Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant

It has been quite sometime that I have been to a Japanese restaurant. I have been lingering around the gym too much that I have already forgotten to dine. Good thing I was invited to join some of the food bloggers to taste and experience one of the authentic Japanese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.

Watami has been around for some time around. It started, obviously in Japan and has expanded its original food and beverage line to other areas and industries such as nursing care, organic farming agricultural, ecological initiatives as well as building of schools in Cambodia. Here in Watami in Malaysia, they serve an array of authentic Japanese flavor and experience. So when you dine here, you are just not eating Japanese food, but you are also like in Japan, enjoying how Japanese eat and how they eat their food.

They recently introduced their set meals for 2 to 4 persons starts from RM 40++ per person. You can choose from any of the set menus available or order a la carte. The price range is about RM 25 to 50 ++ per serving.

Entrance

We were invited at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur branch and I was in awe when I entered the restaurant. The place is filled with warm lights, dark brown glossy wood furniture and soft couches. It feels like a zen-ish ambience without the bamboos and water.

Interior

One of the best things here is that you are just not here to enjoy the food, but also, to dine in with your friends or partner. People just do not look for quality food, but they also look for a good setting where they can mingle and talk. Also, if you are holding a small party, you can always call them in advance to book their VIP rooms.

So, let’s go with the food.

Watami Salad

Watami Salad – crisp greens with redonions, corns, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, shredded cucumber, shrimp,teriyaki chicken, nori, flying fish roe and fried wanton tossed with Tuna Mayoand Sesame Cream dressing. I have been avoiding myself from consuming mayonnaise because of the fat content but when you talk about Japanese mayo, can we just forget the caloric content for now? 😀

Gomoku Kamameshi

Gomoko Kamameshi – a traditional steel pot rice dish cooked tableside with bonito, carrot, shimeiji mushrooms, tofupouches, root vegetables and topped with salmon, shrimp, scallops, chicken and flying fish roes in broth. This is served uncooked and it cooks for about 20 minutes or you can just wait until the burning white charcoal. It has this sticky white rice that it is very pleasing to your mouth and you can actually smell the aroma from the steam, while it is being cooked on your table.

Gyuniku Sukiyaki Nabe

As expected, sukiyaki has always been part of the Japanese menu. Watami’s sukiyaki sauce comes from Japan so it never goes wrong. It has always been the same taste as it is controlled and packed from Japan. The sweet and salty distinct sukiyaki sauce is very different compared to the other sukiyakis I have tasted before.

Preparing Sukiyaki

I always like to mix the beaten egg onto the sukiyaki while it is cooking. Maybe next time, I shall dip the beef or mushroom to the raw beaten egg for a more authentic Japanese experience.

Anago Tempura Maki

Anago Tempura Maki – sea eel tempura roll. With the size of this maki, it is hard to eat this in one piece.

Wafu Pizza

Wafu Pizza – pizza topped with Teriyaki Chicken. Yes! They have a pizza. It is not the usual Italian or New York pizza but the crust is very soft, more like a soft and very thin dough. Again, you can never go wrong with the teriyaki sauce.

Hotate Butter Yaki

Hotate Butter Yaki – a Watami signature dish of oven-baked scallops and shimeji mushrooms on sizzling hot plate, topped with butter. This is my favorite. A fusion of lime and butter on scallops. This is like one of those side dishes or appetizers that can be your main dish if served in a bigger plate.

Chicken Katsu Tamago Toji

Chicken Katsu Tamago Toli – chicken cutlets with scambled egg sauce. This is served on the same mini-stove to keep the sauce warm. For around 3-5 minutes when it starts to boil, just pour the beaten egg and enjoy the awesome katsu tamago toji.

Passion Fruit, Lychee and Iced Tea

They serve big mugs for your refreshments, warm sake and other beverages.

Ichigo Creamy Parfait

What happens when the dessert is served? Everyone gets so excited! Too bad I was not able to take pictures of the other desserts that were served like the Green Tea Tiramisu.

