Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Japanese Food @ Edo Ichi Japanese Restaurant, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur


edo ichi pizza with its unique rice pizza base


I'm a little (okay maybe a lot) addicted to Japanese food that I can often eat it on a daily basis. Reading a friend's facebook updates (they're currently in Tokyo/Kyoto enjoying all the wonderful eats there) on a daily basis got me craving for some Nippon lovin', so here's a double dosage today - a blog post on Edo Ichi, a new place in Solaris Dutamas and a Flickr update to the Nihonkai photo set. For serious Japanese food lovers, there's also my Flickr collection on Japanese food.

one piece is never enough


Japanese food seems to be a perennial favourite of KL-lites, whether it is mom-or-pop joints, Chinese oriented home style eateries, ramen or even udon noodles cafes, chain places with sushi conveyor belts, fusion styled places with lashings of mayonnaise and cheese, izakaya joints for the sake and yakitori lover, and of course classic Japanese which focuses on freshest ever seafood flown in from Tokyo every Tuesdays and Fridays.


intersection of pizza base, sake bottles reserved for regulars, green tea for us instead



I'm not too sure which category Edo Ichi falls in but one thing is definite, the food is utterly delicious here. Edo Ichi is a pretty well known name around the Mont Kiara area, as the Chinese family owns the infamous condominium cafes in Mont Kiara Pines and Vista Kiara. These cafes serve value-for-money eats that won't break your pocket. This more upscale place is supposedly owned by one of the family members.


steamed sake clams


One obvious place they have modeled themselves after is Rakuzen, as the menu is almost identical in looks and design with the Rakuzen ones. Maybe that's the standard design template for all Japanese restaurants - super gorgeous pictures of food that entice you to order everything on the menu.


chilled spinach topped with sesame sauce


Our two visits here especially the last one, left us suitably impressed with this place to guarantee us revisiting it again. Since I was still feeling my way around for the first visit, we had some hits and misses. I wanted a lighter tasting meal hence it was a repertoire of classic dishes. To kick off the meal, it was horenso goma ee, chilled spinach topped with sesame sauce (RM9). While it was cool and refreshing, I felt the sauce was a little too watery and didn't have much of a sesame taste. Probably this came from a bottle versus being the sesame seeds being grinded freshly to form the sauce. Instead I was more impressed with the asari sakamushi (RM18) - stemmed short neck clams with Japanese wine that produced a slurp-licious sweet broth.


Edo ichi menu, una cheese roll and shake tataki roll


I've always been partial towards onigiri aka rice balls especially after I drooled over Oishinbo's descriptions hence I was pretty excited to see they served a variety of them here. However, the mentaiko and grilled onigiri  was dissapointing since the rice didn't taste hot and starchy. Splashie Boy's comfort food is often beef noodles like the niku soba (RM25) - buckwheat noodles served with wafer thin beef slices with a broth made from konbu seaweed.


slightly burnt edges makes the niku amiyaki simply divine


Our second visit saw us hitting a home run with everything we ordered. I enjoyed the gyuniku amiyaki (RM18) tremendously as the grilled beef slices came with caramelised bits on its side (gorgeous) and a smoky taste. The amiyaki sweet sauce complemented it beautifully when it was hot (it got a bit sweet when it turned cold). We also found out you could mix two makis together (a half and half) so you get to taste more choices. The waitress recommended us the una cheese roll (RM28) and the shake tataki roll (RM28), their specialties. I enjoyed them both even though it did come with cheese and mayonnaise, probably because just a dash is added to the whole ensemble. What I also liked was how they seem to make the makis a little smaller with less rice, making it dainty and enough to fit into the mouth at one bite (the real way to eat a maki) so I don't make be look like a social moron.


