Review: Uokatsu at Plaza Damas 3, Sri Hartamas

Sashimi lovers, here’s some fishy business for you: This new lunch-only outlet named Uokatsu, translated by its owners into ‘fish victorious,’ slices up a smorgasbord of sensibly priced seafood, brought into KL by Masamichi Tomono, who reputedly hails from a Hokkaido-based family of fishermen, & his Malaysian wife Winnie.

The couple’s main target might be households that purchase fish to consume at home, but Hartamas’ best-kept secret of recent weeks also operates a kitchen in the afternoon to serve customers seeking all sorts of raw fish _ from sea bream & sea bass to amberjack & striped jack _ for a wholesome midday meal.

Sashimi

Bonito sashimi is one of Uokatsu’s specialities (RM26), a meaty-fish option not often found at most of KL’s Japanese eateries.

Most of Uokatsu’s sashimi platters (no sushi here) range in price between RM18 & RM46, with both the luscious ocean trout …

… & the bincho maguro (albacore tuna) falling most serendipitously on the lower end of that spectrum.

Cooked Meals

Uokatsu cooks some of its food too; we were pleasantly surprised by the salt-grilled saury (RM10), which tasted fresher & fleshier than the norm.

Customers are unlikely to regret trying the teriyaki cod fish or the Hokkaido salmon, both simple but satisfactory.

Side Dishes

Did someone order natto? Wisely so; these slimy fermented soybeans cost merely RM3 per serving at Uokatsu.

Lunch Sets

The seafood can be accompanied by RM7 lunch sets comprising rice, miso soup & tea; add a little extra for mentaiko & eggs.

Final Thoughts on Uokatsu

Uokatsu’s kitchen currently opens noon through 3pm, Tuesdays through Fridays, & 10am-3pm on weekends & public holidays. The lunch crowd has been fairly healthy so far, but there’s no doubt that this place, which features barely 10 tables, is set to get a whole lot busier in the weeks ahead.