Sushi KL

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, Intermark Mall

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, Intermark Mall

Words: T.Jay Photos: Monica Tindall

Leave it to the Chef: Hanare

Literally translating to leave it to the chef, the Omakase menu at Hanare starts at RM500++, ranging from seven to nine courses. The fish is handpicked at the famous Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo, and the chef takes the liberty of creating unique, bespoke dishes based on seasonal delights. Omakase dining is the acme of Japanese cuisine, and only highly skilled chefs can create such an experience.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, Intermark Mall

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, Intermark Mall

Chef Mukhlis, having 29 years of experience, selected the Tokubetsu Sashimi & Sushi Ryouri menu before we arrived. Chef Muhklis worked for ten years before he was allowed to cut the fish. Then he spent five years learning how to slice sashimi. Followed by another five years preparing maki rolls. With that much dedication to his craft, I knew we were in good hands.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Chef Mukhlis Showing the Different Cuts of Tuna Side-by-Side

Zensai

The miniature trio of Zensai (appetisers) both whet the appetite and cleansed the palate. Eating from right to left, the first morsel was julienned stingray fin which had been dried and lightly grilled. It was mild in flavour for dried fish. The texture was slightly chewy and sticky, and the flash grilling provided a hint of smoke.

The second item was a nimono, featuring a prawn and cabbage roll. Nimono is a Japanese preparation traditional for home cooking. In our case, a prawn wrapped in a cabbage leaf was slowly cooked in a light broth (shiru), consisting of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sake. It was simmered until the soup was slightly thickened and the prawn and cabbage were tender. The single bite was delicious! So simple but elegant.

The third dainty portion was a selection of lightly pickled vegetables: takuan (pickled daikon radish), shallots and edamame.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Appetizers

Sake

I chose to start the meal with the house sake served cold RM32. Hakutsuru sake is the number one selling brand in Japan. The best word to describe the taste is balanced with notes of herbs. It can also be enjoyed served warm where the profile changes to be mildly sour, bitter and smooth.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Cold Sake – Hanare

Sashimi

The Sashimi course on this day featured six different fish. As is customary with omakase dining, the chef prepares each item one at a time. The toro (fatty belly tuna), chef skillfully cut in two directions, making it very easy to chew. The hirame (wild-caught flounder) was light and flaky tasting. My favourite, hiramasa (kingfish) was at the height of its season. It has a dense, meaty texture. The hotate (diver scallop) had a nice briny chew. The tako (giant octopus) was also served with a single large sucker. It was lightly boiled with matcha powder and radish and allowed to soak for a couple minutes. The result was a slightly sweet, easy to chew octopus. The last piece of sashimi was shimaaji (striped jack). The fish has yellow near the tail with a slightly silvery skin and a crunchy texture. The experience was indeed about the different textures.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Sashimi – Hanare

Nigiri Sushi

The sashimi was fresh, but the highlight for me was the Nigiri Sushi course. I appreciated the work that went into the rice. The rice was held at a temperature that I would not call warm, but rather closer to body temperature. Chef Muhklis told me he can tell where the rice was grown by the texture in his hand. On this day it was from Hokkaido.

I also learned that the chef equals soy sauce. Meaning, every chef has their own secret recipe. When the chef leaves, so does the sauce. Chef Muhklis’s version is seasoned with mirin, bonito, kelp and seaweed.

The first piece of sushi was toro, the true toro from the middle section of the belly, which has a mild flavour. The uni (sea urchin roe) maki was sweet and briny. The ameabi (sweet prawn) was terrific! The texture was silky and there was a mild bite of freshly grated wasabi underneath. The negitoro maki (minced tuna belly) with spring onion, freshly grated wasabi really benefitted from the slightly warm rice.

Hanare, Japanese Restaurant, The Intermark
Sushi

Soup

Bridging the savouries to dessert, the Akadashi Soup with nameko mushrooms was the crescendo in taste. It had a distinct smoky nature and strong umami that coated the tongue. The red miso paste naturally pairs with the nuttiness of the nameko mushroom. Nameko mushrooms have a natural gelatin coating on the cap, making it sticky to the touch. It is almost always cooked, having natural thickening properties.

Sushi KL
Soup – Hanare

Dessert

Dessert was a simple musk melon and mochi. The melon was cool and crisp. The mochi was stretchy and not chewy. Stuffed with sweet red beans and chestnut, it was a perfect complement of texture and temperature.

Sushi KL
Dessert

Reasons to visit Hanare Japanese Restaurant, Intermark Mall: intimate sushi bar experience, a chef that likes to talk and explain the food and omakase dining, fresh, seasonal ingredients direct from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo.

Hanare Japanese Restaurant
Intermark Mall (Ground Floor)
182, Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.facebook.com/HanareJapaneseRestaurant/
+60 3 2164 2133

Hanare Opening Hours
Lunch: 12:00-15:00
Dinner: 18:00-22:00

*Due to Covid-19 the hours of operation could change without notice. Please, call ahead to confirm the timings.

Find more Japanese restaurants in KL here, and stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.

15 Comments

  1. Haven been back to Hanare for a long time! This deal will def bring me back there =)

  2. the type of buffet I can certainly sink my teeth in. looks so yummy

  3. This is definitely my fav Japanese buffet in town. 🙂

  4. Would like to try this sunday buffet, since I love sashimi a lot. 🙂

  5. 2.5 hours is not enough for such a wonderful feast like this! wonder if we can coax hanare to make it three hours 😀

  6. I think I can't drink too much of sake on that early hour of 12pm 😛

  7. That's a very good deal for RM148!

  8. Mellon does look yummy

  9. Beautiful, those slabs of tuna!

  10. I am intrigued by the lighting which places emphasis on the tables and the delicious entrees that are served. That sashimi is perfectly presented for the eyes.

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