First Timer's Guide To Sushi Bar

Sushi bar dining is meant to be relaxing. Photo Credit : Christian Horan

Dining at a sushi bar may sound intimidating for first timers but with a good chef, it can be a more comfortable stress-free experience compared to a fast food joint. It is THE way to experience sushi in its best form. The diners are able to communicate their orders, preference or feedback instantly to the chef and in return the chef is able attend to the customer's need immediately. Most importantly, the chef can ensure his sushi is consumed in its most optimal condition by serving directly to the customer.

Sushi bar dining goes beyond tasting the food to the realm of performance arts. The experience of seeing the chef skillfully slicing the fish in a single flick of his knife to his finesse in pressing the rice into a ball that breaks like cloud in your mouth all adds to the sushi bar experience and ultimately, brings more enjoyment when consuming your sushi. If you look bored or need someone to have a conversation the chef is there for your to engage with and will do so happily.

Review : Sushi Azabu @ The Table, Isetan Lot 10

Sushi Azabu originated from New York city and was designated a Michelin star. As part of The Table, Isetan Japan Store in Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur which aims to bring authentic Japanese food to the city, Sushi Azabu begin its Malaysia's operations on February 2017 and is entrusted with the duty of showcasing authentic Japanese sushi to the city folks.

My lunch was attended at the counter by Head Chef Toshihide Terado (Or Chef Tera) who has 19 years under his belt in the sushi business. Their price ranges from RM120 for a set of 10 nigiri (with appetizer and miso soup) to RM430 for the Omakase course. For this review I will be looking at their cheapest sushi course meal of 10 nigiri.

Review : Sumiya Izakaya, Cheras

Photo Credit : Sumiya Izakaya Malaysia

Sumiya Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant with 2 branches in Malaysia which serves pretty much generic Japanese foods like Yakitori, Bento, Udon and obviously, Sushi. They also serve a good variety of Japanese sake at reasonable prices and the general ambiance is great. The customers here are mostly the locals and their families and hence it's a great place to have a casual japanese food at a nicely decorated restaurant at reasonable price. My review will focus entirely on their Sushi offerings although I did indulge myself to a nice hot Kubota Senju sake. Simple but effective.

Nigiri and Gunkan sushi are sold in pair

They have a separate menu and ordering chit for their sushi and the price offered is very reasonable for a service restaurant. For example a pair of salmon nigiri will cost you roughly RM 3 after tax which is the sort of the price you'll see for an on the shelf takeaway salmon nigiri. Their traditional nigiri offering is not that much though which is expected. Their more popular offerings are based around cooked food like salmon mentai or tuna mayo. 

Making The Best Out Of Your Takeaway Sushi

Takeaway sushi, or to be more specific, on the shelf sushi is the worst form of sushi you can get. They're cold, dry, takes some effort to chew on and ultimately not the kind of sushi you would want to spend a good amount of money on. The rice is often tightly compacted to avoid breaking apart during transportation of the sushi to the diner.

Read More : What Makes A Great Sushi

However if you're somehow desperate for sushi in your workplace or back home and do not have the time to visit a sushi restaurant, there are ways to ensure that you get the best flavor from your sushi. Some might take a bit additional effort so use your discretion whether you want to take the steps below to further enhance your takeaway sushi.

Review : Sushi Q, Publika

Opening their first outlet in One Utama Shopping Mall at 2010, Sushi Q is mainly a takeaway sushi store commonly found in shopping malls in Klang Valley today. They do however offer seating space for the consumption of their sushi.

 

Their website indicates that they offer sushi-fusion and this is shown as their main offerings seems to be makizushi and inarizushi and often paired with non-traditional ingredients like mayonnaise, minced crab meat, corn and spicy salmon. They still have some raw fish nigiri which is mainly salmon and an unidentified white fish.

Review : Isetan Supermarket KLCC

Established in 1998, Isetan KLCC is the flagship store for Isetan Malaysia. Photo Credit : timeoutkl.com

Isetan is a Japanese departmental store which set its foothold in Malaysia in the 1970s. In the 1990s it open its first dedicated store and along with it, a supermarket section with a section called 'Isetan Foodmarket' which offers ready to eat and takeaway Japanese (and recently Korean) meals. The KLCC store is packed during lunch hour as you can spot office workers purchasing their takeaway meals.

Isetan offers more traditional variety compared to other off the shelf takeaway sushi.

I purchased a pack of assorted sushi right after the store opened. Thankfully Isetan has a dining area in which customers who purchased their takeaway food from the foodmarket can dine in. The sushi is beautifully packaged and it gives a premium feel when viewed. The sushi is tightly packed next to each other giving it less chance to move around and maintain its neat arrangement during transport. The downside of this whole thing though is the sauce from the unagi has spilled over to the salmon nigiri.