February 2014
When news of Ozeki Italian Cuisine’s closure filtered through the grapevine, we were perplexed. Here was one of 2012’s most enthralling openings, barely lasting a year. Upon closer inspection, the cult Japanese-Italian restaurant’s demise was greatly exaggerated.
Enter Koryori Enoshima, which took over the old Ozeki Italian Cuisine outpost within the dull compounds of Wisma Cosway last August. Helmed by the same team as its predecessor, this dimly lit hidden gem was packed with Japanese businessmen cheerfully chit-chatting in their mother tongue when we arrived on a Thursday night.
From mentaiko spaghetti with seasoned cod roe sauce (RM27) to shirasu pizza with sardines and spring onion (RM16), delicate Italian flourishes are still apparent in the rustic handwritten menu, but the onus now is very much on classic Japanese fare. The buttery smooth agedashi tofu (deep-fried beancurd with mushroom sauce) and tender gyutan skewers (grilled beef tongue) were excellent appetisers, though the ensuing salt-grilled salmon shioyaki tasted under-seasoned and utterly forgettable.
Next to arrive at our table was a salmon belly sashimi dish that came highly recommended as an off-menu special by our affable waitress, and with good reason. The sashimi was fresh and expertly sliced, a lesson in precision, and was upstaged only by the restaurant’s outstanding diamond maki. Essentially a platter of spruced-up California rolls wrapped with raw fish, the diamond maki won us over with its satisfyingly crunchy texture and perfect rice-to-seafood ratio. Out of sheer curiosity we landed on a single Western dish – the wafu oroshi Japanese-style beef patty in onion sauce, which sizzled without truly making an impression. We ended up mostly jostling for the maki.
While the quality of food here was never in question during the course of our meal, Koryori Enoshima shares the same weakness as its ill-fated forerunner – location. Despite being situated just across the street from Pavilion, Wisma Cosway doesn’t exactly draw in discerning crowds looking for a top-drawer dining experience. Here’s hoping that maybe this time a lamentable location won’t mean a premature end. Wong Boon Ken