Kiku Zakura's Sensational Sashimi

My favourite cuisine in the world is Japanese. Let's face it: Japanese cuisine looks good from start to finish. I mean, surely you've seen the big hunk of tuna sitting there just waiting to be sliced into Sashimi? It's ruby red, matte, fresh, cut beautifully... it's gorgeous. And it's not even served yet! If there was ever to be a beauty contest between all the best looking cuisines in the world before they got to the table to be devoured - Japanese would win it hands down!



Call me shallow, but I am all about presentation. It's the first thing that reels me in (and I'm sure I'm not alone here). I love good looking food. Give me good looking food that tastes even better than it looks and you're a winner in my books. Kiku Zakura at the Mid Valley Mall (3rd floor, near the Cinemas) really delivers on that front.



Kiku Zakura's sake sashimi (salmon sashimi) is expensive (RM 55 for 8 pieces per plate) but it's always fresh. The salmon melts in your mouth and yet the flesh is tight when you bite into it. The segments are thick and leave a beautiful aftertaste in your mouth. I have eaten at more high-end Japanese restaurants in KL and Kiku Zakura's sashimi still takes top spot.



If you like maki rolls, try the special "Kiku Zakura Maki". It's got sticks of cucumber, imitation crab, prawn tempura, roe, all wrapped up in one layer of seaweed and then another layer of very thin slamon sashmi. It's lovely-juvley. Dress it with a little pickled ginger and a scraping of wasabi and let the whole roll just come undone in your mouth. Yum! You get 8 colossal pieces in a plate and it's a filler-upper! We've eaten this so many times, we even know when it's the head chef who has made our rolls (they're bigger and more tightly wrapped).



Other notable mentions: the Gyoza (larger than normal size for a gyoza and a little too bland for my liking. I also find that they put too much water chestnut in the filling and less meat), the Miso Black Cod here is nice but I've had better.



My husband was craving some Chicken Katsu Curry. Well, they had Chicken Katsu Curry but with an escalope of beef. Weird huh? I tried it and let's just say: I'm not a fan.



And for dessert (which was on the house by the way): Thai Mango. You pay at the counter and Serena Heng (the manager) will always say: "Thank-you! Aarigato akira masta"... and her girls will all shout back the same in a resounding chorus. SIGH!

Here's what we ate and drank:

Sake Sashimi
Kiku Zakura Maki
Chicken Katsu Curry with Beef
Green Tea
Mineral water

The bill (which you never get to review unless you ask for it): RM 181

It's not cheap but we come back here for the freshest sashimi in Kuala Lumpur.