Ichiro Sushi Bar @ 1 Utama

Good sushi goes beyond the fresh glistening hue of the fish. In the chef’s eyes, it incorporates the gentle settling and merging of the fish and rice and sauce as each piece is placed onto a plate.

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When you’re trying to photograph this act from behind the counter, it isn’t always easy to do your job just right. Take too long, and you would’ve lost the soft landing, because the fish would have already landed. So the sushi concerto may look serene, but there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye.. especially at Ichiro Sushi Bar.

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otoro nigiri sushi

Eating well made sushi however, that, I can do. If you were to drop a grain of rice from the table, you would immediately go after it, the rice is that delicious.. I mean, you would literally chase that grain of rice.

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And it is only fair that you sit at the bar, where you have the chef’s full attention, and where you can give him, your full attention. No doubt they don’t like to make eye contact, but never mind… it’s more about the sushi afterall, isn’t it? And these skilled itamae never miss a beat, deftly preparing artfully presented Gunkan Nigiri, Nigiri Sushi, Futomaki, Uramaki, Temaki or Sashimi.

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gunkan nigiri: Salmon Roe, Natto, Negitoro , Uni

Gunkan Nigiri .. it is a real pleasure to watch the sushi chefs making this.. Gunkan means boat and this sushi gets the name from the way the main ingredients are held in place on top of the sushi rice. It is somewhat boat shaped. Here you see our orders of Salmon Roe, Sea Urchin (Uni), Negi Toro (minced raw fatty tuna/maguro with spring onion) and the slimy and stinky stink bean, Ika Natto. Be prepared to fork out anything between RM7 – RM18 for these little delectable morsels of sushi.

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I can never resist Uni..

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I can never resist natto either.. though it happens to be soybean fermented with the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, and people say it tastes like smelly wet socks.. I disagree.. but the sliminess is an acquired texture, I must admit!

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O-Toro Nigiri .. worth its weight in sushi;)

So why is this cut of tuna so bloody expensive? Toro is obviously the belly of the tuna. It’s extra rich and delicious because it’s the fattiest part of the tuna. On a small tuna it’s practically nonexistent… just like how on skinny people, they have almost no fat around the belly:P So a tuna has to in fact weigh a couple hundred pounds in order to have toro. It’s a very small portion of the tuna and it’s also more perishable because of its fat content. And that’s what makes it so goddamn delicious and expensive.

It melts on your tongue before you can even count till three.. It’s creamy, unctuous and the unreal yet best part of it is that it’s totally good for your health. Hip hip for Omega3!

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Hiramasa carpaccio (yellowtail amberjack)

I always feel that Hiramasa’s rich texture makes it a perfect foil for Champagnes and sparkling wines! Pinot Gris, Chablis, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc you name it.. they go so well. Even better than sake (but don’t let the chefs hear me say that). Must be the taut sweet flesh that makes it gel so well with the bubbles. At Ichiro Sushi Bar, the Hiramasa is a must. Very, very fresh indeed, but be prepared to fork out RM30 bucks for 5 tiny slivers of fish slices.

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Tuna tataki .. also priced at nearly RM30 bucks.. steep!

This one fell a little flat for me. The tuna was lacking in taste and freshness. Just wasn’t up to par today.

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Finally, a few hours later, and after a final platter of Sashimi and some more Maki’s had made an appearance, we were ready to call it quits. We had the Volcano rolls and the Soft shell crab rolls .. both were good. No complaints there. The Sashimi was, of course, of stellar quality.

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A nice day out with my mates. The location is conveniently in PJ, and Ichiro Sushi Bar is cozy yet not too crowded, so perfect for catching up with friends. And the sushi of course, is excellent.

 

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Add:
Ichiro Sushi Bar
Eat Paradise
2nd Floor, Isetan
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7726 5899

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