Otoro - A Costly Obsession

Iggy's - Singapore

When I met my wife, she subsisted on cereal and toast.  Occasionally she went through the effort to make herself nachos.  Infrequently, she was known to eat a hamburger, or chicken breast.  She also liked fried things, and potatoes.  


We still have different opinions of one early episode in our marriage.  As the lady of the house, my wife said she would do the grocery shopping.  New to living together, she asked if I had any special requests.  I knew that my wife was a meat and potatoes girl, so I said, "I'd like to east some more vegetables.  Why don't you get any vegetables from the grocery store you will eat."  She said Ok.

Vege-wha?

Proudly, that afternoon she showed me what she had bought.  Potatoes (not a vegetable).  Onions (not a vegetable).  And pico de gallo (not a vegetable).  She still swears that pico should count.  I tell her she's crazy.  I've since turned her onto a vegetable or two, but where I've had much more success are proteins.  Men beware.  Out of the oodles of things I have subjected her to, she likes duck breast, duck confit, foie gras, pork belly (are you seeing a pattern?) and her newest obession is Otoro (fatty tuna belly).  

Hanare - Kuala Lumpur

In Japan we had the pleasure of eating at four of the best sushi restaurants in the country.  Unfortunately, we didn't make it to all the ones I had hoped, but Sushi Sawada, Sushi Mizutani, Sushi Yashitake, and Kyubei - Ginza isn't a bad hit list.  While stuffing ourselves full of extravagant sushi, my wife declared she loved Otoro.  Here are two of her favorite bites.

Sushi Yashitake - Tokyo

Kyubei - Ginza - Tokyo

If you are curious, her favorite was Sushi Sawada. More on this to come soon... and for now I'm keeping her away from Kobe beef - Wagyu...

Sagano at the Renaissance

Everything that Hanare and Tatsu were in Kuala Lumpur, Sagano at the Marriott's Renaissance (Hotel) was not.  Another Malaysia International Gourmet Festival participant and Japanese restaurant, Sagano was a very affordable option.  It was affordable for a reason, and that reason is that it was little better than average.  Apparently others enjoy it enough, see this blog here - though I stand by my do-not-recommend.

MIGF, or "restaurant week" for a month in KL, allowed the gluttonous to visit some prominent hotels and restaurants to order reasonably priced tasting menus.  My experience was not the best at Sagano.  First, I ordered the tasting menu, and found out it wasn't actually a tasting menu.  Although many menus said "or" along side courses that diners would need to select an option from, this menu made no such indication.  I was then forced to pick one, and of course I opted for Wagyu.  (This would not be a big deal, if it was clear.)

The waitstaff handled it interestingly, the waitress brought out a menu and rather unapologetically made me select one.  They then brought out a magazine to entertain me while waiting on the food.  The hotel felt a little past its prime in terms of decor, and there were very few patrons. The seat springs absolutely assaulted me. It was uncomfortable.  I was a little insulted when the waiter brought out silverware, assuming the white man couldn't use chopsticks. He apologized when I separated the chopsticks, collected his silverware, and scurried off.

With a better lens you'd see the seat is uneven, and not just the stains.

After making an effort to wave down the manager and a quick chat, I confirmed that the waitress either decided unilaterally that I wanted the light menu (although that is not why I ordered), or tried to save the kitchen food by making me chose a dish when it was in fact a tasting menu (aka, charging me full price for half the dinner).  The manager first seemed to indicate that I did have to make the choice, but once I actually pulled out the MIGF literature he apologized and proceeded to update the kitchen I would be having the full tasting menu.  It left me really wondering if everyone was on the same page.  I was lost.

So, this was my first Japanese restaurant visit in awhile, and I had to order sushi (over the top, I know).  I ordered the sushi deluxe, for about 130 Malaysian Ringgit extra (everything is just so cheap in Malaysia).  The price wasn't so bad by Western standards, but is a small fortune in Malaysia.  Unfortunately, it was anything but deluxe. It had regular tuna, flying fish and salmon roe, bass, and all, were - regular.  A piece of salmon was very good, but no different than what I get at home. I stole the shiso leaf from my other dish to add to my sushi to create one of my best sushi bites that evening.  I would never go here and order off the menu at full price if the sushi deluxe is any indication.  Moving on... 

