A tiramisu latte was my decadently rich introduction to Kyomo Kohi, a Japanese-inspired café at New Ocean World Fine Food City in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
“Kyomo Kohi” means daily coffee in Japanese, a name that captures the essence of a Japanese café nicely.
My spoon went through the thick layer of mascarpone cream in the tiramisu, touching the Belgian chocolate, then the coffee. There was a light sweetness from the mascarpone, with the coffee coming through. This should have been saved for dessert, I thought.
Japanese Curry Rice.
I preferred the Cantaloupe Yuzu drink that was citrusy, light and refreshing, scented with yuzu. We also had Strawberry Matcha Latte, slightly tart from blended strawberries.
Apparently these three drinks at Kyomo Kohi are trending in Japan, which makes us here in Malaysia pretty much on-trend.
For lunch, I was irresistibly drawn to the Gyukatsu Don, which had Wagyu beef cutlets crumbed and deep-fried, placed atop the rice. This was accompanied by tonkatsu and Japanese curry sauces on the side, miso soup, some greens and a potato salad. The Wagyu was done just right and was a generous portion. It went well with the slightly tart tonkatsu sauce and curry dip, making it a complete and satisfying meal.
Gyukatsu Don.
I haven’t had Japanese curry in ages, and the Chicken Karaage Curry Rice did not disappoint. The mild curry surrounded a mound of rice topped with deep-fried chicken and egg. Happily, the curry was more savoury than sweet, gently spiced and the well-fried chicken tasted so good with it.
Salmon Ochazuke Yuzu Spice was presented with grilled salmon over rice, topped with ikura and bonito flakes. A teapot of hot dashi broth was poured over. Together the salmon, rice, broth and toppings blended well together and made a comforting combination.
Scone with lemon curd and Chantily cream.
Ochasuke is green tea, dashi or hot water poured over leftover rice in a simple meal. I’ve done it with Chinese tea as well. Nowadays, it’s made fancier with fish, beef or chicken added to it.
In between, we nibbled on Japanese sweet potato dipped in batter and fried, drizzled with a light syrup. Personally, I felt they would have been better off without the syrup as they were already sweet on their own, but I guess some people have sweeter preferences.
Japanese sweet potato.
We also tried the Brioche Blossom French Toast with smoked salmon. It came with a thick piece of fried brioche with smoked salmon, then piled high with salad greens and some berries. The brioche was light and buttery, with a touch of sweetness. This would make a perfect light and balanced breakfast.
The Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes tasted good even without the Chantily cream, maple syrup and berry coulis they were served with. The pancakes were fluffy and lovely – just some butter and maple syrup would have been good enough, finished off with a cup of coffee. It was certainly one of the better pancakes we’ve had.
Tiramisu Latte.
The Lemon Scone here came triangular shaped, crusty and thankfully, was not dry inside. It was served with a delightful lemon curd, a little tart and lightly sweet.
Apart from its mainstays of rice dishes, Kyomo Kohi also has an extensive selection for breakfast and a wide range of cakes and pastries. Our maiden visit turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and certainly warrants another stopover.
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes.
Kyomo Kohi
L1-01, Level 1
New Ocean World Fine Food City
No.15, Jalan 19/1
Petaling Jaya
012-988 2534.
Business hours:
Daily: 11am to 8pm.
