KINTSUGI, or golden joinery, is a centuries-old Japanese practice of repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer.
This philosophy of fixing and elevating broken goods inspires Kintsugi Kuala Lumpur’s approach of treating the best seasonal ingredients with the utmost precision and care. It also reflects the head chef’s mixed American, Japanese, and Korean heritage.
Located at Isetan, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur and featuring Tokyo Michelin-starred Chef Jeff Okada Ramsey, the restaurant serves a progressive and seasonal Kaiseki and Sushi Kaiseki menu.
Ramsey was the first Michelin-starred chef to open his restaurant in Malaysia in 2016. He has worked under Chef Masayoshi Kazato, the official Sushi Ambassador of Japan, and Chef Jose Andres, one of the masters of Catalonian cuisine.
More recently he was the Winning Challenger Chef of Iron Chef Thailand 2022.
“I really love Japanese food and most places you go to, there’s a great chef and everything but you don’t get the full understanding of what you’re eating. I’m really into sharing my knowledge of Japanese cuisine,” Ramsey said.
During a preview event, Ramsey and his assistants personally prepared a 10-course special menu showcasing his culinary finesse and Kintsugi’s approach of combining traditional Japanese fine dining with modern elements and techniques, suffused with what he has learned over the course of his career.
The highlights of the menu include Soy braised Ankimo (monkfish), Fugu Shirako Agedashi (fried puffer fish soaked in dashi), Roast A5 Wagyu tenderloin, and a claypot of rice and Matsuba crab (snow crab). There were of course elevated examples of sushi and sashimi.
The meal started off with a house-brewed Doburoku, a very traditional style of sake that harkens back to the first sake that was invented by monks in temples near Tokyo 850 years ago, according to Ramsey. It is tart with a milky texture. Amazake is available as a non-alcoholic substitute.
The soy braised Ankimo (monkfish liver) is prepared traditionally by curing in sake and salt then steaming. It is then braised with salmon belly, with the jelly topping it being the reduced braising liquid. The picked plums served alongside are freshly raised in the summertime.
The Fugu Shirako Agedashi features the notorious puffer fish that everyone’s heard of – it can be poisonous if prepared improperly. It’s actually quite delicate despite the batter coating. Along with a tempura of a seasonal winter shoot and a reduced dashi broth, the dish packs a lot of umami in a small bite.
For an easier dish to wrap your minds around, the Roast A5 Wagyu tenderloin & asparagus, with the meat grilled on the spot by Ramsey. The asparagus, aged plum and egg yolk used as a dipping sauce, all come together to provide a finely balanced dish.
Kintsugi’s commitment to elevating traditional Kaiseki cuisine can be seen in the Matsuba crab Donabe Gohan, fresh snow crab with steamed Japanese rice. Served with miso soup and a side of pickles, they represent the foundation of Japanese cuisine and Kaiseki, said Ramsey.
Other highlights of the special menu were three pieces of freshly made sushi. The first is a piece of toro that was theatrically smoked with a piece of a thousand-year-old cedar wood from Yakushima, Japan.
There’s also fresh uni, that’s a bit of a transcendental experience. The final piece is made with blue ocean prawns that are served half raw and half cooked, which Ramsey jokingly called the Malaysian flag because of its colours.
The dessert dish was a Matcha and yuzu entremet – or a dessert composed of multiple parts assembled into layers, encased in a mousse with a yuzu curd, enrobed with a glaze and topped with fine decorations.
The bottom is a matcha madeleine cake with a layer of crispy cereal-type thing with almond praline white chocolate. Like the other dishes here, there’s a command of textural contrasts that is pleasing to the palate.
“Kintsugi is a project that I’ve been involved in for almost four years now, we opened in Bangkok three years ago,” Ramsey said.
“The concept extends from something personal in my life, about not throwing away things. We all make mistakes, we get up, and have our scars, but then we patch up and get on with it and to me that’s the eternal struggle.
“We’re always trying to do better than what we did before, but we are our history, we have to wear that.”
Kintsugi Kuala Lumpur sources many of its seasonal ingredients directly from Western Japan, where Ramsey’s maternal family and his wife – Chie Ramsey, the restaurant’s cultural consultant – hail from, and combines these with high-quality local produce.
Divided into two sections, Kintsugi Kuala Lumpur features a 12-seat Kaiseki Counter, an 18-seat dining hall, and three private rooms with a table and four seats each.
Located on the third floor of Isetan, The Gardens Mall, the restaurant is now open from Tuesday to Sunday, with lunch from noon to 3pm, and dinner from 6pm to 11pm. – The Vibes, March 10, 2023