Apps

The appetizers, unagi (eel) sushi and seaweed, deep-fried soft shell crab and sticky ginger soy sauce, and egg tofu and boiled live prawn with bainiku sauce were ok in sum.  The eel was quite good, the sauce with the softshell crab was bland but the crab was good, and the tofu was so-so. 

The best of these bites - Unagi

The salmon "starter" was nice, and I loved the 'char,' but there was just something off-putting about it. It was a medium rare Atlantic salmon with grated yam, hot spicy sauce, and ikura (roe).  It had a flavor that didn't belong, which may have been an enzyme from something with the salmon roe or just not fresh roe.  Alternatively, some other element in it might have not been good.  I couldn't be sure, but it was too bad that a full bite of the dish was less appealing than eating it piecemeal.

The main courses were simmered seabass and wintermellon with garlic crabmeat sauce, griled cod mentai mayonnaise sauce, wagyu striploin and trio of mushrooms with wasabi-teriyaki sauce, and diced chicken rice with herbs.

A winner

Weird mayo and veggies

The seabass was very nice, filled with pleasant subtle flavor.  The melon was a little lost in the dish, but the concept was sound. The cod had a crisp and delicious piece of lotus root and good flavors, but I would have traded the mayo and egg (flying fish roe or something akin to it) for crispy skin!  The wagyu was criminally, CRIMINALLY, overcooked.  It was about three shades above my order, but wagyu is just so juicy and soft that you needn't be too fussy about it.  The final main dish, the chicken dice, was a bit of a mess.  It was average, and lacking clarity, but I am a sucker for shiso and enjoyed the herbs.

Wagyu, overdone and bathed in sauce but still good

Bleh rice dish

The deserts were ok, but really not great. Kuzukiri in sugar syrup and red bean soup sounded good, but the red bean was too watery and the flavor was not developed. The noodles were a little unusual, and not bad.

Overall, the meal and service were average - but not worth the price.  Especially at full price. The flavor combinations, and development, were not expertly crafted.  At the conclusion of the meal, Chef (at the time) Mohd Zamri Abdul Rahman came out to speak with me and my neighbor for a few minutes.  He asked for our opinion, and I tested the water by saying the red bean soup could use a little improvement.  He informed us that it was "just like from Japan" and that they have weird things that wouldn't appeal to everyone's palate (not in those exact words).  I decided to simply thank him and call it good.  Unfortunately, it seems a few years at Hotel Nikko as a sous chef does not turn a Malaysian into a Japanese expert.  I can't say that I am either, but I know I haven't eaten something so bland and unskillfully combined in Japan as the red bean dessert soup.

Sagano

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Level 1, West Wing

Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang

03-2162-2233

rhi.kulrn.fb@renaissancehotels.com

2 of 5 (on the back of wagyu that you cannot mess up)

Tatsu at the InterContinental

Tatsu was a happy accident.  I stumbled upon it based on the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (basically an Eat Around Kuala Lumpur event).  InterContinental took over a Hotel Nikko, which you would expect to have good Japanese food.  The hotel was remodeled, and so was Tatsu.  The menu was enough to draw me in:

Apps:

-Japanese Yam and Friend Anchovy Bruschetta

-Tuna and Trifoliate Citrus Leaves with Wasabi Sauce

-Avocado and Sweet Shrimp with Spiced Cod Roe

-Sushi with Eel, Avocado and Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab served with Almond Sauce

Starters:

-Sautéed Tiger Prawns and Eryngii Mushrooms topped with Japanese Soba Sauce

-Foie Gras Steak in Cod Fish Teriyaki

Main:

-Tatsu's Volcanic Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef with Ginger Soyu and Tatsu's Spicey Dip with Green Tea Onigiri

Desserts:

-Dried Fruit Tempura served with Chocolate and Red Bean Fondue

Does that sound good?  Well, it was.  We walked in, were greeted instantly by a number of people in the waitstaff, and the sushi chef behind the bar.  There were not a lot of diners, and the spartan, contemporary simple Asian decor looked even more sparse without patrons.  Word to the wise, omakase must be ordered in advance and is ordered course-by-course.

Our waitress took our order, the front-of-the-house manager poked by here and there to offer an explanation or suggestion, and all around the service was excellent.  We placed a little order of Scallop and Bontio sushi to go along with the tasting menu.  The scallops were fresh, delicate, butter-like and delicious.  The bonito fish came out with a few scallions, and was so fresh it was almost criminal.  I wish I could have eaten a pound of it.

