Halal omakase is quite hard to find in Kuala Lumpur, but one that we can recommend is the Muslim-owned Kaito located at Glo Damansara. Nestled in the vibrant tapestry of Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kaito welcomes you to a world where the elegance of Japanese cuisine meets fine dining. The restaurant is currently having a Hyogo Fair where they offer a halal Japanese omakase with ingredients flown directly from Hyogo (located in the Kansai region of Japan)! I was recently invited for a review and here are my thoughts on the omakase.
P/S: Read our review of Kaito here!
Kaito Hyogo Fair omakase menu
The Hyogo Fair omakase is a 6-course menu where you'll be treated to an array of delightful Japanese cuisine that was made to perfection. As with any omakase, the menu changes every day so what you read in this review may not be served when you visit the restaurant. And that's the best part as each course is a surprise!
Tako Taminegi Salad
As mentioned earlier, all the ingredients in this omakase are flown directly from Hyogo, so you'll be enjoying produce and seafood grown in Japan! For the first course, I enjoyed a refreshing bowl of blanched squid that sits on top of crispy and sweet Hyogo onion. I loved how Kaito inserted local flavour in the dish with the yuzu chilli padi dressing. It gives an extra kick that's perfect to start your meal.
Sawara Soup
The second course is a bowl of steaming Sawara Soup. Sawara is also known as Japanese mackerel fish. It's the perfect palate cleanser and I especially loved the sliced yuzu skin - it gives a refreshing burst of flavour!
Thai and Sawara Sushi
An omakase meal is not complete without sushi on the menu! The snapper sushi was served raw while the sawara sushi was torched. The sushi is fresh and the fish is sweet! The one thing that sets Kaito apart from other Japanese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur is the beautiful plating. The chef put in extra effort with edible flowers that lend a pop of colour to the simple sushi.
Anago and Tempura Onion
This came with a beautiful presentation! The tempura onion (fried to a crispy golden) sits on top of an upside-down glass where the tempura anago (saltwater eel) is waiting to be devoured. The tempura sauce is lightly flavoured so it doesn't overwhelm the tempura. 10/10!
Thai Kama Nitsuke
This is a well-loved Japanese dish. Simmered in a broth of halal mirin, shoyu and ginger, this dish is amazing to be eaten with a steamed cup of rice! The fish is lightly flavoured with tarragon oil and topped with sliced onion - a classic Kyoto-style nitsuke.
Sawara Miso Somen
This dish was beautiful to look at! The colourful noodles was cooked with butter vanilla (the vanilla flavour was a tad overwhelming) but the baked sawara was cooked to perfection. I loved that the teriyaki flavour doesn't overwhelm the natural sweet taste of the fish!
Dessert: Barley Pudding
To finish off the meal, I was served with classic Japanese dessert of barley pudding, which was topped with a slice of sweet mango, blueberries and sprinkled with kinako powder. It's a nice finish for a delightful meal!
Overall, I loved the lightness of the meal. It's not too heavy yet still filling! I do, however, wish that there were some variations of protein as most of the dishes were fish. Luckily I enjoy eating fish so it wasn't an issue for me.
The 7-course omakase meal costs RM350 per pax and is currently available until 5th November.
Halal status: Halal-certified
Address: KAITO, LG.09, Level LG, Glo Damansara, 699, Jalan Damansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11:30am-3pm, 5-10:30pm (Mon-Sun)
Contact: 03-2385 7275