You can Buri by Two Chefs me any time

There’s Japanese food, and then, there’s Japanese cuisine that’s so good, it’ll knock your socks off. Buri by Two Chefs in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, seems like any other ordinary Japanese restaurant, but food is well-above expectations, short of an omakase experience.

Helmed by chefs Steve Chua and Edmund Chung, the signature dishes are quite different from predictable stuff like sashimi and sushi, rice bowls, bordering on eclectic fusion. Fresh from their win of the prestigious Global Sushi Academy Malaysia in 2017 and the World Gourmet Award, the two went on to open Two Chefs Lab in Kajang with much success. Buri is their second outlet.

Our introduction to Buri kicked off with a plate of Kuro Buta Carpaccio (RM19) – black pork with chilli vinegar sauce. An unusual dish in Japanese menus, the tender, juicy morsels of torched pork had the slightest hint of spice, and exploded in the mouth in layers of flavours. Another starter was Tuna Tataki – seared tuna topped with onion shoyu – a very simple offering, but also crucially telling if the tuna is not up to standard. Buri passed with flying colours, of course. Could have easily polished off two plates each these two starters all by myself, but I told myself I’d behave.

Next course was a medley of chawan mushi, laced with foie gras, kani (crabmeat and truffle oil) – RM14.50 each and ikura (salmon roe – RM13.50). Yes, it’s just steamed egg, but oh, so silky smooth and flavourful that every spoonful was a real joy!

Rather than the usual sushi, the chefs prepared cooked sushi instead such as kuro buta (black pork), flounder fish fin and sea eel that were rich in textures and unique in taste. Apart from these, there is also a full menu of other types of sushi to choose from.

Clams are not unusual, but Hamaguri Niniku – grilled with garlic creamy sauce – like how one would cook lobster, was unexpected. And, who’d knew you could have Wagyu Pate (RM39) – pan fried minced wagyu and beef, served with teriyaki sauce and mashed potato? The pate texture was firm, like a burger patty, and it literally melted on the tongue. We also tried the Grilled Lamb (RM38) which was superb, enticing even the non-lamb eater among us three diners. This segment was definitely more Western, given a Japanese touch in terms of sauces and marination, but no less distinctive and outstanding.    

Rather than having to explain why their rices dishes were so special, we were given a taste of an onsen Kenkori egg – said to be antibiotic and hormone-free, anti-salmonella and e.coli and rich with Japanese astaxanthin and probiotic – specially produced using Japanese farming methods. There was a natural ‘sweetness’ to the orange-coloured yolk, and naturally, it’s 3x the price of normal eggs too.

Dessert was Warabi Mochi (RM12), sprinkled with toasted soybean powder and topped with yuzu sherbet, a refreshing change from the usual Western cakes.

All these could easily have passed off as a 6-course dinner at sky-high prices, but instead, we had a fine dining experience at a fraction of the cost, yet yielded immense satisfaction. Buri by Two Chefs may be out of the way for some diners, but it’s certainly worth making the distance.

Address: E-1-1, Pusat Perdagangan Bandar, Jalan Persiaran Jalil 1, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. tel: 03-97663438, hp: 010-5539910