ENJU,
Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur,
Level 2, Jalan Conlay,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2170 8888 ext 8203
Business hours: Noon to 2.30pm (Monday to Friday)
and 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Monday to Saturday).
Pork-free.
Chef adds Malaysian and Western influences to authentic Japanese cuisine.
DRAWING inspiration from his Malaysian roots and exposure to Western food, chef Aspazali Amran (top pic) of Enju restaurant has developed his own interpretation of authentic Japanese cuisine.
Aspazali has created several dishes by fusing the rich flavours associated with Western food with spiciness of Asian dishes and simplicity of Japanese cuisine.
Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur’s Japanese restaurant Enju reveals their new fusion menu with the simplicity of Japanese food adapted to the Malaysian palate and influenced by Western dishes.
The new a la carte menu for Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur’s Enju, has been in the planning stage for six months.
“A number of authentic, traditional Japanese dishes was maintained in the menu along with 30% modern Japanese dishes. I adjusted the recipes according to feedback from customers, including catering to local palates.
“For example, teriyaki sauce can be considered a very old school recipe, and I wanted to find a balance between savoury and sweet,” he said.
Specialising in Japanese food since 1990, Aspazali has been tweaking the flavours of his teriyaki sauce, found in the Gyuniku Teriyaki (RM75++), for 10 years.
Gyuniku Teriyaki (RM78++), with Aspazali’s special sauce that has been in the making for 10 years.
The seared Australian beef tenderloin is simmered in the unique sauce that has undergone the reduction process for 15 to 20 minutes.
With ingredients flown fresh from Japan, Australia and Norway twice a week, the Maguro Avacado Zuke (RM48++) using diced raw tuna is reminiscent of steak tartare.
This Japanese-French-inspired dish has a Korean touch to it as kimchi paste is added to the sauce for extra spiciness.
Topped off with flying fish roe, the richness of avocado is cut by the tangy tuna marinated in wasabi and soy sauce.
Inspired by the French steak tartare, Aspazali developed the Maguro Avacado Zuke (RM48++)for his new a la carte menu.
Aspazali highly recommends the Foie Gras and Daikon Truffle (RM75++), a sinfully fatty full-tasting dish of imported duck liver.
The sumptuous treat is delicately paired with a clear sauce mixture of sake, sugar and soy sauce as well as the refreshing mild flavoured root vegetable found in the Japanese radish.
For a Malaysian twist, Aspazali’s Aji Edamame (RM18++) drastically altered the traditionally simple salted young soybeans, by adding blended chilli, fermented bean and miso paste to the mix, inspired by thoughts of sambal nasi lemak.
The Edamame is different as it has chilli, fermented bean and miso paste in it.
Another must-try is the Western-inspired Salmon Cheese Maki (RM36++) which is raw salmon, lightly torched to preserve the taste of the uncooked fish, then garnished with flying fish roe and melted Parmesan cheese for a more rounded flavour.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.