Pork Fillet @ Tonkatsu Anzu, Isetan The Japan Store, Kuala Lumpur

Tonkatsu Anzu is the first tonkatsu outlet in Malaysia which used premium aged black pork from Fukuoka. The pork fillets are aged for seven days to help tenderise the meat. They are then breaded and deep fried at high temperature to keep the outside crisp without losing the meat juiciness.

Taste:8/10(The pork loin was delicate and mostly lean meat with the right amount of fat. I like the completeness of the meal comes with fresh sesame, tonkatsu sauce and refillable cabbage. I opt for their pork loin over fillet as I prefer leaner meat due to healthy option but lack of melt in your mouth effect. Do sprinkle some salt, dip into tonkatsu sauce mixed with grinded sesame and with some mustard to get a nice complex taste).
Price:4/10(Near expensive. The Gin-jo pork loin katsu set shown below at MYR48.00. With 6% GST its at MYR50.90. High price but you get quality stuff here).


Gin-jo pork loin katsu set.

Large piece of pork.

Succulent meat with adequate fat.

You can choose either white rice or brown rice. I opt for brown rice.

As for soup, you can choose seaweed soup or bean soup. I opt for bean soup. Usually bean soup or miso soup is without beans. But here, you can chew the beans. Great.

Not sure what pickles is this. Taste good with the pork.

Sesame.

The ingredients for you to eat with your tonkatsu.

Shredded cabbage. Its refillable.

The environment in the restaurant.

Fourth floor dining area of Isetan The Japan Store looks grand.

GPS/Coordinate: 3.146462, 101.712433
Address: 4th Floor, Lot 10, 50, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

Kobe beef Kaiseki 511 lunch steak set @ Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan

Kobe beef is one of the must try item when visiting Japan. Kobe beef Kaiseki 511 located in Akasaka is one of the restaurant which serve good kobe beef in Tokyo. The plates, service and ambience in this restaurant is unparalleled. I came to this restaurant for lunch and selected the full steak set on today's cut. According to the waiter, today's cut is the round part of the cow. He said the meat will be slightly hard but I try it anyway. My full lunch steak set comes with seafood salad, chicken soup, noodles, the main Kobe beef steak weight 150 gram, dessert, tea and coffee. The food was good and enjoyable. Service here were great.

Taste:8/10(Good. The Kobe beef steak were well seasoned and flavourful. However, the steak was a little over cooked for a medium rare beef. The soy foam which come with the steak blends very well with the beef).
Price:2/10(Expensive. The full lunch set of 5 menu courses cost almost 6,900 Yen. The meal was still alright although I expect tastier beef).


Finally reached this Kobe beef Kaiseki 511 for lunch.

The restaurant located at lower ground.

I were shown this chart as the waiter trying to explain which part the meat are from and the pricing attached to it.

Very modern and proper fine dining restaurant.

Start off with green soba noodles which were great.


Salad with raw salmon, shrimp and scallop.

Chicken soup.

Proper utensil for the lunch.

The main attraction at Kobe beef Kaiseki 511. I ordered their today's cut.

Properly seasoned meat but with slight overcooked for medium rare.

This soy foam which melted on the steak like butter.

My main dish. Kobe beef, rice and soy foam. The kobe beef also comes together with some small potatoes and an okra.


Kobe beef.


Dessert of ice cream and water melon. The water melon were good. Other than that, its just normal.

Tea.

I also have a cup of coffee which is just normal.

GPS/Coordinate: 35.674681, 139.735364
Address: Akasaka 4-3-28 | Plaza Akasaka, B1, Minato 107-0052, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan.
Public transport: Around 8 minutes walk from Akasaka station via Chiyoda line.
Opening hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.00pm to 11.00pm. Closed on sunday.

Premium ice cream of Haagen Dazs and Godiva in Japan

In most places in the part of the world, the ice cream brand name such as Haagen Dazs or Godiva is only available in huge hypermarkets or premium shopping mall. But in Japan, you can get these premium ice cream at any convenience stores. Not only that, the flavours available are also amazing and some weird taste as well.