For the ultimate, I fell in love with the edo ichi pizza (RM30) that came with eel and salmon toppings. The special pizza has an interesting base - sushi rice compressed together, dusted with panko breadcrumbs and deep fried till crisp. It has a slightly soft texture with a crunch from the deep fried breadcrumbs. Just given a lick of mayonnaise, the pizza was topped with salmon and unagi slices, and a sprinkle of ebiko. Yummy till the last piece which I slowly savoured.


Like an addict, the cravings started to hit when I was editing these pictures and I reckon I'll need to revisit again to satisfy my Japanese fix here as there ain't such a thing called Japanese food rehab.

Edo Ichi Japanese Restaurant
A4-G-1
Solaris Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-6205 5228


(Pork Free. Open from 11.30am to 3pm for lunch and 6pm to 10pm for dinner. The flickr set is here.)


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.



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35 comments:

Michelle Chin said...

Is edo ichi somehow related to edo jin, hartamas?

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

i need to start finding my fav jap joints here! but its somewhat hard bcos all the good ones are always packed!

boo_licious said...

Michelle - this place is opened by one of the family members i.e. the brother.

Joe - am sure you'll be able to slowly sniff out the good places given time.

Baby Sumo said...

Walked past this place when we went to Nathalie's - now that I've seen your post about it, I'd really like to go there!

qwazymonkey said...

Ooooh....I'm craving for some niku amiyaki now! LOL. No prize for guessing where I'll be this raya weekend.

KY said...

ohmaigawd hungers max now!

minchow said...

GULP. OK, all my aversion towards mayo in Jap just got thrown out the window. I want that pizza now! All to myself!

Tailim said...

the way you describe the food I am hungry and so tempting....oshi desu ne.

Unknown said...

i need to make more trips to solaris dutamas, since my place is just 4km away!

NekoHime said...

nais..lovely, i think will try this on my home trip back to KL this weekend!

boo_licious said...

Baby Sumo - yes, I giving it a little time to get things right before visiting. Hope you visit and like it.

qwazymonkey - I hope it'll be opened as I reckon I need another visit again too.

Hee hee KY, you can run down and get Jap fix at Isetan?

minchow - not too much mayo here, just a lick to make it less dry & we love the pizza!

Sin Tai Lim - I'm also hungry looking at my own pixs. Was so tempted to visit on Tuesday night to try the sashimi but decided I better not.

kampungboycitygal - no excuses! so we expect you to visit all the new places in Solaris soon.

waves at nekohime again, where r you now? Didn't know you're out of KL too. Hope you get to try this. Call to check if open but I think it shld be since I saw a lot of Chinese chefs.

NekoHime said...

@boo: I am in Manila @ the moment. Workin'.

J2Kfm said...

Eh, the pizzas and the mix and match of unagi and salmon rolls resemble the ones from Azuma in Penang so much!
Are they one of the same?
http://www.j2kfm.com/penang-food-azuma-japanese-restaurant-queensbay-mall/

Cicak said...

Nice post ! Will go try it out. I love japanese food too!

Joey Y said...

The rice based pizza!! *drools*
Will mark that down!

Ciki said...

woman.. you totally nailed the niku amiyaki shot !

ok, ok, not to mention the REST! LOL..

fantastic shots and post.. it think i maybe be itchy for some ichi:P

eiling lim said...

I wanna try the sake clams!!! I also realised that you seemed to be mad about Jap food!

Rebecca Saw said...

Came once but on a small appetite night.
The menu left me reeling so my fren did the ordering instead! Well, now I knw wht to look out for!

sc said...

food looks mouth watering..thanks for sharing, i love jap food too, must try this soon!

Unknown said...

Delicious looking food! I do like the eel when it is charred as well. I like the idea of Japanese "pizza" it looks so good!

Simon Seow said...

omg, the pizza is like to die for. such generous ingredients. Isn't there one Edo Ichi in Desa Sri Hartamas behind True Fitness?

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Japanese food is possibly the most well embraced Asian cuisine in the world. Everything you show here looks amazing- I am feeling hungry just by looking at your photos. Bookmarking this for visit next time I get to KL.

