MIGF: Tatsu Japanese Restaurant, Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur

If you love Japanese food, one place that you must try this MIGF or even beyond MIGF would be Tatsu Japanese Restaurant at Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur. This MIGF experience Chef Yanagida Tetsuya's creative play of colours and ingredients making every course a luxurious experience.

~.~

Appetisers

A Combination of Japanese Yam and Fried Anchovy Bruschetta,

Tuna and Trifoliate Citrus Leaves with Wasabi sauce,

Avocado and Sweet Shrimp with Spiced Cod Roe and

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

~.~

The appetiser arrives looking truly appetising. An artistic colourful display I was at a lost as to which direction or which dish should I start with? And since I've decided to be a right hander for that night, I started from my right.

A Combination of Japanese Yam and Fried Anchovy Bruschetta will win the hearts of yam lovers. Lightly fried, it was crispy outside. Bite into it to reveal creamy purple Japanese yam which is lightly sweet. Combined with the baby anchovies for its additional crisp and saltiness and slightly tangy cherry tomatoes, this is not just a mere play of flavour but a brilliant play of textures.

I'll have to conclude that the Avocado and Sweet Shrimp with Spiced Cod Roe is my favourite of the four dishes in the first course. The avocado is used not merely as a "bowl" in this case buts it naturally creamy and nutty character serves to enhance the spiced cod roe and sweet shrimp. As the avocado used was nice and ripe, it wasn't a surprise that we all scraped our avocado clean that night. Yummy!

Moving to the left is the Tuna and Trifoliate Citrus Leaves with Wasabi sauce. This is a refreshing preparation as the tuna is juicy and went well with the citrus infused wasabi sauce.

The Sushi Roll with Eel, Avocado and Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab served with Almond Sauce was a rather fun dish for me. With so many ingredients, I wanted to experience everything in one mouthful as it was intended to. This dish in one word would be creamy from the use of eel, avocado and crab but it wasn't an overkill as the roe gave it a light salty taste while the slightly sweet almond sauce made it slightly moist. It was a gastronomic explosion of flavours in my mouth.

~.~

Starters

Seafood Duo

Sautéed Tiger Prawns and Eryngii Mushrooms topped with Japanese Soba Sauce

&

Foie Gras Steak in Cod Fish Teriyaki

~.~

Sautéed Tiger Prawns and Eryngii Mushrooms topped with Japanese Soba Sauce looked luxuriously rich with the gold dust sprinkled over it. Eryngii mushroom and the sweet juicy prawns were just perfect with the mild soba sauce.

Foie Gras Steak in Cod Fish Teriyaki is such a delightful idea. Both the seared foie gras and cod fish are naturally creamy in texture. Yet each exude its own flavour that is enhanced by the sweet teriyaki sauce that is lightly caramelised on the cod.

Rich creamy seared foie gras

~.~

Mains

*Tatsu’s Volcanic Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef with Chef’s choice of Ginger Soyu and Tatsu’s Spicy Dip

Green Tea Rice Onigiri

~.~

I've always loved a good meal of wagyu. Tatsu’s Volcanic Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef with Chef’s choice of Ginger Soyu and Tatsu’s Spicy Dip is a play of our sense. Be mesmerized by the aroma of the wagyu being grilled on the hot stones and the cracking sound of the wagyu fat. Every bite of the wagyu was intriguing. The meat has a smooth velvety and succulent that I didn't have a need to dip it into any of the 2 dips provided.

the beautiful marbled wagyu

wagyu cooked on the volcanic stone right before your eyes

*salivate*

velvet soft tender medium rare wagyu

However a dip into the 2 dips that Chef Yanagida Tetsuya concocted gave the wagyu a different experience. Of the two, I preferred the Ginger Soyu for its zesty flavour.

The Green Tea Rice Onigiri was good to eat on its own with a refreshing green tea taste to it. Eat the rice on its own or with a bite of the wagyu and some golden crispy garlic flakes. I must confess that not being much of a rice fan, I ate only a little of my rice. I was just too happy with the wagyu. Too satisfied with the good cut of wagyu would be more precise and technically correct.

~.~

Desserts

Dried Fruit Tempura served with Chocolate

and Red Bean Fondue

~.~

I must confess that I cringed at the idea of Dried Fruit Tempura served with Chocolate and Red Bean Fondue. It just sounded all too sweet. I know its dessert time but surely we don't need a sugar overload. However I was so wrong. The dried fruit were carefully chosen for its flavour as they were not too sweet. Neither was the chocolate too sweet while the red bean gave the whole chocolate fondue a unique texture and beany flavour. How does one eat this?

a dollop of red bean in a pool of chocolate

dried fruits tempura

Simply dip your dried fruit tempura stick into the chocolate fondue. You can mix the red bean the chocolate or in my case, I dipped the tempura into the chocolate first followed by smearing the red bean onto the tempura. Desserts are meant to be fun so have fun while you're at it!

And here's us feeling all so happy like kids with our lollipops. And well...even Chef Yanagida Tetsuya joined us for one of our happy play with food pics.

Menu

• Full Festival Menu RM430 per person with wine

• RM330 per person without wine

• Light Festival Menu Tatsu’s Volcanic Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef with Chef’s Choice of Ginger Soyu and Tatsu’s Spicy Dip, RM150 per 100g

Wine

• Capel Vale Debut Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010

• Capel Vale Debut Chardonnay 2010

• Capel Vale Regional Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Tatsu Japanese Restaurant

InterContinental Kuala Lumpur

165 Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

T: +603 2782 6118

http://www.intercontinental-kl.com.my/dining/tatsu_restaurant.asp