Eat Drink KL: Nobu Kuala Lumpur: New Sushi Bar Omakase

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Nobu Kuala Lumpur: New Sushi Bar Omakase

Omakase enthusiasts, make a date on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Nobu Kuala Lumpur's new head sushi chef: Filipino-born Micheole 'Chico' Anung Dator, who trained in Nobu Miami and has worked in Nobu outposts across the globe, infuses Nobu's unique sensibilities into the sushi bar experience, promising one of KL's most distinctive omakase journeys, spanning 10 courses, two evenings every week, limited to 11 guests per session.

Take a seat at the sushi bar and watch the cheerful Chico and his team weave their magic, preparing each piece of sushi and explaining their process and philosophies. Their creativity and craftsmanship shine from the very start: The selection evolves regularly, in line with omakase's principles of imagination-stretching resourcefulness, but each meal likely commences with santen moriawase - slices of sashimi beautifully enhanced with engaging ingredients, heightening the allure of the fresh fish. 

On our visit, yellowtail was enlivened with the zing of jalapeno and the sprightliness of yuzu soy sauce, alfonsino was made aromatic with dry miso, olive oil and garlic chips, and blue fin tuna was invigoratingly balanced with wasabi salsa and ponzu sauce. A sparkling, satisfying way to add different dimensions to sashimi, while still honouring the excellence of the produce.

When the sushi surfaces, each serving conveys a twist or two too - our session saw sea bream harmoniously wedded with notes of sea salt and nuances of shiso leaves, tuna belly showered decadently with Ossetra caviar for a heavenly union, and scallop tiradito memorably channelling the lust-worthy spark of citrus pepper, each showcasing lovely complexities coupled with the seafood's inherent lusciousness. The sure-footed sense of innovation for the sushi makes this a one-of-a-kind omakase in KL.

Quality is sterling throughout, so you'll find top-flight sea urchin and salmon roe, brimming with naturally sweet brininess, for the Nobu-style sushi cup with uni and ikura, as well as exquisite eel for the melt-in-the-mouth maki of unagi with avocado. 

The final savoury offerings emerge from the hot kitchen, providing a warming conclusion to dinner. Seared amberjack and snow crab make for the perfect pairing in a seafood salad, bound with a ripe harvest of cherry tomatoes and baby corn, fragrant with an onion sesame dressing, while Chilean sea bass is compellingly moist and flaky, endowed with rich umami from a jalapeno miso sauce.

Somen noodles in clear soup prove delicately soulful in their sheer simplicity; even a dessert of warm chocolate cake with green tea ice cream is so masterfully executed, each bite is thrilling to the final spoonful.

The omakase menu is available for RM388++ per person.

For the ideal nightcap, Nobu's cocktails of the month are well worth investigating too - the Noir Gin (with Pinor Noir and gin) has now given way to September's Geek In The Pink, a terrific blend primarily of rose wine with vodka, fruity and punchy with mangosteen and pomegranate juices, buoyant with mint leaves.

Nobu Kuala Lumpur
Level 56, Menara 3 Petronas, Persiaran KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 03-2164-5084

This feature first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

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