On Christmas Eve I was invited to dinner at a quiet little Japanese restaurant on Jalan Burma (Burma Road) in Penang called Sushi Kappo Miyasaka so off I went with Ed and Shandy in tow.

Though I drive past here all the time, the restaurant’s non-descript exterior makes it very easy to miss, and it doesn’t help that all the surrounding shops have massive, colorful signboards.

Jun Miyasaka opened Sushi Kappo Miyasaka 4 years ago, after serving as head chef in numerous 5-star Japanese restaurants all over Malaysia like Kampachi at the Equatorial Hotel so I had very high expectations before sitting down.

The restaurant’s decor and interior is clean, simple and sparse – I think Mr. Miyasaka prefers to let his food do the talking, which is always a good thing.

A restaurant with average decor and great food always wins over a flashy eatery with average cuisine.

I always prefer to eat at Japanese restaurants where the chefs/owners are Japanese because you know the food is going to be more authentic.

Mrs. Miyasaka greeted us inside the restaurant and introduced the menu to us.

The menu is quite extensive and anyone who visits will definitely be spoilt for choice but I left it up to her to recommend our food for the evening.

Ok … onto the food!

The first thing that was brought to us was a deceptively simple bowl of salad drizzled with Mr. Miyasaka’s home-made wafu dressing.

Normally wafu dressing is a very sour affair, as one of it’s primary ingredients is vinegar. Wafu dressing is sort of like a Japanese vinaigrette hence the sour punch, but Miyasaka’s wafu has a very unique flavor which is very smooth and not sour at all. I tasted a hint of sesame in there and some other things I couldn’t pinpoint, but I guess that’s why it’s a “secret recipe” right?

All I will say is that it is one of the best wafu dressings I have ever tasted (and believe me I have tasted a lot)

Miyasaka’s wafu sauce is so dope that a “customer” ate at the restaurant one time and said they loved the sauce so much and asked if they could buy a bottle home. Next week a cheap-ass Japanese joint was serving a wafu salad that tasted exactly the same as Miyasaka’s.

Leave it to Malaysians to always rip off other people’s shit.

-_-”

Next up was a massive glass platter of goodies called the Sushi Zen.

Assorted sashimi, assorted sushi, unagi, tempura and a delectable braised beef and tofu pot at the end make up the Sushi Zen.

The sashimi was insanely fresh and the unagi was grilled to perfection. I am really not a big fan of unagi but I could not resist tucking into Miyasaka’s grilled eel since it looked so appetizing.

And the price for this piece of perfection?

Sushi Zen - RM48.

Go back and look at the photo of the whole platter again then say to yourself - RM48.

Speaking of unagi, we were also brought a Unagi Seiro Gohan, which was chopped unagi kabayaki laid on a bed of grilled tamago (egg) with rice underneath.

The rice is served in a dim-sum basket, which is a cheeky touch but actually looks perfect.

There’s not much I can say about this since I already said that Miyasaka’s unagi is grilled to perfection so if you are a unagi lover you don’t want to miss this.

Unagi Seiro Gohan set (served with chawanmushi, miso soup and pickled vegetables) – RM30.

A special mention must be made about Miyasaka’s chawanmushi (steamed egg)

Miyasaka’s chawanmushi is one of the best examples of this staple Japanese side dish I have tasted in Malaysia. Deceptively simple to cook but incredibly difficult to get right, I think Mr. Miyasaka has his chawanmushi on lock.

Yuki was eating with us aswell, and he ordered his favorite Salmon Yukke Don. Minced cooked salmon, chopped raw salmon and an extra few slices of salmon sashimi thrown in for good measure – this is a donburi that will give you a salmon overdose for sure.

The success of a sashimi donburi really depends on the freshness of the fish being used and at Miyasaka, you know that will never be a problem. Just look at the color/texture of that fish!

Salmon Yukke Don – RM38.

And now for the pièce-de-résistance … Hamaguri w/ White Sauce.

The name is deceptively simple for something that will blow you away.

It should be called “Fucking Amazing Hamaguri That Will Fuck You Up And Leave You Addicted For Life Because Of Our Secret White Sauce HaHaHa” or something.

Hamaguri or asari in some sort of sauce (butter, miso, etc) are popular menu items in Japanese restaurants and since I like clams, I usually order a bowl when they are available.

If there’s one thing you MUST eat if you go to Sushi Kappo Miyasaka, it is their Hamaguri w/ White Sauce.

I don’t know what’s in the sauce but I’m pretty sure there is cocaine in there somewhere since we all got so high eating the clams and we are all definitely addicted to them now – hahaha.

See? There isn’t even any sauce left in the bowl, Ed & I cleaned it out totally.

Next time I’ll just order the sauce and ask them to give me a straw.

Hamaguri w/ White Sauce – RM15.

RM15 for a bowl of heaven! Give me 10 right now!

Japanese restaurants have really proliferated in Malaysia over the past couple of years and most establishments serve a watered-down version or as I say “commercialized” version of Japanese food. There are very few eateries that will serve you the real deal but Sushi Kappo Miyasaka is definitely one of them – authentic Japanese cuisine in a homely restaurant that won’t put a massive hole in your wallet.

However, I should mention that I’m not the only one who knows a good thing – Sushi Kappo Miyasaka is always packed with regulars (Japanese people/savvy locals) and on the several occasions I have eaten there I’ve always seen people turned away so get there early or make a reservation.

And don’t forget to say I sent you!

Sushi Kappo Miyasaka
397 Jalan Burma, 10350 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-2266251

Opening Hours: 11:00am-2.30pm (lunch) 6pm-11pm (dinner)
Closed on Sundays

31st December – Open for lunch
1st January – Open for dinner
2nd &3rd January – Closed

Photography: The Pixel Pimps

Posted on December 30th, 2009 by BadBoyBen
Filed under: Bad News, Food, Photography