One of our favourite meals earlier this year was at Yakiniku Hinata, which is currently closed but might be relocating.
Many fans of Japanese fare in KL have fond memories of Sushi Hinata, which first brought omakase dinners to mainstream attention in 2013, originally through the talents of chef Oritsuki 'Ori' Hideaki.
Eight years after our introduction to Sushi Hinata, the restaurant reinvented itself as Yakiniku Hinata - retired is the sleek sushi counter, replaced by intimate private rooms where patrons linger over soulful Japanese comfort fare with Korean touches.
True to the name, grilled meat is the highlight, including beef offal not often spotted in similar eateries. A mixed platter of beef heart, liver, small intestines and rumen (RM60) offers plenty of tasty textures, from gelatinously chewy to greasily fatty, flame-licked by the cook-it-yourselves binchotan barbecue.
Service is friendly, with everything executed efficiently - ordering through a tablet on the table makes the entire experience easy, with the kitchen preparing our food within minutes each time.
Beyond barbecue, Yakiniku Hinata is capable of keeping it real and raw, serving the wagyu yukhoe, the luscious Korean equivalent of beef tartare (RM70), and even beef tongue root sashimi, served smooth, chilled and clean-tasting (RM30).
Moving on from tongue to tail, we'd return to Yakiniku Hinata for its soups and stews.
The Oxtail Gukbap, a piping-hot rice porridge slow-cooked with fleshy oxtail (RM45), Hot Stone Fluffy Egg, steamy and laced with bits of baby octopus for bite (RM30), and meal-ender of Morioka-style Cold Noodles, prepared al dente with a refreshing vinegary tang, topped with kimchi, cucumber and shredded omelette (RM40), are all delicious delights.
Wash down with a Suntory Kaku highball (RM25) and Lemon Chu-hi, a mix of shochu, soda and lemon juice (RM25).
Formerly at Ground Floor, St Mary Place, Jalan Tengah, Kuala Lumpur. Currently closed.
This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com
