OCHA JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND CAFE
No. 60, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: (Lunch) 11.00am to 3.00pm
(Dinner) 6.00pm to 11.00pm
Tel: 03-7725 1108
NOT everyone enjoys eating Japanese food and Larry Loo admits he certainly was not a big fan of the cuisine.
If given a choice, Loo preferred Western food to Japanese, anytime.
However, everything changed a year ago when the owner of the Ocha Japanese Restaurant and cafe in Taman Tun Dr Ismail visited the Land of the Rising Sun.
“My wife is the only one who loves eating Japanese food, hence during our holiday trip to Japan, she persuaded me to try the dishes claiming that it tastes much better,” said Loo.
To his surprise, he fell not for the array of fresh sushi rolls or the warm miso soups but the Curry Udon Noodles instead.
“The curry and noodles tasted so different from the ones I have tried before here, the sauce was thicker and much spicier,” he said.
Weeks after his return to Kuala Lumpur, Loo said he went to search for the Curry Udon as he was missing the taste.
Exotic concoction: Hawaiian Maki with strips of mango layered between prawns, black caviar, unagi, crab stick,mayonnaise and seaweed.
“Most restaurants I went to had altered the flavour of the dish to cater to the local customers’ tastebud. So it was really difficult to find one that could match the one I had in Japan,” he said. Loo went on a mission to recreate the dish and authentic flavour.
As his effort of finding the right ingredients paid off, Loo decided to recreate other Japanese dishes that bore closer resemblance to the ones he tasted in the country.
Along the way he decided to open a Japanese restaurant himself.
The restaurant sits at the corner of Lorong Rahim Kajai and has an extensive menu to choose from.
Irresistable: The Salmon Mentai Mayo Yaki topped with a flavourful sauce is a dish you cannot get enough of.
During our visit recently, we tried the Gindara Misoni which was a bowl of Warm Cod Fish simmered in Japanese Miso.
The flavourful clear soup with chunks of fish, mushrooms, tofu, cabbage, crabsticks and spring onions came in a small pot enough for three persons.
My personal favourite was the Salmon Mentai Mayo Yaki where the fish was first grilled till crispy before being glazed with generous amounts of mayonnaise.
If you are planning to try this dish, make sure you call the restaurant before stoppping by as it is only prepared on certain days of the week.
Crunchy: Mini Tempura Platter is also available for those who want a mixture of deep fried vegetables and seafood.
Those who intend to make the most out of the menu should opt for platters such as Mini Platter Sashimi that consists of yellowtail, prawn, salmon and tuna.
Similarly they also have a Mixed Tempura Platter with prawns, sweet potato, carrot, eggplant, fish and mushroom.
Before we ended our meal, the chef dished out a special sushi that he called Hawaiian Maki.
It was a mix of sweetness with a hint of sourness courtesy of the strips of mango layered between prawns, black caviar, unagi, crabstick, mayonaise and seaweed.
Besides a-la carte dishes, the outlet also has a buffet spread to boast.
It is available daily for lunch and dinner at RM49.90+ where customers can order from over 60 varieties such as Fresh Oysters, Muscles, Prawns, Unagi, Salmon, Tuna, Butterfish, Teppanyaki, Robatayaki and Tempura.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