Aside from the extra sushi, the dinner began with a little pickled carrot, and radish.  They were nice, and had a little more taste than an average Korean restaurant.  The Japanese Yam was salty and tasty. Then you ate the tuna, a delectable little bite with a soft soy flavor and touch of seaweed for a little extra taste of the sea.  The sweet shrimp, there was nothing to not like.  It was a nice balance of shrimp, egg, and avocado - and sweet shrimp in general is a treat.  The sushi was amazing, and the addition of the crunch with slivered almonds was a first (surprisingly) for me.  It won't be a last.

The "starters" that following did not disappoint.  The cod was utterly stunning.  The foie gras was every bit as good as you'd hope, and the pairing was made complete by the chef creating a small pocket for it in the cod piece.  The teriyaki was not overdone, so you could still taste the sweetness of the foie gras and cod.  Surprisingly, the "spot" tiger prawn soup was overshadowed by the cod, and was good - but a footnote compared to the other dishes.

Wagyu is synonymous with yum to me.  Sadly, I asked for rare to mid-rare, and the waitress, who cooked the steak on a stone at the table, cooked it to medium.  Not to stereotype, but she was Asian and didn't seem completely comfortable cooking a rare steak (a la many Middle Eastern people who also look at you funny when you make such a request).  Also, many people say that Wagyu is best served at medium because of caramelization of flavor.  Well, how a medium, verging on medium well steak remains like butter, is a happy mystery.  Everyone has heard the mythology surrounding Kobe beef, or Wagyu (simply not from Kobe), but it's remarkable when you eat it, and cool, rare, or mid-well, it remains just as soft, buttery, and delicious.  I just wish that it was grass fed and had that beautiful grass-fed tang.

Cooking it in front of us

Take a look at the formed, crisp rice, also beautiful, herbaceous, delicious.

The dessert was fantastic.  The fruit was tasty, and a great choice in Southeast Asia.  The chocolate, with some red beans, had this flavor that was almost reminiscent of cherry.  It was so delicious, honestly, that the waitress eventually brought out two spoons for my dinner companion and me to eat a few scoops.  We didn't finish off the chocolate, but only by exercising the greatest of self control.

One of the best Japanese meals I have had anywhere, let alone Kuala Lumpur.


Tatsu

InterContinental Kuala Lumpur

165, Jalan Ampang

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

03-2782-6118

tatsu@intercontinental-kl.com.my

4.5 of 5 

Iggy's at the Hilton Singapore

Iggy's is listed as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world according to Restaurant magazine.  Passing through town, it was impossible not to indulge.  The restaurant is very small, and reservations are a must.  You are given a "Gastronomic Menu" reflecting their seasonal menu on the weekend and this prix fixe is your only option.  Weekdays there is a slightly less expensive "Dinner" prix fixe menu.  Here was mine:

           -Eel

Avurga, Yuzu, Silver

           -Sea Urchin

Cauliflower, Abalone, Shiso

           -Chlorophyll

Sea and Soil

           -Sanma

Wild rice, Olives, Thyme

           -Pigeon

Beetroot, Hickory, Lentils

           -Epoisses

Yukon gold potato, Winter black truffles

           -Cantaloupe

Raspberry, Peppermint

           -Watermellon

Pepitas, Goat's cheese, Milk ice cream


It was one of the best meals I've ever had.  However, it was not "better" than the best meals I've ever had.  It did have some of the best courses that I've ever had.  This is an interesting dichotomy.  Here are the details:

First, there were two bonus courses at the beginning of the meal.  These courses were, in a word, outstanding.  Iggy's "sushi," a toro, wagyu (possibly Kobe) beef, and beautiful seasonal white fish (not white fish, but a white fish with which I could not pick out of a lineup - possibly Bonito fish) was phenomenal.  The pieces were not served on rice, but "gnocchi" in the loosest of senses.  It was more a cracker, though it's hard to make "cracker" sound fine dining.  These gnocchi exploded with flavor in your mouth, and gave a crunchy textural contrast to the soft fish and beef that was most welcome.

In addition, here is a "bonus" salad course:

The eel course was smoke infused with an upturned "bowl."  I don't normally buy into this gimmick, but the chef was able to infuse a great deal of smokey flavor into the eel and caviar, making the dish a complete success.  

Sadly, however, the sea urchin was not on the same level.  I first tasted the sea urchin and gel-like broth.  Independently they were a little disappointing.  When eaten together, they ceased to be disappointing, but only arose to "good," and additionally disappointing, the shiso flavor was really not present.  Even sadder, I neglected to snap a shot of it.

