Kampachi at Jaya 33: Restaurant Review

Compensating for the loss of its Equatorial venue, Kampachi flung open the doors this weekend to a Petaling Jaya spin-off that heralds a sure-to-be-successful new chapter in this very venerable brand’s scrumptious saga of sushi-making.

Kampachi in The Plaza at Jaya 33 is a little more Pavilion and a little less Troika as far as comparisons to Kampachi’s other outposts go, centered on a casualness that could cater to suburban PJ families reluctant to drive to downtown KL for their Japanese food fix.

Start with a Salad

A salad of crunchy-not-oily salmon skin and roe (RM28++) starts us out in a delicious direction.

Fresh Fish

Freshly flown into the country at daybreak, served at Kampachi well before nightfall.

Flying Fish

Kampachi’s sashimi soars: the “tobiou” flying fish (RM70++ for half) proves lustrously lovable, as creamy-smooth as a Kree Harrison croon.

Signature Maki

Prices can be predictably punishing, but let’s roll with it: Kampachi’s signature maki (RM58++) allies thick, tender cuts of eel with tuna, avocado and crab stick.

Soft-Shell Crab

Crisply moreish soft-shell crab maki (RM50++), bounteously stuffed to merit the cost.

Teppanyaki

Rolled beef teppanyaki with garlic and spring onions (RM22++ for three pieces) would taste terrific even on its own _ but coupled with a special sauce of tosa shoyu, mushroom broth, black truffles and olive oil, it’s a masterclass in meat.

Karaage

Octopus karaage (RM18++), unassailable in terms of its addictive crunch, with notes of the ocean singing through each resonantly briny slice.

The Grill

Grilled pomfret marinated with barley seasoning (RM48++). Striking in its sodium content, though one customer’s salty could be another’s savory.

Hand-Made Soba

House-made, hand-made soba (RM36++), fresh and firm, served cold with duck meat sauce.

Tempura

Deep-fried imported pumpkin in tempura batter (RM30++), denser than the norm but still very creamy. Alas, by now, we were too full to order the menu’s other temptations, comprising the likes of anglerfish liver, stewed beef tongue, mizuna salad with crispy anchovies and snapper fillet with sea urchin.

Mochi

Still, there’s always space for Kampachi’s beloved ‘mochi’ rice cakes, warmly nut-coated.

Cocktails

Creative cocktails keep us happy: Moshiso (gold rum, shiso leaf, soda water, sweet sour) and Sake-Tini (piccolo tea, ume shu, gin).

Turning green with ecstasy: Macha Lemon (with gin and sour mix) and Macha Whisky (mixed with Japanese whisky and green tea ice cream).

King of Green Tea

Asahina Gyokuro (RM32++ per pot), crowned by some as the “king of green tea”, with a flavor that’s supposed to be evocative of seaweed.

Buffets

Our forecast is for hot teppanyaki and cold matcha ice cream: Come rain or shine, folks will be flocking to this Kampachi’s Sunday lunch buffets (RM118++ for adults).