Haagen Dazs premium ice cream with variety of flavours which can't be found in other countries.


For example special flavour of Japonais. Thick strawberry sauce with chocolate chips ice-cream.



Special edition Opera ice-cream only available in Dec 2014. Thick chocolate and coffee flavour. The best ice-cream tasted.

Rare cheesecake ice cream.


New chocolate brownie ice-cream.


Godiva imported chocolate chips ice cream.

Freshest sushi at Daiwa Sushi @ Tsukiji Market, Tokyo

Daiwa sushi is one of the famous sushi shop serving freshest sushi outside the Tsukiji fish market. Daiwa sushi always rank second behind sushi Dai in term of sushi quality in any review that you can find online. I decided to try out Daiwa sushi to know the difference of sushi taste compared to other sushi restaurant within Tokyo. They have no line when I arrived around 11.00am compared to Sushi Dai which still have long queue. The sushi prepared were so fresh and the chef put the correct amount of wasabi and soy sauce on the sushi. The taste were perfect. I am fortunate to have the old chef sushi master to prepare my meal. The sushi prepared were well balanced in term of fish thickness, rice quantity, soy sauce and wasabi. Sea urchin here were surprisingly sweet unlike some which are bitter. The seat inside the restaurant were extremely cramped and do prepared for it.

Taste:10/10(Excellent. The sushi were very fresh and the taste is different when compared to normal sushi restaurant. The secret is probably the sushi were made on the spot and the correct amount of wasabi and soy sauce were added by sushi chef. This way you can ensure that the correct amount of wasabi and soy sauce were used. I noticed that the squid sushi were extremely buttery and creamy taste unlike some other places which are rubbery).
Price:2/10(Expensive. The restaurant does not accept credit cards and make sure you have enough cash. Their omakase set - chef choice price at 3,500 Yen. Their sushi price is higher than their competitor sushi Dai their omakase only have 10 pieces of sushi compared to sushi Dai 12 pieces).


Busy restaurants outside Tsukiji market.

Get a seat in Daiwa sushi restaurant. I ordered the 3,500 Yen omakase sushi set.

Omakase sushi set start with 3 pieces of premium sushi.

Premium sushi at Sushi Zanmai @ Tsukiji Market, Tokyo

Reached this restaurant at around 11.30am on a saturday and queue were quite long outside this 3 storey high restaurant. Although the line is long, but we are able to get into the restaurant in about 30 minutes time. Initially target to try Sushi Dai which is located within the Tsukiji compound. But have to forget about it since the line was horribly long. I have tried several Sushi Zanmai outlets around Japan and so far it haven't fail me. I was satisfied with the quality and freshness of the food served without any question. As soon we were seated, we ordered 3 sets of premium sushi. Two sets of assorted premium sushi while one set of premium toro (fatty cut of fish usually tuna/bluefin). The best part about Sushi Zanmai outlet is they open 24 hours, 365 days a year. They are indeed work very hard and have many outlets around Japan with great quality.

Taste:9/10(Delicious. There sushi were fresh and toro were great).
Price:5/10(Near expensive. With the weakening Yen, this meal becomes more affordable. Price for each premium sushi set at 3,240 Yen including 8% consumption tax).


Set of premium sushi and premium toro. From the toro set, you get all the fattiness cut of each level from normal fatty level until extra fatty tuna belly cut. As the intensity of the fat increase, the colour will be lighter and become white for the most fatty tuna piece. The conger eel is great as well with lightly marinated with sweet sauce.

Extra fatty tuna and broiled fatty tuna. Excellent.

Medium fatty tuna.

Raw ebi prawn, normal tuna, amberjack, squid, tamago and conger eel sushi.

Conger eel, ark shell and amberjack.


Sea urchin, ikura, chive buds and ootoro (fatty tuna).

Do make sure you request for ground floor or first floor if you would like to view chef in action.

Metro: Tokyo Metro Tsukiji station or Toei Tsukijishiro station.
Coordinate/GPS: 35.665919,139.770531
Address: 11-9 Tsukiji (near Shin-Ohashi-dori/Harumi-dori crossing), Tokyo.