Monday 15 August 2016

My Virgin Omakase


Update : Mikado Japanese Restaurant@Damansara Uptown has closed down.

One Saturday evening, my partner and I visited the newly opened Mikado Japanese Restaurant at Damansara Uptown. Mikado is occupying the first floor of what was once Umai-ya.

We perused the menu, looking for bento, but there was none to be had. There were lots of other things on the menu. What to eat, what to eat?

I decided to take the easy way out by selecting the Omakase. It's meant for two persons and it looked like a pretty good deal. It has a little bit of everything, so we have a variety of food to enjoy. My partner agreed.

First to come to the table was the Salmon Sashimi.


I love Salmon Sashimi. I thought the serving portion was quite generous.


Look at the wasabi. So prettily presented. They must have run it through a piping bag.


After that, the rest of the components came in stages.

Variety. I like!
This was when I got into jakun mode. The Zensai (three variety starter), Mixed Tempura and Nigiri Sushi, I can handle. Those are served in individual portions and easily shared.

I don't understand the raw quail egg.
Now, how do you handle the Chasoba? As you can see, there are two portions of noodles but only one bowl of broth. And I believe the platter of condiments on the left (with a quail egg) is meant for the Chasoba. Right? 

Also there is only one Smoked Duck Chawan Mushi. What if I am dining with someone I can't share bacteria with? Apologies for my ignorance.

So me and my other half proceeded as best we could. He took his Chasoba first and when he was done, he passed his leftover broth to me. I am very sure this is not the way to do it.

Smoked Duck Chawan Mushi. One only.

Then I noticed the quail egg. He told me, eh crack it into the soup lah. Which I did without much thought. But the broth is cold and the egg is raw. Then I quickly transferred the egg to the chawan mushi which was by now lukewarm. 


Mine using second hand broth.
So I ate raw quail egg. My partner, who was not feeling well that evening let me have the chawan mushi all to myself. Luckily, I have a stomach of steel and did not suffer from any tummy troubles the next day.


Continuing on with our meal, the Tempura was light and crispy, like any good tempura should be. 


Then this nice Eda Chuka Wakame Salad. I thought the server made a mistake because I did not realize that it was part of our meal. It was delicious. I loved the sesame dressing.


This is the Chicken Teriyaki. It was alright, not outstanding. 

And then it was time for dessert. Green tea ice cream with some red bean. Though I am not a fan of green tea ice cream, I still managed to enjoy the refreshing taste.



So that was my first time at Mikado and my first time having an Omakase

Midway through our meal, we asked for the menu so that I could audit snap a pic of the Omakase and to make sure that our order was complete.


While at Mikado, I can't help being reminded of Umai-Ya (since it is occupying the same premises). At one time, Umai-Ya was my favorite Japanese restaurant.

My partner and I stopped visiting Umai-Ya some two years ago due to an incident where we waited for more than an hour for an order. We eventually cancelled that item. My partner was so annoyed that he vowed never to come back. That is the way that he is.

Well, with Umai-Ya gone, I am wishing Mikado all the best and I will make my partner take me here again to try out the other items on the menu. Who knows, this might become my next favorite Japanese restaurant?

37 comments:

  1. Zzzz... I don't know how other Japanese restaurants in Malaysia do it, because these elaborate meal sets I usually skip through (too expensive for me). But to have a fixed selection of items for omakase is... not quite right. Omakase = "I can't decide! Help me decide, chef!". It is kind of like a "surprise me" meal set. Or "Today's chef special" set.

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    1. That's what I read when I googled what is omakase. Maybe they do a set here so that it is easier or else there will be pricing issues and dealing with customers who may not appreciate the concept.

