In the past year, Sticks N Maki has become one of TTDI's favourite new restaurants for skewers, sushi rolls and more - but many customers might not realise the venue includes a neon-lit bar upstairs, a cosy hideout to spend the evening over contemporary Japanese fare.
Take the stairs up for a completely different vibe, evoking a modern izakaya with mysterious corners to explore and enjoy, such as a purple-hued passage with reflections of the bar counter.
Private rooms, comfortable and spacious, are also available for a more intimate experience, with windows overlooking the neighbourhood's streets.
The restaurant's full menu can be ordered here, an extensive selection of Japanese temptations.
True to Sticks N Maki's name, there's no lack of skewers and sushi rolls.
A comprehensive yakitori range is offered, with all the coveted chicken parts from neck to liver to tail. The tsukune is noteworthy - chunky house-made chicken meatballs, terrifically tasty and textured, complete with a yolk dip (RM24).
The multitude of maki spans highlights like the Volcano Roll (RM48; brimming with unagi, spicy scallop and chilli mayo) and the Zero Roll (RM42; tempura prawns, eel and vegetables, crisply wrapped in rice paper).
Sticks N Maki has a full-fledged kitchen that earns respect - its sashimi is sumptuously pristine, with choices like salmon belly, kanpachi, Hokkaido scallops, yellowtail, maguro, chutoro and otoro, available individually or on a chef's selection platter. Other preparations like amberjack carpaccio also hit the spot for fans of full-bodied, fresh and fleshy raw fish.
Rice and noodle bowls promise satisfaction for single-serving dinners. If you crave a pick-me-up, the Engawa Don is decadently divine, blanketed with luscious slices of flounder fish fin (RM70), while the S&M Inaniwa is soulful, savoury and hearty, partnering the slick, smooth noodles with egg and chicken mince (RM38).
Sticks N Maki is the sister restaurant of TTDI's Hagi Japanese Cuisine: The brand's house sake is the ideal companion for the cooking here, a junmai ginjo that harnesses pesticide-free rice. It reputedly yields a gentle umami with mild acidity when served cold and a well-balanced creaminess while warm, sufficiently versatile to match with sashimi, tempura, grills and more.
Ice-cold Guinness and Kirin draught beers ensure that we'll keep on ordering more mugs till last call.
Sticks N Maki
118, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Open Tuesday-Friday, 4pm-12am; Saturday, 12pm-12am; Sunday, 12pm-10pm.
Tel: 014-677-4687
