The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:12 PM PDT

The Gyu Tataki – lightly roasted beef in tangy citrusy sauce – is a must-try.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — After the first time I ate at Ju Ne in Solaris Dutamas, I kept wanting to go back. Then it was just the two of us, and the Chanko Nabe, a seafood hotpot was a good choice. What did it for me were the plump oysters that had been put in last in the bubbling miso stock. Somehow their natural sweetness was enhanced by the soup.

After we had finished eating all the prawns, squid, salmon, crab and mussels, and vegetables like mushrooms, cabbage and lettuce, the pot was taken back to the kitchen, and to the soup was added rice (you could have udon too) and egg. The porridge tasted wonderful, having soaked in the essence of everything in the pot.

We had as appetizers the unforgettable Negitoro Yukka Garlic Zoe, and the Ebishinjyo No Renkon Hasamiage. The first is chopped tuna belly and anchovy with wasabi mayonnaise on garlic toast; the second is lotus root stuffed with shrimp paste, deepfried and served with green tea powder, red shiso and salt and black pepper.

The Negitoro Yukke Garlic Toast Zoe is a fabulous starter.

I heaped the very crispy and garlicky toast with the chopped, smooth tuna, and there was enough of wasabi in the mayonnaise to give it a lift. It tasted so good that I had it again on my second and third visit there.

The thin slices of lotus root sandwiched with shrimp paste, dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, offer crunchy root with sweet prawny flavours. You could touch it with any of the dips provided. I thought the red shiso worked well with it.

On the third visit, on a Saturday afternoon, we were told that the place had been booked out, and to return at 1.30pm. But by 1pm, the crowd had cleared.

For teppanyaki fans, the Tori To Yasai No will satisfy.

This time we had a Ju Ne veteran in our midst, who proceeded to order the lotus root and garlic toast, Gyu Tataki, Prawn Tempura, Kampachi and Aori Ika (yellowtail and squid sashimi), Ochazuke Uma and Mentaiko, Zaru Soba, Tori To Yasai No (teppanyaki chicken and vegetables), Negitoro Maki and California Maki.

Ebishinyo No Renkon Hasamiage or Minced Prawn with Lotus Root... absolutely delightful.

It was a breathtaking list of dishes but they demonstrated the young Japanese chef's range. The sashimi impressed with its freshness. The prawn tempura was expectedly light.

The Ochazuke Uma and Ochazuke Mentaiko bowled me over. It was rice with soup — Japanese comfort food at its best. I couldn't decide which was better – the Uma one with the sour plum that was appetite stirring, or the one with mentaiko or spicy cod roe, that delivered a little heat to the delicious rice soup. I would still want both the next time I'm there.

The Gyu Tataki had slices of beef still rare from the searing, dressed in a vinegary, citrusy sauce and topped with a cloud of finely sliced onions. The onions provided a contrast in texture with the beef, imbuing it with a fresh sweetness as well.

We had some tender, juicy chicken glistening with a sweet sauce from the teppan, accompanied by vegetables like cauliflower, cucumber and tomato.

The Prawn Tempura turned out well, crispy where it should be, with no oily traces. We liked the Negitoro Maki and the California Maki too.

Yellowtail and squid sashimi... very fresh.

Shared, the Zaru Soba was a pleasant interlude, dipping the chilled buckwheat noodles into a bowl of sauce with chopped spring onions and wasabi. It's the right food to eat on a hot day.

On a previous outing I found the Garden Salad with an anchovy dip irresistible. Cauliflower, watercress, baby radishes and carrots, sweet corn and squash served on ice, were just lovely with the lightly sweet, mellow and creamy anchovy sauce.

What's more, eating at Ju Ne is not expensive. The Chanko Nabe is RM64, Gyu Tataki RM28, Negitoro Yukke Garlic RM25, sashimi platter RM60, Ochazuke RM12 (of each flavour), Prawn tempura RM28, chicken and vegetable teppanyaki RM22, Minced Prawn with Lotus Root RM19.

Ju Ne is located at Block A4, Level G2, Unit 4A-G2-3A, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-6207 9923.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Jumaat, 14 September 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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