Blending the artistry of sushi-making with the confidence of kappou cooking, Hannari Sushi Kappou Fine Dining is the city centre's new destination for devotees of Japanese cuisine.
Helmed by master chef Hiroyuki Nakasuka, Hannari offers an elegant take on sushi with kappou cuisine, bringing more breadth to KL's Japanese restaurant experience, brimming with a wide variety of top-tier seasonal produce and stellar preparation.
Chef Hiroyuki, originally from Handa City in Aichi Prefecture, has finally launched this venue of his own, four years after first arriving in Malaysia.
His mentors have included two veteran chefs who led two-Michelin-star restaurants in Japan, so he's well-versed in Kappou and Omakase fine gastronomy.
Hannari serves a sense of exclusivity in Plaza Conlay - currently, the restaurant requires reservations at least one day in advance for lunch and dinner.
The restaurant updates its menu every fortnight, according to the incremental changes of the season in Japan, so there's always something new and exciting to sample here!
Fun fact: The Hannari logo is an adaptation of Chef Hiroyuki’s family crest, known as Sasarindou, combining the bamboo leaf (sasa) and dragon (rindo) in kanji. Encircling it is a sakura flower, representing Hannari's meaning of beauty and rejuvenation, signalling the start of spring, filled with vitality and vibrancy. Finally, the colour purple signifies royalty.
Watch our video on Hannari above!
Take a seat at Hannari's counter to watch chef Hiroyuki and his team work their magic.
Kappou-style dining encourages conversations between the chef and customers. Feel free to let the chef know your preferences, so he can steer a meal that fits your fancies.
All the intricacies of Japanese cooking are revealed at Hannari, true to the philosophy of kappou, which hails from the words 'ka' for cutting with a knife and 'pou' for cooking with heat. Watch Hannari's skilled chefs showcase their craftsmanship - slicing, stewing, frying and beyond - while savouring the sights, sounds and scents of their various cooking techniques.
For dinner, Hannari recommends the Tsubaki set (RM720++), which unfolds with Ikkon, a serving of either sake or dashi soup. We love the sake cup, with colourful designs that display elements of Japanese nature, such as Mount Fuji or a sakura tree.
For an array of appetisers, the Hannari Seasonal Combo spotlights the finest, freshest fare - recently, we relished the likes of sea urchin with seaweed and pristine oysters from Aichi.
Hannari's mastery of preparation and presentation is demonstrated in its Seasonal Hot Soup - kamasu (barracuda), charcoal-grilled a smoky char, served in a soulful, slurp-worthy soup.
The Fried Dish for our recent meal was anko karaage - the deep-fried monkfish is crisp to the bite and luscious to the chew, emblematic of monkfish's prime from November to March.
A parade of memorable sushi follows, each meticulously sourced from the most suitable Japanese prefectures, prepared in classic time-honoured styles.
Our dinnertime selection included hatta (grouper pressed with mountain pepper), shima aji (amberjack from Ehibe prefecture) and squid from Fukui prefecture.
The Japanese Egg Roll Omelette, made to order, was spectacularly warm and tender, with alluring aromatics that prove how Hannari's ingredients taste sensational in their simplicity.
Miso Soup is laced with kinmedai fish for a seafood surprise in this steaming-hot bowl.
Dessert shimmers with the ripe radiance of Japanese melon and Shine Muscat grapes.
For lunch, Hannari recommends the Ajisai set (RM380++). One by one, the Sushi Temptation courses for this lunch set satisfy us, concluding with the Fried Dish, Rolled Sushi, Miso Soup, and our Dessert of Hokkaido vanilla ice cream with gula melaka sorbet.
Hannari Sushi Kappou also offers an intimate private room with floor seating.
Hannari Sushi Kappou Fine Dining
Plaza Conlay, Jalan Conlay, Bukit Bintang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Open for lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, 12pm-3pm.
Open for dinner, Tuesday-Sunday, 6pm-11pm.
Tel: 012-866-9985
