Jaya One is increasingly awash with watering holes anxious for attention, but on a recent rainy evening, we were attracted instead to the inconspicuous corner that houses Marufuku Udon, a soothing sanctuary that supplies simple soul food.
Slippery, slurp-worthy noodles form Marufuku's raison d'etre, with a full page of varieties on the menu. We blew hot and cold before deciding on one cold choice and another hot one. The Salada Udon _ served with fragrant sesame sauce _ tasted encouragingly healthy, with a hearty helping of raw carrots, cucumber, tofu and other veggies, but with minimal oil and salt.
Alas, we proceeded to burn our tongues on the Nabeyaki Udon, a flavorsome hot-pot version cooked in 'nabe,' or a metal container, simmering with prawn tempura, egg & mushrooms. If the food is starting to sound strangely familiar, that might be because Marufuku is a spin-off from Taman Desa's Sanuki Udon (though this outlet seems to offer a wider range).
Don't skip the yakitori _ a smoky, succulent steal at RM2-3 per skewer, with all the innards we could eat (along with other chicken parts & meat, of course). We weren't fans of the bland chicken leg, but the speared skin was sinfully crisp and the heart was heart-stoppingly addictive.
Gizzard (marvelously crunchy and chewy), alongside lightly salted onion & okra.
Chicken liver & bishop nose. You can choose to have your yakitori _ available only after 5pm, by the way _ grilled in either a soy-based sauce or salt. The chicken seems to go better with the pleasantly sweet sauce.
Lotsa side dishes too, including chicken 'karaage.' Crusty on the outside, tender within.
Kakiage pumpkin. Greasy enough to generate gallons of guilt.
Edamame. Only because someone HAD to have it (hint: it wasn't me!).
Booze makes everything better. Umeshu shots with iced water (which we left alone).
Asahi Super Dry. Crisp and clean-tasting. Are we acquiring a taste for beer? Hmmm.
Cold house-pouring sake. Surprisingly strong stuff.
Plenty of food and drinks, but the bill only totaled 80 ringgit, thanks to bowls of udon that mostly cost below 10 ringgit. The service charge seems to be waived, but we were truly thankful for the staff's thoughtfulness: Instead of bringing out all our orders in a rush, they spaced everything out nicely, enabling us to enjoy one or two dishes at a time before efficiently coming out with more. What makes it more impressive is that we never even requested it that way.
Marufuku Udon,
Jaya One.
This place seems nice. Must give it a try !
ReplyDeleteMichelle: ya, the udon seems kinda similar to some of the recipes you've enjoyed cooking for yourself :D
ReplyDeleteOmigosh. I can't believe you and LL were here before me! I guess I've been on an udon fast of late and clamouring more for ramen... Ah, well. Time to break that fast. ;)
ReplyDeleteLfb: u can have the best of both worlds in one evening at jaya one then! Udon at Marufuku, then ramen at Mai Ramen! For myself though, I can't believe I've had ramen and udon multiple times in recent months. Japanese noodles are usually just a once-a-year affair for me :D
ReplyDeleteYay. Now I can finally go try it out without venturing into Taman Desa! :)
ReplyDelete(Well, its not exactly Sanuki but if it's a branch then it should be almost the same, right?)
As much as I like Marufuku (and I agree, the quality is identical to Sanuki), I still prefer Sanuki for the comfortable neighbourhood setting that it provides. Can throw car anywhere, sit like ahpek, and it's okay. :-)
ReplyDeletej: ya, i prefer this location too! they'll also be offering some kinda japanese steamboat-like dish soon, costing RM15 per person for a minimum of two, so that might be worth checking out :D
ReplyDeletelemongrass: ooh, sitting is one of my grouses here! even though the stools kinda add to the ambiance, chairs with proper backs and/or armrests would be more comfy! but ok, that's not a big deal, heheh :D
Oooo... suits my budget :) Jenn would love coming here this weekend! Thanks Sean!
ReplyDeleteleo: hope u enjoy it! the space inside the restaurant is a bit limited compared to their outdoor seating (in case u need air-conditioning for sher-run), but u should be able to find a table inside if u're not there during peak hours :D
ReplyDeletewah another new outlet at Jaya1... so many eateries now. Just tried Mai Ramen the other day and it's good.
ReplyDeleteEiling: ya, it's impressive how jaya one has really taken off in the past two years! When it first started, it was kinda quiet for a few months ... then suddenly it became one of pj's best eating hubs :D
ReplyDeleteYou're slowly coming over to the Nippon side of life. Yay. :)
ReplyDeletelfb: i've been immersed in nippon culture for so long now! haven't u seen my 'hello kitty' laptop bag? :D
ReplyDeleteThis place seems to be the focus these couple of days - did u all go there togeder-geder, heh!
ReplyDeleteOooh..i'd luv to see yr "hello kitty" laptop bag - seriously?!
LFB: Jom, we go togeder cepat!
pureglutton: ahhh, alas, i haven't met up with any food bloggers for ages (none of them wants to see me, heheh!). nope, went here to marufuku with a non-blogging friend. and errmm, well, i actually need a new laptop bag, so maybe i SHOULD consider a 'hello kitty' design, eh? :D
ReplyDeleteMaybe I mean the udon/ramen/somen side of Nippon. I definitely don't mean the Hello Kitty. :P
ReplyDeletelfb: one of the early stories i covered in my career was about mad stampedes for 'hello kitty' promotional toys at mcdonald's in KL, so i have a soft spot for the feline :P but y'know what, i dunno if i've ever eaten somen. i'm not sure what they look like, much less where to find them :D
ReplyDeleteMarufuku@Taylors (http://on.fb.me/marufukutaylors) is now open. This location is very breezy as there is a nice lake next to it. Perfect for a relaxing week nights' dinner and weekends' getaway. We are open daily from 10 to 10. Come and enjoy a simple bowl of udon with the lake view. (We are close on 19th and 26th for minor reno work. Thank you.)
ReplyDelete