! When it comes to Japanese food, if there’s one make-or-break factor, freshness would be it.I’m not a huge fan of the raw stuff, but carpaccio seems to agree with me, though this wasn’t as thinly-sliced as I’d expect carpaccio to be. They tuna was very, very fresh. When tuna (or any other fish for that matter) is frozen, it loses its natural delicate flavor. The tuna carpaccio had all it silken delicateness intact. The avocado slices further enriched the silken experience with a rich, buttery taste, but with a mild quasi-fruity aroma.

Served on the side of this dish is hot spring egg ( onsen tamago ) with a crispy-fried eggplant as a sort of spoon. Traditionally, the egg is prepared in actual hot springs, that are approximately 70 degrees Celcius. It was sort of like soft boiled eggs, except with a flakier, lighter texture. It’s all about the precise preparation methods. It felt like eating a very light, warm custard. Silky, silky, silky.

Shabu shabu

Another fresh offering from Kuriya is their shabu shabu . Salmon, served with an assortment of vegetables including zucchini, carrot strips, lettuce, eggplant, and mushroom. While most of the vegetables didn’t seem to suit being cooked in a-la shabu shabu , the salmon was absolutely the freshest I’ve ever had. Just a little dip into the boiling liquid and mere seconds later the pink of the salmon turned a slight powdery color, which is when I’d immediately remove from the liquid and pop into my mouth. The texture was unusually but pleasantly both flaky and silky. It was perhaps slightly raw on the inside, but that’s how I like it. Besides, it might have dried up and crumbled from excessive flakiness if I had left it to cook for too long.

You make me hot

Shabu shabu isn’t typically what one might order at a proper Japanese restaurant, but just look at the shabu shabu cooker; it’s just so romantic, it keeps consistent with the mood of the place. You gotta admit, watching the opposite sex cooking can be quite sexy, even if it does merely involve dipping a piece of fish into a little hot liquid for six seconds.

Cold soba served with scallions, wasabi, and nori seaweed

While cold soba is typically not my first choice at a Japanese restaurant, it’s one of the healthiest choices in the menu. High in protein and low in calories and fat, this summer delight was a very simple dish done just the way it’s supposed to be done – simple. The buckwheat soba noodles hadn’t a single hint of starchiness (rightfully), and the condiments served to give the (intentionally) almost bland dish a very subtle aroma. The noodles itself tasted almost like it was made on the spot, and I’d not be surprised if that was indeed the case. I’d prefer triple the amount of condiments though, for a little more intensity in the aroma. Perhaps I should have requested for some, but the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at the time.

I was not Amuze-d

For the more acquainted (or adventurous), there’s amuze . I found this dish of okra, water shield ( jyunsai ), and salmon roe in chilled light sour plum soup to be very, very odd tasting. It was briny and slimy. It didn’t taste bad or anything, it was just strange to me. Kinda like slurping on diluted glue, with a crunchy bite. Must be one of those exotic little things of acquired taste. A taste which I’ve apparently not acquired. It does look curiously interesting though, sort of like a little witch’s brewing pot for making potions, with all the strange little ingredients tossed together in a magical brew.

Vanilla ice cream with berry sauce and lotus chips

I found it very hard to complain about the mood and setting at Kuriya. Even the simplest dishes came in such presentable settings. Even the vanilla ice cream seemed like it was a prince, cloaked in green tea powder, crowned with a lotus chip, and enthroned in berry sauce. A simpleton’s dessert made royal. Barely minutes into his reign, the prince was exiled into my belly. At least he got to take his crown with him.

The next time I wanna get fresh and make a woman feel like a princess, I know where I’m headed to. This time I’ll be sure to check out the balcony.