Old Klang Road's 3rd Mile Square business centre is becoming a hotspot - literally - for Japanese eateries, thanks to two new venues that opened in recent weeks, dishing out distinctive results of grilling: Kazoku-Ai for teppanyaki & Gyutaro for yakiniku.
First up, Kazoku-Ai, which calls itself a 'modern teppanyaki kitchen' - a chef with reputedly more than two decades of experience takes centre-stage in this casual outlet, a suitable after-work watering hole with both indoor & alfresco seating.
Distancing itself from run-of-the-mill, mall-based teppanyaki joints, Kazoku-Ai specialises in premium fare that's satisfyingly well-executed & reasonably priced, ranging from foie gras (RM32 before taxes) ...
... to oysters (RM28 for six plump pieces with garlic chips). There's more on the menu - a teppan tenderloin steak sandwich caught our eye, but it wasn't available when we visited during Kazoku-Ai's soft-launch stage.
Not into teppanyaki? Not a problem; other temptations here include Camembert cheese topped with salted squid guts (RM19), unagi tempura (RM28 for six pieces), foil-simmered salmon with shiitake & shimeji mushrooms (RM23), seafood okonomiyaki (RM16) & even a seasonal durian fried rice (RM16).
Wine is available. as are cold-pressed juices (the Klang Valley's most prominent trend in recent months). Again, the juices weren't available for our visit; we would have ordered the Red Dragon (RM29, with dragon fruit, capsicum, carrots & tomatoes).
A thirty-second stroll away from the street-level Kazoku-Ai, we move on now to Gyutaro, a pleasant first-floor yakiniku outlet.
Aussie Wagyu beef is the highlight here; try the 'misuji' (RM48), a beautifully tender & flavoursome cut near the shoulder.
DIY cooking here, but it's pretty easy; each slice requires only two minutes of barbecuing over binchotan white charcoal.
Prefer your Wagyu beef even less cooked? Have it raw (RM36) with an egg yolk for protein purity.
Complimentary watermelon, all juicy & ripely sweet. Both Kazoku-Ai & Gyutaro feature friendly & efficient service.
Gyutaro offers a nice deal for wine - RM12 a glass (Australian Deakin Estate). House sake clocks in at RM18 per carafe.
Kazoku-Ai Modern Teppanyaki Kitchen
3rd Mile Square, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily, lunch & dinner. Tel: 03-7983-1919
Gyutaro Yakiniku
3rd Mile Square, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-7972-4011
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