Nikaku by Azabu – Malaya-mae Omakase, Lot 10
Words: Karen Santosuosso
Photos: Matt Wehner
In a city with new omakase spots popping up by the dozen, Nikaku’s new 12-course Malaya-mae Omakase stands out. While most of the fish for the sushi courses still comes from Japan’s cooler waters, there’s a nod to Malaysian flavours and flair accented in almost every course. At RM 388+ per person, I think it’s well worth it for the quality of ingredients and expertise that goes into each dish.
Nikaku by Azabu Malaya-mae Omakase Menu
We begin our Malaya-mae Omakase with a soulful bowl of Sabah white clam soup with fresh yuzu peel, spring onion and a dash of salt. The presentation is playful with the bowl served atop a fresh clam shell inside of a traditional sake box.
After our palates have been properly prepped for more, we move on to a refreshing salad with local mizuna and kale leaves and three-day salt-fermented rambutans, all dressed with sweet miso and lemon vinaigrette and roasted cashew nuts. I would eat this salad every day if I could.
Nikaku by Azabu Sashimi & Sushi
Chef Masaki Arakawa, AKA ‘Markey’, originally from Osaka and a certified sushi expert, then brings out the various fish that will be highlighted in our next courses. The bluefin tuna comes with its own certificate from Miyagi prefecture, showing that it came in at a whopping 163.6 kg when it was caught! The otoro (fatty tuna belly) and akami (lesser fatty tuna belly) also glisten in front of us, leaving us salivating for more.
The first is a sashimi course with kampachi (yellowtail) and beetroot pickle marinated in roasted green tea. The sashimi and beetroot are served alongside a seaweed soy sauce paste and a dollop of freshly grated wasabi. The fresh wasabi is much better than the usual commercial paste at lesser sushi restaurants.
The true highlight of dining at Nikaku is bearing witness to Chef Markey’s delicate dance of assembling sushi. He is like a skillful samurai with his sushi blade, making the most meticulous cuts into the fish and patting it perfectly onto hand-moulded mounds of rice. The golden pomfret from Penang with spring onion and soy sauce is a satisfying start to the first sushi round. The green-eye fish is beautifully torched for a bit of smokiness. Then there’s the toro tuna belly, followed by another round of fatty tuna with ginger, spring onion, and Japanese mustard. It’s hard to choose, but this one is my favourite, with the tuna’s melt-in-your-mouth consistency and flavour punch from the dash of mustard.
Our second round of sushi features a tiger prawn brushed with a delightful sauce of shoyu (soy sauce), bonito flake and Halal mirin. Following is a prime Hokkaido scallop with sea salt and yuzu zest. The bite is extraordinarily smooth and creamy – one of the best scallops I’ve had.
We are also treated to a generous helping of buttery uni (sea urchin), as well as a freshwater unagi sushi bite, hand wrapped like a beautiful present by Chef Markey. The unagi (eel) is tender, smoky, and sweet, and a perfect ending to the sushi course.
Land and Ocean
In between our sushi courses are some other showstoppers. The Land and Ocean has a teriyaki chicken satay, but instead of the usual sugar used in teriyaki, Nikaku’s team highlights sweet corn from the Cameron Highlands in the sauce. The chicken has a nice char and crispiness while also maintaining some juiciness on the inside. The plate also has one of the biggest oysters I’ve seen, coming from Korea’s Jeju island and dressed with calamansi, pickled seaweed, and mustard.
Nikaku by Azabu Chef’s Choice
Okay, I know I’ve mentioned favourites a couple times already, but Chef’s Choice is truly my favourite dish of the day – or at least, my favourite savoury dish! A slab of marinated swordfish with bak kut teh sauce is served with okra, carrots, and enoki mushrooms on the side. The swordfish has a touch of sweetness from brown sugar while also maintaining a hint of smokiness and comforting herbal essence that is truly reminiscent of Malaysia’s prized bak kut teh dish.
We’re then treated to some housemade pickles as a palate cleanser. I’m always excited to discover new fruits, so Monica tells me these pickles are kedondong, otherwise known as ambarella. A close cousin to the more well-known mango, the kedondong makes a wonderfully tart and tasty pickle.
Ippin
The Ippin (also known as ‘one dish’ in Japanese) is a chawanmushi savoury egg custard featuring mud crab from Johor. I love the warm and silky texture of the custard paired with the sweet crab meat and a bit more of that fresh wasabi.
Sakana Somen
The last round of savouries is the Sakana Somen, a rich brew of fish head and bone broth with barramundi fish and thin wheat noodles. It’s Nikaku’s alternative to miso soup but with a greater depth of flavour.
Dessert at Nikaku by Azabu
Alright, I’ve mentioned a couple favourites already here, but the dessert courses might actually be my favourite. Gyoku, usually a bit more savoury eggs served as part of sushi, is turned into a sweeter Japanese egg custard that works as a dessert. The custard is made with Malaysian vanilla and resembles a Spanish Crema Catalana, or crème brulée, with a slightly burnt caramelised topping. Our videographer Jun professes that it’s the ‘best crème brulée or whatever this is’ he’s ever had.
Then there’s an ice cream monaka (an elegant version of an ice cream sandwich) with pistachio ice cream, soy sauce caramel, and walnut mochi sandwiched between thin flower-shaped wafers. It’s hard not to devour it in one bite, but I try my darndest to savour it between sips of my golden cup of hojicha with toasted cinnamon. It is a blissful end to our omakase afternoon.
Reasons to visit Nikaku by Azabu at Lot 10: witness Chef Markey’s skillful hands as he masterfully assembles delicious bites of sushi at the chef’s counter; creative fusion of authentic Japanese flavours with a Malaysian twist; oh, and the delightful desserts!
*Alcohol is not used in the cooking process, so Nikaku’s fare is inclusive of everyone in Malaysia. There are alcoholic beverages on offer, though, and a BYO option with a RM 100 corkage fee.
Nikaku by Azabu
The Table by Isetan – The Japan Store
Fourth Floor, 4F Lot 10, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6012 320 4238
Link to Nikaku by Azabu on Google Maps
Nikaku by Azabu Operating Hours
Daily: 12-3 pm & 6-11 pm dinner (last order at 9 pm)
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