Interior of Edo IchiI seem to have zilch luck when it comes to dining Japanese in KL. I do not know what it takes to find a dank and small joint, fitted with cedar wood, smelling of stale cigarettes and an indescribable fishy yet intoxicating smell. Greeted with a warm towel and freshly grated wasabi. Hmmmm... So far, the trips to some Japanese joints had been a traumatic experience. I witnessed the senseless massacre of prime meat and fish in the name of some botched up idea of gastronomy. It has made me a bit hesitant in trying our Japanese joints in KL.
Edo-Ichi was recommended to me by some friends, and of course, after reading Boo's blog, I had to give it a go. The photos have a bluish tint because there was a huge aquarium behind me. I did not fire my flash because I was sitting at the sushi bar. I could accidentally blind the chef temporarily and served some sashimied finger.
Dobin MushiA single piece of prawn was sentenced to confinement in the the Dobin Mushi pot with some fish fillets as play mates. I could feel that it was sulking because it would have loved to play with some Matsusake Mushrooms too. The soup was not smokey enough, but the biggest fault was serving the soup with Calamansi instead of a rind of Lime which would have enhanced the flavours of the soup with it's tartness.
Bearing in mind that the visit was over the long Hari Raya weekend, the restaurant must have had some problems in sourcing the ingredients.
Tako SunomonoThe Tako Sunomono however, was perfectly vinegary, drizzled with lemon and served with wakame and kyuri and lightly sprinkled with Sesame. It was a perfect appetizer.
Tsubagai sauteed with Okra and KimchiThe Okra with Tsubugai with Kimchi Sauce was perfectly sauteed with the Okra not overdone. The dish just screamed out for rice like a wailing banshee. The flavours were interesting, but not captivating.
Salmon Belly SushiBeing the Raya weekend, they have run out of Toro and Uni, and I had to settle for the more pedestrian Salmon Belly and Hamachi Belly Sushi. Both were perfunctory executed with no frills and both were acceptably good. The cuts were fresh and unctuous.
Butter Sauteed MushroomsThe mushroom (enoki) sauteed with butter and garlic was slightly heavy. The butter, garlic and salt overwhelmed the natural flavours of the mushroom. The Beef wrapped Enoki suffered the same fate.
Hamachi BellyI am not sure if I am too much of a purist, but I found the most traditional dishes and the simplest dishes to be the best. Bad timing on my part to arrange for a visit during an extended weekend, I know. I would be back to sample more of the dishes again.
Yuzu SherbetIf there is a reason to go to Edo Ichi, it would be the beautiful Yuzu Sherbet. Cold, crisp, tangy and light. I could have bowls of this without getting bored. The Frigid Ice Queen stole the show. Quaint.
There you are, a new Japanese joint and only two massacred dishes which is the best record for a Japanese Restaurant in KL for me so far. Just stick to the basics, and you won't go far wrong at Edo-Ichi.
Price were about RM190 for the above dishes plus an Asahi. Be prepared to spend about RM250 per person if you plan to get some really good cuts.
Service was good and efficient, despite the restaurant being quite full.
Edo Ichi satisfied my itch temporarily, but not completely. Next two on my list would be Ozeki and Kapoh. Typing is such a chore on my minuscule netbook, you guys will have to suffer some bad typos for a while till I get back. I should have brought my notebook.
Edo Ichi Japanese Restaurant
A4-G-1
Solaris Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur
