ZAKURO 2 JAPANESE CUISINE
Ground Floor Lot 26
174-176 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2162 6163
Business hours: Monday to Saturdays
12.00 noon – 2.30 pm;
6.00pm – 10.00pm. Closed on Sundays.
Artworks by local artists serve as an additional draw to Zakuro 2’s Japanese culinary showcase.
ZAKURO 2 Japanese Restaurant ‘s delectable sushi rolls are as colourful as the artwork on the walls.
Just like the budding local artists who take pride in their artistic endeavours, the chefs at Zakuro 2 go to great lengths to create inimitable variants of the classic Japanese maki (rice rolls with fillings wrapped in seaweed). You’ll find eight different varieties in the Weekend Buffet menu alone.
We liked the Salmon Mango Roll and Dragonfruit & Kiwi Roll for their scrumptious fruity accents while the richer Rainbow Roll won us over with its succulent combination of raw salmon, red and white tuna, and avocado slices.
Another distinct creation featured a thick rice roll layered with salmon slices that had been seared with a blowtorch, hence its Fire Roll moniker. A sheer skein of crispy tempura batter and a delectable filling of salmon, ebikko (prawn roe) and cucumber saved the Ageshake Roll from being just another ho-hum offering.
An a la carte order of these scrumptious maki easily sets you back RM25++ but you can have your fill of them and unlimited servings of sushi, sashimi, salad, rice, appetisers, noodles, temaki (hand-rolled sushi), teppanyaki/shioyaki (pan-fried/salt-grilled items), tempura and dessert with free flow of ocha (green tea) at just RM39.90 (lunch) and RM49.90 nett (dinner) per person under the Weekend Buffet promotion.
Established some seven years ago, this contemporary Japanese restaurant is located in a low-rise building opposite the Inter-Continental Kuala Lumpur Hotel.
Neutral tones abound in the main dining area that is furnished with modern wicker-woven dining chairs and dark wood tables. Diners who want privacy can opt for any of its four private dining rooms or a larger one that can seat more than 25 persons. The decor is kept to a minimum; its walls showcases art pieces by upcoming Malaysian artists.
According to marketing manager Khim Hiew, the owner of Zakuro 2 is an art buff whose daughter also happens to be an artist.
Crispy assorted tempura“We’ve always showcased and supported local art talents especially those who want an avenue to display and sell their paintings, sketches or sculptures. The collection is changed every three to six months.”
But the main draw here is undoubtedly the food, especially the Weekend Buffet that allows them to sample 50 dishes prepared fresh to order.
“This helps to maintain our overall food quality especially for raw items. Our sashimi is served on crushed ice to keep them chilled,” says Hiew.
Pointing to the ice-filled bowl brimming with fresh raw fish slices on it, she explains that the Assorted Sashimi platter is ample enough for two persons.
“Each diner may order up to three plates of sashimi. We’ve different varieties of fish: tuna, salmon, hokkigai (surf clams), shiro maguro (white tuna), octopus and tuna tataki (seared tuna), among others.”
For a start, whet your appetite with Morokyu (cucumber with barley bean paste), Mozuku Su (seaweed in vinegar) or Horenshi Ohitashi (blanched Japanese spinach with toasted sesame seeds).
From the sushi selection, we found the Salmon Mentaiko Mayo or hand-pressed sushi rice ball topped with a slice of seared salmon and marinated pollock roe in mayonnaise to be the best.
The Tempura Moriawase’s batter was a tad too thick and floury for our liking but the chilled, smooth silky strands of Cha Soba (green tea noodles) with tsuyu (soy sauce) dip made up for that little hiccup.
Dessert consists of the usual suspects: Macha (green tea) or Goma (black sesame) Ice-cream, Red Bean Soup or Green Tea Peanut Mochi (glutinous rice balls) but they should leave you feeling sweetly satiated.
The Weekend Buffet is available for dinner only on Fridays and for lunch and dinner on Saturdays and public holidays.