AugustDiners said...

i do love Japanese food too! just can't seem to get enough of it and often venture out to new ones just so i can find a favourite among the crowd. Unfortunately up till now i havent been able to find one that i would go to again and again, hope you can save me the trouble and share with us your absolute favourite japanese restaurant :D

WP said...

wow, your macro shots are nice.. this place looks like it deserves a visit.. rather than the usual rakuzen dinners at plaza damas.. thanks for sharing :D

miklos said...

It looks delitiosuus but it is a pie not a piza as many call it the definition is dierence is not so big but it is a pie good probably . got hungry just lokig at .would like to taste it maybe shall try my luck and make it in the week end . with regads miklos

~Christine~Leng said...

my fren just mentioned this place to me! i'm so heading here soon :)

Jason said...

The charred beef slice looks really good!

boo_licious said...

Nekohime - ah so!

j2kfm - could be, no idea as I know Japanese restaurants all belong to different groups. They just change the concepts.

Hope you enjoy it Cicak.

Zoee - yes, very unusual stuff.

C&C - go again with PA since he said he is still trying to look for the holy grail of Jap food to satisfy him.

eiling - yes, very mad abt Jap food.

nomadgourmand - yes, loads of things here to try.

sc - thxs for the Fei Fei Crabs post. I feel like rushing over to eat some crustaceans.

Lannae - yes, the best bit abt the pizza is it does not get soggy.

Simon Seow - I think that is Edo Ju, full of Japanese smoking men.

Hiya Shirley - hope u get to try this in yr next visit but I'm sure Spore has even better Japanese eateries.

Augustdiners - sigh, I love hole in the wall places such as Sumi Ka and Kapoh Muneharu. Loads of Japanese expats there too so it is very genuine. Not everyone's cup of cha though.

Tummy Rumble - it's in the same vein as Rakuzen I reckon. You look at the menu and you'll be transported to Hartamas Shopping Centre.

Hope you get to try it Miklos.

Christine - I guess word does get around. My friend knows the captain here, formerly from Sugimoto and formerly from Kampachi.

Jason - it was yummy! Give it a try.

lisamorni said...

maybe u can try joseph kitchen at solaris dutamas also

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miklos said...

>Have looked severeal times before I made up my mind to write
One must love food to be able to write in a maner like u do it.When I see the pictures can understand it why is this love affair with the food.In the 1970 ties has bean living in amsterdam there had acquted with the eastern food the chinese and other oriental ways of making food.Shall go to eat now got realy hungry now can not waite longer Im siting in a japanese restaurant in copenhagen now,(Ramen house ) good and delitius food too they serve here too.
with greetings to every one .miki

Kenny Mah said...

Devil's gonna love the steamed sake clams... esp for the broth! :)

boo_licious said...

lisamorni - I saw that the other day, will give it a try one day.

Hi Miklos from Copenhagen. Glad you got your Japanese fix. Thxs for the nice compliments.

Life for beginners - yes, best way to enjoy a simple seafood treat.

LazyBun simply write said...

Oh my god! Thank you so much for posting my blog spot there. Your blog post is very interesting and I have a lot to learn from you but of course, I'm not food critics and I don't have beauty words to describe my feeling of these wonderful meals. I am just a lazy bun who simply write.

Thanks again.
Regards
Lazy Bun

Wilson said...

Should any of you guys visiting Penang you can visit another of Edo Ichi's branch located at Island Plaza,Penang as well. Both branch are fine dining style in K.L and Penang. However should and of you guys in a rush or preferred the fast food style of Sushi King of Sakae Sushi you guys can always visit Azuma in Queensbay Mall,Penang. Azuma and Edo Ichi are both from the same company+owner. Please feel free to ask me if you have any question regarding the branches and etc.

*NOTE*:Previously worked as Captain in Edo Ichi,Penang

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