The intimate setting of the omakase counter seats six or eight people.
WALKING into the pop-up space for an omakase dining experience at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is akin to discovering a speakeasy bar with a hidden entrance.
The intrigue begins as you step onto a dimly lit walkway after exiting the lifts that bring guests exclusively to the designated floor.
This air of mystery at the point of entrance sets the stage for an unforgettable culinary journey.
For a limited time only, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is collaborating with Sushi Azabu for a 17-course dinner titled “The Hidden Plate: An Exclusive Omakase Journey”.
Set at a discreet and intimate pop-up space on Level 5, it is surrounded by a lush edible garden by Cultiveat, which has introduced sustainable precision farming in Malaysia.
The omakase counters seat only eight persons to allow diners to observe the chef meticulously preparing dishes.
Served at the start of the rather elaborate course during our visit was chopped dry-aged tuna, lettuce and sushi shoyu sauce in nori (dried seaweed).
Sushi Azabu’s chef Shinpei Kujiraoka from Japan’s picturesque Chiba prefecture introduced the dish, which used two-week dry-aged blue-fin tuna.
“The dry-aging exudes a more intense flavour while the dish consists of different parts of tuna, namely akami, chutoro and otoro, which vary in fat content.
“As for the rice, we use Japanese rice that is mixed with red vinegar to balance out the high fat content of the fish,” he said.
The bite-sized sushi had tip-top freshness and yet was mild in comparison to what was served next.
A seafood marvel of textures made up of oyster, prawn and snapper intestines.
Briny oyster and creamy sweet prawn served with young carrots, Japanese cucumber and asparagus were part of the next culinary marvel that included a thick sauce made of snapper intestines.
Meanwhile, the aburi (flame seared) bonito tuna served with thinly shredded baby ginger, shiso leaves and Awaji onion sauce provided an umami burst.
Lightly seared, the skin of the tuna gave out a pleasant smokiness that matched the acidity of the condiments.
A pleasant smokiness comes through the grilled Hokkaido scallop.
The same could be said for the grilled Hokkaido scallop that was served with baby ginger and Japanese mustard sauce.
Next came the sushi line-up with generous slices of Shima-Aji (striped jack fish) and horse mackerel in the lead.
Firm with a mild sweetness, the jack fish was a delight while the mackerel was served with a pinch of ginger and spring onion to give it a refreshing taste.
Tachiuo sushi of silver belt fish steals the limelight.
Red prawn sushi followed but it was the Tachiuo (Japanese silver belt fish) sushi that stole the limelight.
Served straight to our hands, Kujiraoka said the sushi served with nori had a touch of yuzu pepper sauce.
Lightly torched to perfection, the mildly caramelised surface of the sushi had a delightful aroma while the citrusy fragrance and acidity added an intriguing twist to the traditionally shoyu-based flavour profile.
Following that, we were then served a warm cup of whitebait fish chawanmushi with yuzu zest.
A lovely break from the sushi, it primed us for more prized sushi.
Just as expected, the Nagasaki-imported bluefin tuna sushi was served next, featuring Chotoro sushi with medium fat followed by Otoro, the umami-packed tuna belly.
Both had a melt-in-the-mouth texture, leaving a rich and buttery aftertaste.
Next up was the Golden Eye Snapper sushi, boasting a firm texture and a hint of sweetness while the ensuing anago (sea eel) sushi tempered this with its tender texture.
The grand finale showcased the dynamic duo of Sapporo-imported Murasaki uni (sea urchin) and Hokkaido-imported Bafun uni sushi.
The former had a slight briny taste while the latter boasted a creamier texture.
Dessert was the Matcha baked cheesecake from Tokyo Restaurant, brown sugar syrup and a small cup of genmaicha.
The omakase dinner is available at 7pm (eight seatings) from Wednesday to Friday.
On Saturdays, there are two sessions – at 6pm (six seatings) and 8pm (eight seatings).
It is priced at RM600nett per person, and includes a welcome drink at the Thirty8 restaurant, bar and lounge.
Diners can add on RM128 for a free flow of wine, sake and beer.
Every Friday, a special sake tasting omakase session is available for booking at RM628 nett per person.
POP UP SPACE ON LEVEL 5, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur. Business Hours: 7pm onwards (Wednesday to Friday), 6pm and 8pm session (Saturdays). Reservations: WhatsApp 012-639 8154.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by Star Metro.
