Kazuma Japanese Restaurant KL

Kazuma Japanese Restaurant – Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Rich Callahan

Zen.

A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasising the value of meditation and intuition.

It’s also the unmistakable feeling of calm and peace from the minute you step inside Kazuma Japanese Restaurant, the latest addition to the Concorde Hotel’s F&B portfolio in KL.

‘Kazuma’ itself means ‘harmony, peace and serenity’, and how this authentic establishment lives up to its name. The interior design is inspired by the ‘Japanese residential architectural’ style and pulls it off beautifully, blending traditional furnishing and modern fittings.

Shoji-style screens and lattice-work wooden frames serve as dividers throughout the restaurants, creating comfortable spaces for up to 80 diners, including private dining rooms for meetings and special occasions. (Kazuma can even prepare custom bento boxes for business appointments.)

Soft lighting and warm red fabrics complement the light wooden blinds. There are plenty of neat ornamental touches dotted around the space, right down to the pretty little pots of seasoning. Everything adds to the ambience.

Kazuma Japanese Restaurant KL

Kazuma prides itself on traditional Japanese cuisine made with the freshest ingredients of the finest quality, so much so that most of them are air-flown from Japan. Points for culinary and cultural commitment there, then.

Chef Tsutomu Haneishi, who joins us briefly at the table, oversees the outstanding work in the kitchen. His four decades of international experience, including Japanese restaurants of high repute in KL, shine through not only his signature dishes but everything on the menu, which is expertly prepared and presented. It’s more about a la carte than omakase here, another mark of respect for classic Japanese recipes.

We’re lucky enough to have a private room for lunch, with very comfortable chairs and a silent view of the traffic slipping by, which is quite relaxing. Chopsticks and soy sauce saucers (soy saucers?) at the ready, we get started.

Menu

One look at the first course, the Hama Sashimi (RM125), and we know we’re in for a feast. It’s a stunning serving of three pieces each of Maguro (Tuna), Hamachi (Yellowtail), Salmon, Tako (Octopus), and Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp), all equally fresh and delicious. Dipping these generously meaty slices of air-flown fish into the soy sauce makes for a wonderful, salty, savoury contrast.

The Salmon Salad Roll (RM26) is also fresh and light – a pleasant bite with a little tangy contrast from the salmon roe.

We’re big fans of the Aburi Salmon Mentaiko Roll (RM41), which comes with a warm and spicy mayonnaise. It also goes very well with soy sauce. (Spoiler alert: most things on this menu do.)

The Sushi Matsu Course (RM108), which offers a choice of beef or sashimi, comes as a fixed set with three sides that change every three days, as well as miso soup, fruits and a citron sherbet as standard. Today, we’re treated to baby octopus, boiled spinach, and tuna with shoyu sauce.

I’m a huge fan of the tuna, a rich bite with some sharp contrast. The miso soup is full of umami and comforting warmth, as all good miso soups should be. We’re having more slices of sashimi with this set, and everything is just as good as the first serving.

Speaking of serving, the service is excellent, by the way. Friendly, attentive, pleasant and professional. Full marks.

As if to toast to that service, the sake arrives right on cue. Apparently, the Dassai 45 (720ml; RM200) is the sake served in business class on Japan Airlines flights, and we can see why. It’s very approachable, with a touch of fruitiness and not too much rice on the finish.

The Vegetarian Bento (RM50) is a great option for non-meat eaters. The tempura is well-balanced, neither too oily nor too heavy, and the vegetable selection offers a nice range of textures and tastes that even carnivores can appreciate, including tofu steak and pumpkin croquette.

Saba Ichiya Boshi (RM38) is a Kazuma signature dish, a (whole or half) grilled mackerel that has been brined, air-dried for 12 ½ hours, and grilled. The fleshy, flaky fish is excellent, and the skin is nice and crisp, with the air-dry process having intensified the flavours without making anything overpowering. Rich, delicious, and highly recommended.

The Sukiyaki Nabe (RM50) is a delicious Japanese hot pot dish, with beef and vegetables simmered in a sweet and savoury broth, which gives this traditional favourite its unique flavour. Sugar and soy sauce provide the sweetness, and the mushroom, cabbage, onion, and yam (occasionally glass) noodles are fine supporting acts.

After being teased with the quality of beef in the nabe, we’re delighted to see a proper piece of meat come to the table: the Saikoro Steak (RM65), a mouthwatering dice-cut Australian tenderloin. It’s served with three sauces – Japanese sesame vinegar, spicy miso and yakiniku (a Japanese-style barbecue sauce) – essential to the dish.

We just about have room for one more main course: Unagi Yanagawa (RM65), a regional speciality of Yanagawa based on a centuries-old recipe. It’s fresh, fragrant and aromatic, thanks to Chef Haneishi’s use of burdock in his version.

Dessert

As soon as the desserts come out, however, we magically have more appetite because these look extremely tempting.

The Ichigo Daifuku (RM18) – strawberry mochi – is a soft and chewy morsel with a whole strawberry buried in the middle. Lovely, well-layered, and very moreish. The homemade Abekawa Mochi (RM18), with its lovely crushed peanut dusting, is like a luxurious popcorn. I’m tempted to book a movie at Pavilion there and then, just so I can carry this in with me.

For a final and refreshing flourish, we try three types of ice cream: Matcha Green Tea (RM15), Kurogama (black sesame) (RM15), and Yuzu Sherbet (RM18). They’re all delicious in their own way, just the right texture, and the yuzu is a personal favourite.

One more glass of sake – authenticity and all that! – and it’s time to drag ourselves out of these comfortable chairs and into the KLCC sun, thoroughly satisfied.

Kazuma Japanese Restaurant Review

Kazuma offers premium Japanese cuisine at a price that belies both its quality and its location; you won’t find authentic food at these relatively affordable prices in any other 4-star hotel in the city (or further beyond).

There’s a reassuring comfort about the restaurant, something in the air and the ambience that simply puts you at ease. From the thoughtful interior design and traditional decor to the friendly and hospitable service from Chef Haneishi and his team, it’s all very pleasant indeed. Whether you’re here for business or pleasure, you will not be disappointed.

Reasons to visit Kazuma Japanese Restaurant KL: Authentic, high-quality Japanese cuisine with fresh ingredients at very good value; expertly prepared sushi, sashimi and other classic Japanese dishes with some signature dishes; high-end, comfortable, zen-like restaurant in KLCC, convenient for business meetings or family gatherings like; solid wine and sake menu, with a bar worth visiting even if you’re not eating.

Kazuma Japanese Restaurant KL
Level 1, Wisma Concorde, 2, Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603-2149 2666
@concordehotelkualalumpur

Kazuma Japanese Restaurant Opening Hours
Monday – Saturday
11.30 am – 3.00 pm (last order 2.45 pm)
6.00 pm – 10.00 pm (last order 9.45 pm)
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

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