Back to Gonbei San. Earlier entry: March 11.
Kicking off this round with sea urchin. A sizable serving of the ocean's golden gem; subtly sweet but also beautifully briny, as uni uniquely is.
Mentaiko mania! Roe is always a treat, whether in Japanese cuisine or nasi kandar.
Sunomono Moriawase (vinegared seafood, seaweed & cucumber with sesame seeds). Refreshingly tangy and perky, with a mild pickled flavor.
Seaweed roll of tuna belly, garlic & chives. Melts in the mouth, not on the chopsticks.
Tamago Yaki. Warm, light and pillow-soft. Healthier than regular fried omelets too.
Yellowtail steamed in rice wine. Delectable; the eyes have it, glutinous & gooey.
Mixed tempura, comprising kisu (sillago fish), shiitake mushrooms, eggplant & prawns. Competently executed, but not the most memorable moment of our meal.
Teppan prawns. Creamy crustaceans _ smoky, savory & superbly succulent.
Dobin Mushi (soup with ginkgo nuts, chicken, shrimp & trefoil herbs, served in earthen pot). Blazing-hot broth, though not terribly flavorsome.
Crisp, fresh salad to keep things healthy.
Gonbei San boasts KL's best selection of Japanese liquor by the cup. Here's the Saiba Kome Shochu & 7-year-aged Okinawan Mugen No Utage Awamori (30 percent alcohol, yay!).
A creative cocktail, Bloody Mari-Chan (shochu, tomato juice, togarashi), as well as Kozutsumi Kuri Shochu, made using Tanba-Guri chestnuts, reputedly Japan's best.
Gonbei San,
Starhill, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.