Fukuharu

Like I said in one of my previous posts, 2011 started with a delicious bang, in the sense that I really had some good meals with some good friends. It’s amazing how food brings like-minded people together… and I must say that I have been truly blessed with several great foodie friends in the latter part of last year and early this year. On this note, my dining experience at Fukuharu was truly memorable because this meal was shared with beloved family members and friends.

Nestled in that quaint cul-de-sac behind Hock Choon Supermarket (one of Jalan Ampang’s iconic landmark!) known as “The Terrace at Hock Choon”, Fukuharu is one of several dining outlets there. Crowned as The Best Japanese Restaurant 2010 by Timeout KL, needless to say, I was very eager to sample their offerings.

With lots of natural light spilling in from a glass panelled wall (wonderful for photography!) and overlooking a lush garden, I immediately fell in love with the place. The greenery’s such a soothing treat for tired eyes. The simple unpretentious decor and furniture set the stage for some good dining to come. I didn’t really have to look through their menu as their signature dishes and specials for the day were all written on a blackboard. Plus, I had the privilege of dining with friends who are regulars there and I trusted their recommendations implicitly 🙂

I love how our salads came in a variety of Japanese porcelain bowls, all with different motifs, shapes and designs. I think mine was the prettiest, hehe!

I hadn’t even finished my salad when my attention was drawn to this beautiful platter set on our table…

The Suzuki Carpaccio (RM28) – thin slices of raw seabass laid out in a fan served with a drizzle of wasabi dressing. Very simple, very basic – the fresh flavour of the seabass was a joy on the palate. This whetted my appetite and I couldn’t wait for the next dish…

Mentai Sushi (RM18) – this came with the strict instruction that it must be eaten IMMEDIATELY! The reason for this instruction was that this sushi was served hot… the heat came from the top layer of cod roe being scorched right before it was brought to our table.

It is essentially a tamago (egg omelette) sushi, which on its own is already a personal favourite… what more that this one came with the heavenly creamy layer of cod roe?! It was so good we had to order a 2nd serving, seriously.

What’s a Japanese meal without sashimi, right?

The Omikase Sashimi (RM160) platter was a generous one… we were spoilt for choice with salmon, tuna, scallops, sea urchin…all sitting prettily on ice shavings. Needless to say, every morsel was freshness at its best.

The Eringgi Yaki (RM14) remains one of LL’s firm favourites. He has been egging me to try and replicate this at home but I think it really needs some kinda genius to grill the slices of eringgi mushroom to such perfection.

I had never really been a fan of cold noodles but the Hiyashi Tanuki Soba (RM15) quickly converted me.

Served with tempura flakes, julienne’ed cucumber, seaweed and crabstick, I didn’t think that plate of cold soba could be so delicious! If I was a converted fan, then LL must be a fan-for-life of this soba – he was quite miffed that a certain friend didn’t finish her soba (like, how could she not finish it, what a waste?!) and wished she had passed over some of her soba 😀

The other dish that warranted a 2nd order was this…

The Wagyu Teppanyaki (RM64) was so gloriously tender and juicy that nobody could stop at 1 or 2 pieces. I was so glad that this was placed right in front of me and I could surreptitiously sneak my chopsticks repeatedly in that direction, hehe!

The Unagi Tempura was a first for me. I’ve never eaten unagi this style before. While LL and DL smacked their lips over this, I still prefer unagi served the traditional way – grilled and glazed with kabayaki sauce.

We had the pleasure of meeting JL, the owner of Fukuharu and he strongly recommended that we try a few of their specialities. When he mentioned “chilli padi sushi”, I was intrigued and nodded my head vigorously at this suggestion. Little did I know that I was in for some real hot bites!

The Unagi Chilli Padi Maki were lightly fried to give the seaweed roll a light crisp. Those rice rolls may look very harmless and innocent but let me show you how much of a killer they really were…

That piece of chilli padi was at least 2cm long and packed a lot of fire… so eat this with caution and be prepared to down lots of ocha after that!

Or … you can soothe your tongue from that fiery onslaught with some Avocado Tempura…

The soft creamy buttery avocado slices in a light tempura batter were delicious and really helped in soothing my tongue from that chilli padi adventure. I almost held the entire plate hostage, really I did.

The charming J insisted that we should try one more item, even though our chairs were already groaning from the weight of our stuffed tummies. Tori Shioyaki made its way to us…

Boneless chicken thigh salt-grilled to perfection, with slightly-charred smokey skin… much-needed protein for the growing boy in our group. Stuffed or not, we enjoyed the grilled chicken and not a charred bit was left 🙂

I loved my simple vanilla icecream with black sesame topping… no frills, no fuss – just perfect. I slowly savoured every spoonful of this while we lingered over coffee and chatted and laughed … family and friends basking and enjoying each other’s company. I am truly blessed 🙂

I can’t wait for my next meal at Fukuharu as there are many dishes to try and without a doubt, this gem of a restaurant has firmly become a favourite with the family. This 1st outing there has certainly whetted my appetitite for more and I’m so looking forward to another wonderful meal there… I shall be back! 🙂

Fukuharu
The Terrace @ Hock Choon
241-B Lorong Nibong
Off Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-2098477

It’s open for lunch & dinner