Chlorophyll, however, was spectacular.  If you were going to have a disappointing dish, go ahead and put it before this dish.  You quickly forget all about it, since this was the single best vegetable/vegetarian-friendly dish I have ever eaten.  It had no salt, creme, or stock added, according to the server.  It was, in a word, plants.  The amount of flavor that Iggy was able to get out of plants was amazing, and the roasted buckwheat seeds about stole the show.  They were so salty and delicious, it was hard to pay attention to the okra, seaweed, and other elements.  With each bite, however, you were reminded of just how harmonious this dish was.  I don't know how it would impact it, but I for one would have enjoyed a few seabeans in this dish - not to say it wasn't individually a five of five.

Another example of the nice textural touches within the dish were puffed rice pieces amid the wild rice that accompanied a perfect medium sanma.  The thyme was nice, but the sprig included on the dish would have blown out anyone's palate.  While pretty, frying it to a crisp and diffusing some of the thyme flavor, or transforming the ingredient in some other way would have been a better option.  Since the oil on the plate was already infused with thyme, you wouldn't lose anything.  This is a minor complaint, a garnish issue, but to me it is the difference between a great meal and a perfect meal.

Pigeon.  Why it wasn't called squab, is beyond me.  The woman next to me commented, pigeon, I don't think I want pigeon.  What she wouldn't have known would not have hurt her.  She probably would have gotten the dish, eaten it, declared it was the best squab she had ever eaten, and then later in telling her friends would have found out squab is actually pigeon.  Technically, again, the protein was cooked perfectly.  The lentils, of all things, about stole the show though.  They had this almost intoxicating, berry flavor that paired perfectly with the beetroot that was infused with a nice delicate smokey flavor.  Throw on that the pickled treatment that a few pieces of beet get, with micro-beet greens and you have another winning dish.  

The potatoes and cheese.  My goodness.  They were irresistible, with the truffle adding this magnificent earthy "umami" flavor.  I don't use the word umami lightly, or to be trendy.  This dish just had it.  This dish showed how amazing potatoes can be, and made for the best "mashed" or "scalloped" potatoes I have ever eaten.  

The (former) pastry chef, really had a stroke of brilliance when he created this cantaloupe soup.  It was like an injection of cantaloupe, so much flavor you might as well have stuck it straight into your veins with a needle.  In addition, I'm sure this is a fine dining trick, but to freeze and break apart individual raspberry cornels shows both patience and ingenuity.  Absolutely loved it!

The final dessert (or so you think), had a goat cheese infused vanilla ice cream.  The woman next to me (a different woman from the last time) declared, oh, goat cheese, I don't like goat cheese.  The chef convinced her to give it a try, and she gobbled the whole thing down.  The goat cheese wasn't prominent, but used to break up the sweetness of the ice cream.  The watermelon and pepitas were just winners.  

When you think you're done, they bust out a chocolate box.  I said yes to every one, after consulting with the pastry chef and him telling me that he would absolutely take one of each chocolate in my place.  The apple-flavored piece was outstanding.  I was glad to have grabbed one of each, because I wouldn't have grabbed the apple chocolate if I had only picked 2 or 3.  The white chocolate with pink peppercorn was good enough, and my least favorite was the pistachio (which would have been my first choice).  They had some delicious caramels, truffles, and macaroons.  I guess picking a least favorite was like picking a least favorite child.

I enjoyed my experience at Iggy's.  It was expensive, fine dining anywhere in the world expensive-expensive.  Do I think it was worth the price tag?  Yes.  I would strongly recommend it for a special occasion or business meeting.  Do I think given Singapore's food culture, that it is wise to spend some 50 times the cost of average fare on a single dinner?  Well, that's a tougher one.  I think in a nutshell that this is what cost Iggy's the last half of a "star" to me.  While the meal was fantastic, at the price (in Singapore), it needs to be perfect and it wasn't perfect. The wonderful staff really does lift your experience as well, each member is knowledgeable, friendly, and on task.  If your paradigm is Panda Express for Asian food, this will blow you away!


Iggy's

The Hilton Hotel

581 Orchard Road Level 3 
Singapore 238883 
Tel: +65 6732 2234 
Email: marcom@iggys.com.sg
*Google has not updated the address from the Regent Hotel - Beware!
4.5 of 5