HEI SUSHI,
P03A, Plaza Level,
Alamanda Shopping Centre,
Jalan Alamanda, Precint 1, Putrajaya.
Tel: 03-8893 1066
Business hours: 11.30am to 10pm (Monday to Friday),
11am to 10pm (Saturday, Sunday and public holidays).
Pork free.
LOOKING for something new in Japanese food?
Those who are tired of traditional flavours and want to savour bold and new interpretations of the cuisine, might like the ideas at Hei Sushi.
I am a firm believer that food should be explored and it is alright to experiment.
After all, how often can you say you have tried jackfruit sushi?
That’s what the people at Hei Sushi are trying to do, being creative with their food.
The first restaurant, opened at Alamanda Shopping Centre in Putrajaya, and was brought in by the same people who introduced Sakae Sushi to Malaysia.
Hei Sushi at Alamanda is tastefully decorated and for a sushi restaurant, the conveyor belt is notably absent to give a modern touch.
Playing with its East-meets-West concept, customers will notice the absence of the conveyor belt — a must-have in any sushi restaurant.
This is because the restaurant serves Western-style Japanese food, while retaining the freshness of its ingredients, a nod to its Japanese roots.
Sakae Sushi Malaysia and Hei Sushi Group Marketing general manager Yew June said, “Hei Sushi was established to appeal to customers who desire a taste of specially created Japanese dishes in a more contemporary style.”
The review started with us enjoying warm Jasmine tea (RM7.99), which was served in a beautiful glass pot.
The aromatic tea with a sweet smell, is the perfect accompaniment to the dishes we were to relish later.
The star of the menu is the Omakase Moriawase — a beautifully decorated serving of sashimi with frozen flowers on a bed of ice.
It is not just food. It is a work of art.
For Japanese food with a local twist, try the Hei Tori Specialty – grilled chicken with mango salad, pulut onigiri and spicy peanut sauce.
According to Yew, the decoration differs each time an order is placed.
This she said, was to make things exciting.
There are a few choices of sashimi such as salmon, yellowtail, butterfish, salmon belly, scallops, octopus and tuna.
If you think this is too much, fret not, as there are sets to choose from — three types of fish(RM23.99), four types (RM33.99), five types (RM43.99) or more from RM59.99 onwards.
This is the perfect dish for sharing.
Cut into thin pieces, the the salmon melted in my mouth and was truly a delight.
The Hei Maki (RM13.99), a chef’s signaturetempura maki layered with seaweed, sweet Japanese omelette and cucumber completed with Malaysian otak-otak.
I found it interesting that Hei Sushi makes their own otak-otak.
Otak-otak is a grilled fish cake that is popular in Johor.
The Jackfruit Ebi Maki may have a strong jackfruit smell, but it adds a flavour.
If you are apprehensive about its taste, trust me and go for it as the combination of ingredients make for the perfect sushi.
Hei Sushi continued to impress with the Jackfruit Ebi Maki (RM15.99).
When the waiter brought it to the table, the strong jackfruit smell lingered in the air.
Fortunately, the sweet jackfruit slice adds a nice touch to the maki which came with golden prawn tempura, seaweed, Japanese omelette and cucumber wrapped in sushi rice.
Yew said the restaurant had opted to include jackfruit in some of their dishes due to its versatile flavour that could complement any dish.
Next to be served was the Temari Sushi which had five different types of sushi, shaped in a ball.
In Japan, the ball-shaped sushi is usually made for joyful occasions, Yew said.
Perfect for sharing, the Temari Sushi has five different sushi which is shaped in a ball filled with otak-otak, chicken floss, tuna, sweet beancurd skin and salmon with avocado.
At Hei Sushi, the Temari Sushi options have otak-otak (RM2.99), chicken floss (RM3.99), tuna (RM3.99), sweet beancurd skin (RM2.99), and salmon with avocado (RM4.99).
At this point, I am sure you can see how unique the food at Hei Sushi is.
However, the Maguro Steak Rikkyuyaki (top pic) (RM22.99) bowled me over.
This is a dish of pan-fried juicy tuna steak drizzled with sesame paste sauce and served with steamed buns.
Steamed buns!
It may sound a little crazy, and the pairing of ingredients was simply genius.
The grilled tuna, when eaten with the soft steamed bun, revealed a toothsome taste that I enjoyed.
If sushi is not your cup of tea, there are main course items to delight in.
The Hei Tori Specialty (RM25.99) is a different take on grilled chicken which comes with mango salad, pulut onigiri and spicy peanut sauce.
The grilled chicken is marinated well, and the accompanying spicy peanut sauce is really spicy and has an interesting creamy, nutty and spicy balance.
If you feel like going Western, the King Platter (RM49.99) makes a wholesome meal.
It has a lavish assortment of succulent grilled chicken, sirloin, and seafood (oyster, squid, and salmon cooked in teppanyaki style), with mushrooms and vegetables on the side.
As for desserts, opt for the Jackfruit Temptations for the perfect ending.
The main dishes are quite huge and good for sharing.
The Jackfruit Temptations (RM8.99) is a dessert option — a luscious pairing of jackfruit in golden tempura crisp, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with butterscotch syrup — a perfect ending to a delightful meal.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
