Ri Yakitori. Gardens MidValley, KL. No parts spared.

Yaki-Tori. Japanese satay? Somehow or another, whenever i hear that word, it always reminds me of Margaret Thatcher, ex PM of England from the Conservative Party (UK's equivalent to the Republicans), aka Tory Party. Till today, most of the Tories are still pretty Yucky. Located at the 7th floor of the Gardens Hotel, it felt a bit intimidating to tip toe past the reception to access the elevators to the 7th Floor. When I arrived there at 10.30 pm, Ri was almost deserted save for a group of Japanese having their post dinner Sake. I can almost imagine them belting out "My Way" when given a mike.

The interior is rather Spartan, but comfortable with a beautiful view of the KL skyline. The Menu was also fuss free as well. There is a dinner set, and some yaki tori. The most amazing thing about the menu is that it focuses on chicken. All the parts except the feather. Breast, wings, thighs (shaven), knuckles, intestines, spleen, liver, cartilage, skin, etc... Other than chicken, they have Wagyu beef, beef tongue (french kissing a cow?) and king prawns, scallops, vegetables and mushrooms.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Scallop and Chicken Thighs 2. Wagyu beef 3. Shitake mushroom 4. Asparagus 5. B cup Chicken Breasts

Upon being seated I was served with complimentary salad, and some appetizers which was chicken skin, which i absolutely abhor. I tried it, but the cold, slimey, gritty and oily texture just puts me off. It has nothing to do with the quality of the food though. It's just a manufacturing defect of the Paranoid Android. The Salad came with Tangy Sashimi sauce.

The Yaki Tories were served with some chili salt and the Chef's version of Tare Sauce, which is flavoured with some Yuzu. Of all the sticks of yaki tori I had, the best was the Wagyu beef, that was extra succulent, the heavenly, aromatic shitake mushroom and the miniscule chicken breast each served with a small dollop of wasabi resembling small green nipples.

Clockwise, from top left. 1. The Beautiful Motif on the plate 2. Sake, sake... sucky me 3. Half cooked egg, rice and chicken stew 4. Soup 5. Duck Breast with Mustard

And being the gluttonous Android that I am, I could not let the evening pass by without sampling the a la carte menu. I had the Duck Breast (oh no! breast again? some abnormal fixation going on here) which was definitely more voluptious than the chicken's who were still in training bras. The breast came with some Wasabi and Mustard, just to help me clear up my stuffed sinuses. The breast tasted smokey and good, not unlike the one I had in Sun Tong. Heck it could be the duck I had at Sun Tong which was definitely cheaper. I'll bring a tube of Wasabi and some mustard next time I hit that Dai Chow joint.

The half cooked egg with stewed chicken (and skin) served on top of rice was as descibed in the menu. Since carbo is the new "F" word for health freaks this dish would be termed as sinful pleasure. However, I picked out the chicken skin and savoured the rest with relish. As for dessert, I was really spoiled for choice. The dessert menu only had 1 item, fresh fruits. Ha ha ha!. Heck, this is a Yaki Tori joint. Who comes here for Creme Brulle anyway. Just tuck in the satays and drown your sorrow with Sake. This place closes at 1am, but the kitchen closes at 11.30pm. Service was attentive and fast.

Ri Yakitori
7th Floor
Gardens Hotel and Residences

I have been called among other things, a hateful intellectual snob. But who cares? I will now disclose the reason for my absence during this period. Besides work, these 4 wonderful books.


Clockwise from top left:

1. What Great Paintings Say (2 volumes inside) which is a ravishing grand tour of the important landmarks in the History of Art. Written by Rose Marie and Rainer Hagen, Published by the German Publishing Giant Taschen. Ravishingly beautiful and informative. Worth every single cent of the Price Tag of RM 123.90. From MPH, Mid Valley.

2. Selected Works of Goethe. The towering German author and philosopher. Faust, Werther and Italian journey in a single volume. The translators include illuminiaries like WH Auden. Hard Cover, from Kinokuniya. RM 120.66

3. The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol. Explore the beautiful lyricism of Nikolai Gogol which has been beautifully translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky in this hardcover edition available from Kinokuniya. RM 85.90

4. Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou. Graphic novel. Beautifully drawn and illustrated. If there is a comic you will read this year, this has to be it. Searching for the ultimate truth in Mathematics and Logic, it explores the life and thought of Bertrand Russel as he argues in his mind with Frege, Goedel and Hilbert and wrestles with himself and circumstances. Kinokuniya. RM 92.50.