KL's most distinctive new restaurant so far this year is scarcely two weeks old, but it's become a hotbed for Korean expats seeking fresh seafood flown in from their home nation & served in ways that some Malaysians may not be prepared to stomach.
Crazy Fish's tanks are flooded with all manner of creatures, brought in weekly by friendly couple Albert & Anne Kim, who've lived in Malaysia for three years. The outlet caters to Koreans in KL who miss the fish markets of Seoul & Busan; the strategy's proving successful _ we've visited Crazy Fish twice & were the only Malaysians both times (but that should change very soon).
The highlight for many patrons might be 'sannakji,' a small octopus that's plucked out live from the water ...
... before being swiftly slain, sliced & served with sesame oil within less than a minute ...
... with the severed tentacles still squirming & slithering on the plate, thanks to twitching from residual nerve activity.
A video speaks ten thousand words: Watch the writhing & wriggling in this twenty-second clip shot at Crazy Fish.
Suction cups on some pieces might stick to your tongue. Gooey-chewy; only RM30, reflective of Crazy Fish's crazy-fair prices.
June Update: Crazy Fish's stock of smaller-sized octopus is currently erratic; it often only carries larger octopus, which might cost RM45 per serving.
June Update: Crazy Fish's stock of smaller-sized octopus is currently erratic; it often only carries larger octopus, which might cost RM45 per serving.
More to Crazy Fish's 'hoe' raw food culture. Also seemingly alive when served (but not, in reality): Gaebul, or 'urechis unicinctus,' a marine spoon worm that's commonly nicknamed 'penis fish' for obvious reasons.
It's another moving attraction, with some of the slimy, chopped-up pieces appearing to 'breathe' on the plate. RM20. An acquired taste; if you generally like offal, you'd probably be better disposed to enjoy this.
Massive Korean sea snails are available too; a mega-serving that four can safely share costs RM35.
Soft, squishy blobs, with a bit of a boiled texture & the flavour of the ocean somewhat intact. More heft to this than escargot.
Other outlets serve sea cucumber, but Crazy Fish is the rare one that offers it sashimi-style, chewier & brinier than the norm.
For folks who seek safe choices: Flathead mullet sashimi for RM29 (halibut, rock fish & flounder are available at higher prices).
Wrapping up with our top tip: Try heading to Crazy Fish on Thursday (that's when the fresh seafood arrives) or Friday, since some of the seafood might no longer be available once the weekend strikes. The restaurant remains open until 2 a.m. everyday.
May 20 Update: See here for Crazy Fish's cooked dishes.
May 20 Update: See here for Crazy Fish's cooked dishes.
Crazy Fish
9-G, Jalan Solaris 3, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily for lunch & dinner, except the first Monday of each month. Tel: 03-6211-7313
Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link:
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link:
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.
Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
This is a catalogue of insights into what inspires our contemporary culinary craftspeople, from Elsie & her sister Jennifer's experiments with tong yuen at home to Eugene & Emrys' escapades with hand-crafted sodas in Tokyo.
This resource will be continuously updated with new listings, so bookmark the following permanent link & check back regularly to find out what's fresh: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses
Also, take a look at the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, completely redesigned with a revamped look, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for April-June 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favourites-Apr-Jun-2014 (Link expires June 30, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).