Sushi Mastro (Provided to SAYS)
& Sabrina Zainal/SAYS
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The latest restaurant in Malaysia to introduce Nikkei is Sushi Mastro, located in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
The opening of the restaurant came about after the owner of Seafood Maestro — an online seafood delivery mart — noticed a rise in demand for Japanese ingredients and Japanese cuisine among their customers.
But instead of opening another ol’ Japanese restaurant, Shafrizy Hazim decided to focus on Nikkei cooking style, which combines Japanese and Peruvian culinary tradition and influences.
The fish are handled using a Japanese technique called Ikejime, which is said to be a humane way of killing a fish. The technique is believed to also preserve the taste and texture of the flesh.
Besides the neat and aesthetically-pleasing presentation, the flavours of the trio were full, clean, and fresh — deepened with ponzu sauce, drizzled on top right before your eyes.
As these ingredients are locally-sourced, it’s an environment-friendly alternative to conventional imported sashimi and makes for an affordable price tag.
You can get three pieces of Ikejime siakap, red snapper, or malabar for between RM14 and RM18. If you want to try all three, you can get a set of three cuts of each fish for RM48.
Here’s where the Peruvian flavours come in: a generous bowl of Nikkei Salmon Mango.
The blend of the mango’s sweetness and the savouriness of the soy sauce just make sense with fresh cuts of fjord trout. So good in your mouth and so good for sharing!
This must-try dish is RM58.
The next one is also inspired by a sort of Peruvian carpaccio, or thin slices of raw meat or fish served with olive oil or with a sauce.
The Hamachi Jalapeno Tiradito, shown below, pairs Japanese yellowtail with the sharp taste of red onions and the kick of jalapenos for RM42.
This dish comes with two slices of each fish (perfect for sharing with a group!) priced at RM158.
This is literally a mountain, as its name means, of all kinds of goodies the ocean has to offer.
Sashimi lovers will appreciate the marinated heaps of salmon, hamachi, hon maguro, ama ebi, unagi, ikura, tobiko, barramundi, red snapper, and malabar, which are beautifully piled on top of a bowl of sushi rice.
You can share the Seafood Shirashizushi with a friend or two for RM75.
You can check out the French cod fish with teriyaki sauce (RM80) and the pan seared skinless fillet of Norwegian halibut with miso sauce (RM50).
The prices may seem a bit on the high end but you’ll immediately know why once you look at the portion size and taste the fresh, juicy fleshes of the fish.
The Argentinian Angus ribeye (RM80) and striploin (RM70) are offered grilled with butter herbs and chimichurri sauce at 250g.
Also highly recommended is their torched wagyu tataki (RM130), which is 60g of Miyazaki A5 wagyu ribeye with momoji orishi and ponzu sauce.