It's been awhile since a new Japanese restaurant possessed the potential to beguile our sushi-satiated city. But thanks to Hanare, the long wait is finally over.
The highlight here is "chinmi" _ hard-to-find seafood delicacies that are an acquired taste. One perfect example: "bakurai," the pickled innards of sea squirts (oceanic filter feeders). Pungently savory and pulpy, this causes customers to either swoon or sprint away screaming.
Shirako (cod sperm sacs). Rather reminiscent of pig brains in both taste and texture, but with a creamier, milkier feel. Always a treat to taste this in KL (so far, we've only had it at Cilantro, Kampachi and the now-defunct Seki Tei at Holiday Villa Subang).
Nama karasumi. This salted fish roe is tasty, but not extraordinarily memorable. Nevertheless, all these items are ideal for whetting the appetite before a full dinner.
Tamano Hikari Junmai Ginjyo (15 percent alkie).
Hanare Japanese Restaurant,
Ground Floor, The Intermark,
Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2164-2133/ 2164-2633
Hanare, here I come! (So close to Hajime's former location and my former place too! It must be fated!) :D
ReplyDeletelfb: ahhh yes, i can already envision you slurping up the cod sperm sacs (pictured above), smiling with sweet satisfaction as you savor their slimy, slippery smoothness and swallow sloooooowly :D
ReplyDeleteUhm, quite. ;)
ReplyDeleteHuh?? that's all??? it cant be!!
ReplyDeletelfb: and for RM40 a bowl, it's cheaper than a full-body massage in bangkok :P
ReplyDeletetng: light snacks before having another dinner elsewhere! :D
I wouldn't know about that. Never been to Bangkok. I take it you're a regular patron to massage parlours there? ;)
ReplyDeleteSo I'm guessing there will be a Part 2 coming up soon re the mains on another trip..
ReplyDeleteCod sperm sacs? *faints*
ReplyDeleteThere must be other things you ate as well! This is not fair! How can you leave us dangling mid air?
ReplyDeletelfb: not since my last visit in 2008! but it is one of the things i miss about bangkok, next to the crunchy deep-fried locusts sold by street vendors :D
ReplyDeletebaby sumo: i think it'd be safe enough to bet money on that! =)
j: is yummy! more satisfyingly hearty than sea urchin/uni ... and more reasonably priced by weight too!
michelle: heheh, patience is a virtue! but ok, the wait won't be very long; a few days at the most =)
Locusts and full-body massages. Hmm. I think I'll stick with the later. Less reminiscent of Biblical plagues... :P
ReplyDeletelfb: wellll, unless you read what happened to sodom and gomorrah :P
ReplyDeleteWhat, they had full-body massages too? :P
ReplyDeletelfb: and more! according to the good book, the residents were keen on "fornication and going after strange flesh." then of course, it all ended in fire and brimstone for them :P
ReplyDeleteThis restaurant looks unique. What they're serving is definately different from the typical Japanese restaurant. Any more pictures to share? ;)
ReplyDeleteKimchiguy: oh yeah, round two coming up really soon. Unfortunately they seem to often run out of stock of some items on their menu ... so, luck and timing are important =)
ReplyDeleteHey Sean, cod sperm sacs, what is it good for hahaha. Never try this before. I think this is the weirdest food that I've ever see. Have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteRandy: hope u enjoy it! It's very thick and creamy, like a custard. And yeah, it's SUPPOSED to improve stamina and performance in bed :p
ReplyDelete"Strange flesh"? That must mean cockles. :P
ReplyDeletelfb: did such marvelous mollusks exist in the middle east then? sounds better than the promised land of milk and honey then! :D
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. Now I have this near-indelible image of see hum drowned in milk and honey... Gross!! :P
ReplyDeleteLfb: sounds yummy! That reminds me: I recently convinced a certain lyrical someone to try this recipe: fill a bowl with oats, place a slice of cheese on top, then microwave it until the cheese melts all through the pats. Bizarrely, she claimed she hated it! :D
ReplyDeleteUhm. Why would anyone do that to a bowl of perfectly fine oats?
ReplyDeleteThe only way to eat oats is to cook it plain, and eat it piping hot, as is. Not additives/seasonings. No toppings. Just oats. :D
Lfb: well, the lyrical, lemongrassy one believed me when I claimed it would taste terrific because the creamy savoriness of the cheese would perfectly balance the chewy blandness of the oats (how would I know, rite ... until recently I thought only farmyard animals still ate oats) :D
ReplyDeleteI used to eat plain oats (not oatmeal, but real oats) all the time. It's totally yummy, trust me. :D
ReplyDeleteLfb: ermmm, I like muesli. That must count as a cousin of oats :D
ReplyDeleteMore like a bastard cousin, but who's checking. Make that a rojak but rich bastard cousin, hehe.
ReplyDeleteLfb: Sounds like the story of the country mouse and the city mouse! Which I firmly believe to be a gross misrepresentation of reality, considering how many of us come to the city and make it our happy home =)
ReplyDeleteTrue, that. I miss KL so much. Can't wait to head back tomorrow! :D
ReplyDeleteLfb: Wah, so fast! But personally, I've had enough of this CNY season already. Am now convinced that the main reason I have healthy blood pressure is because I DON'T live with my family :D
ReplyDeleteLOL. And then: Same here, actually. :P
ReplyDeleteLfb: *takes deep breath* just two more days, two more days. But then, paradoxically, i know I'll miss them by next week...
ReplyDeleteAwww... And then: Same here, actually. :P
ReplyDeleteLfb: dunno what the solution is! Oh well ... We can't choose our family, we can only love them (or try to!) :D
ReplyDeletewow... it's quite a rare sight seeing these delicacies. would love to try the shirako.. looks interesting
ReplyDeleteeiling: yep, i think the shirako might be seasonal though ... perhaps only available during the winter months...
ReplyDeleteWe can choose some family, my friend. I chose Devil, didn't I? (And no complaints there, yay.)
ReplyDeleteLfb: i guess that qualifies as family, in the "get married and have children together" way. But you're only allowed to have ONE of those :D
ReplyDeleteThe food is really fresh and good. This team including the chef and management comes from the former Inagiku. That could be the reason.
ReplyDeleteGan: sounds like a recipe for success! Hopefully word of mouth will spread soon; the place seems really quiet for now...
ReplyDelete