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  2. I agree with RG...omakase basically means you leave it up to the chef to whip up the courses for you...and it's usually different day-to-day depending on what's fresh on a particular day. So, I think they didn't get it right by calling it omakase...it's more like a set meal. I've never dared order an omakase meal before coz you won't know the price nor the type of dishes the chef will select to do but it's usually what's freshest for the day...and it's usually the most expensive too...hehe! :D

    Chasoba to me is cold soba noodles...the cold broth you mentioned is actually a dipping sauce. You can add the spring onions and quail egg (sometimes grated radish too) into the sauce. The nori you can add to your noodles. You then take some noodles, swirl it into the sauce, lift and slurp! That was why you were only given one plate of the dipping sauce...to dip, not to eat from! ;D As for raw eggs, it's quite safe to eat Japanese eggs raw as they use pasteurised eggs. When you eat sukiyaki, beaten raw egg in ponzu shoyu is commonly used as a dipping sauce. Hope your next meal here will turn out to be a more enjoyable affair :)

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    1. Oh I see! That's how to eat the noodles - dip and not soak. Gosh, I am so embarrassed hah..hah.. Anyway, next time I encounter a chasoba, I will know how to proceed :)

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    2. Goodness me! I went to Japan so many times and today I learnt what is omakase. Wakakakaka

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  3. Salmon Sashimi is my all time favourite...

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  4. Oh my! I love the blue and white crockery - I have a weakness for those, so beautiful! Ummmm....my birthday is in December, and Christmas too. Hehehehehe!!!!

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    1. Ah...I may have something for you in my storeroom. Muahahaha!!

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  5. I have never had such dishes in London. It's way too expansive for me.

    I, too cannot share food from a communal bowl.

    About four weeks ago, I was staying at a wealthy farmer's house in the Aegean Sea of
    Turkey. The family and their friends all dipped their spoon into a communal bowl of yoghurt, salad etc. I soon learnt to dished out my own portions whilst the others enjoyed their share. No thanks! 😳

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    1. I don't mind communal bowl with close family but not with anyone else. I can't get used to that >.<

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  6. Replies
    1. It was, I thought it was reasonable by Japanese restaurant standards.

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  7. Beautifully presented, this place is a catch. Smoked duck chawan mushi. Yum yum.

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  8. Yummy, yummy Japanese food. The small portions can be quite filling. Oh, I do miss the Japanese Garlic Fried Rice prepared by my nephew. He is a chef for Japanese cuisine.

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    1. Oh, how nice! Your nephew is a chef! Then you can eat restaurant quality food when he cooks for you :)

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  9. I still don't know how to eat noodles in cold soup... I am really "jakun" la.. dont know how to enjoy cold food except for desserts! Auntie here likes fried rice with salmon and I usually order that when I "have" to go for Japanese food, and a piece of Saba with that teriyaki sauce.. That will do for me.. :)

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    1. I also can't appreciate cold noodles. Feels strange.

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  10. RM139.90 for two is quite a fair price for an omakase experience ... though you're absolutely right, there should be two individual servings of the chawanmushi - maybe they can make the portion smaller, if one whole chawanmushi is too much per person ...

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    1. Very fair price indeed. It was a nice experience.

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  11. I love to eat Japanese food but I have never ordered Omakase before and I have never eaten the quail egg dish. Good that you have a stomach of steel because I do not like to eat runny egg yolk but the rest of the food looks great though the price is high as expected for Omakase. Hope you go again to try the other food and share with us the delicious photos.

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    1. Yes, I intend to visit again for the other items. The quality here is pretty good.

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  12. Hi Phong Hong,
    The food standard/presentation look good. Oh I was told that eating cold soba is to dip the noodle in the sauce and not to 'soak' them in the bowl.
    Dessert looks good too.

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    1. Yes, that's what I found out. But too late hah..hah... I so sua ku.

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  13. Hi Phong Hong,
    I would be confused and would not know how to start with what first! Haha! Have not had omakase and have not been to a Japanese restaurant for ages!
    The meal looks good!

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    1. Hi Joyce! It was a good meal except that I did not quite proceed correctly on the soba hah..hah...

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  14. Last time, I had a colleague who simply loves cold soba noodles, I cannot understand why she loves it so much, I can never appreciate cold food, I like all my food warm and steamy, if my rice or food is not warm I will not eat them

    The only food I can accept cold is Salmon Sashimi and that is one of my favourite Japanese food

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    1. Me too can't accept cold noodles like that.

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  15. I just had Jap food today, will share about it soon.

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  16. Hmmm..... so many "new"things. LOL...i seldom go Japanese restaurant. J and the dad would love la

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  17. I know of some people like you who tak berapa minat Japanese food. My dad i sone of them LOL!

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  18. Price not really cheap as I see the food given not some "luxurious" ingredients though >_<

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