More details on Watami can be found at http://www.watami.com.my or you can call their branches for reservations:

[three_fourth]Level 4, Connectionn, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
1st Floor, Rainforest, 1 Utama Shopping Center[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]03 2141 6671
03 7727 1399[/one_fourth_last]

The Unlimited Flavours of The Ocean (Part I)

Apart from the normal choice of menu that The Apartment Restaurant and Bar offers, this April, they are featuring Chef Rafizi Shariff’s greatest passion in culinary, seafood. The Chef Series is The Apartment’s latest promotional menu that offers the culinary flair specially created to cater to guests seeking a tantalizing gourmet experience.

Lounge

With the modern spacious loft ambiance of the restaurant, it is nice to dine here with your partner especially that even during the noon, the place is filled with warm lights and you get the feeling of dining in a high-rise apartment away from your home.

The Unlimited Flavous of the Ocean (Part I)

The Unlimited Flavours of the Ocean (Part I) as themed for these new choice of menu, you can get a 4-course meal which includes the amuse bouche, appetizer, main and dessert at RM 79.90++. Also, with every purchase of the set meal, you can also a glass of Frontera Chardonnay wine at RM 15++ or a bottle for RM 75++. If you want to try just a few from the selection, the price ranges from RM 11.90++ to RM 39.90++ as a la carte.

So let us start from the appetizer down to the dessert.

Amuse Bouche Oyster Shot

Fresh oyster with lime and mango shot. RM 11.90. I am not a big fan of clams and oyster. But the way how the mango and lime killed the odor of the fresh oyster rocked this shot! Maybe next time, I will pour it into my mouth rather than a finesse-etiquette use of fork.

Seafood and Tomato

Slow braised seafood and fresh tomato soup. RM 16.90. With freshly squeezed tomato and herbs, this is a nice appetizer. Not the usual salty soup you will find.

Scallops

Pan seared scallops, green peas puree and fried sweet potato chips. RM 23.90. It was my first time to taste a fried sweet potato and it was nice. The fish was fried perfectly, oh wait, it was pan seared 🙂

King Prawns

Sautéed prawns, Saffron butter rice and young mango salad. RM 37.90. I guess the cost of the shrimp tossed this dish a bit far from your usual budget. Prawns are nice but I am more into protein meat.

Red Snapper

Pan fried red snapper with couscous and lemon butter. RM 39.90. This looks like a replica of sea creature on a sand. The couscous was a mimic of white sand, the leaves are from the sea weeds and the chicken-tasting red snapper in lemon butter sauce was great! This was my favorite!

Stuffed Squid

Baked squid stuffed with herbs rice, served with okra and seafood gumbo. RM 25.90. Did I say that one of two kinds of vegetables I do not eat is okra? Lady fingers have its own way of producing a slimy liquid which engrosses my taste buds. But even the okra was part of the dish or for me, being part of the plating, the squid stuffing was done nicely. It looks like it is the squid itself but with added carbs from the rice and herbs.

Brulee

Rich custard base topped with a hard layer of burn caramel. RM 13.90. Recommended serving is for two or I guess I have just been avoiding myself with too much sugar and fat. But I highly suggested this to be part of their main menu. Not that it is part of the seafood dish launch but the creme wasn’t too sweet nor bland, it was just enough. The added vanilla ice cream on top, though adding more calories to it, compliments the mild creamy and sweet taste of the creme brulee.

Buah Melaka

Palm sugar dumpling served with coconut ice cream. RM 12.90. This interests me because this is a local cuisine. I was hesistant to taste it because of the palm sugar, not that it was obviously sweet, but I just had my orthodontic braces adjusted yesterday and when I poked it with a fork, it was kind of hard. But nevertheless, the buah was very nice, very Malay in food profile. Much more when they added the coconut ice cream.

For more info on their branches, visit their website, http://www.atheapartment.com. The menu is available 11 AM onwards at KLCC and 6PM onwards at The Curve. Below are shots taken inside the restaurant and bar of The Apartment at The Curve.