All about karakuchi
16 October, 2019
Despite the late afternoon storm on
Wednesday, guests at the Intimate Degustation Course with Chef Yuichi Kamimura,
turned up on time. Surprising because Malaysians aren’t known to be punctual
but the animated chatter and clinking of glasses gave away their eager anticipation
of what’s to come.
 |
| Chef Kamimura |
I could see most of the guests enjoying
glasses of ice-cold Super Dry Asahi, the drink of the evening. They comprised
mostly winners of a lucky draw for Asahi customers. All they had to do was
purchase three pints or one bucket of Asahi at participating outlets in the
Klang Valley to get a lucky draw ticket to the six-course dinner at Senja Italian
Restaurant. An even bigger incentive was that the degustation menu would be by
Michelin-star chef Kamimura. There were 20 grand prizes for two to the dinner.
This is not the first time that Australian-trained Chef Kamimura is guest chef at Senja. Known
for his fusion-style of French and Japanese cooking, he owns a Michelin-starred restaurant, Kamimura,
in the skiing slopes of Niseko.
He said
Asahi is a beer with a lot of heritage and that what makes it the top seller in
Japan is the beer-maker’s obsession with quality. Inspired by the dryness of
karakuchi sake, Asahi created Karakuchi beer with a sophisticated, crisp and
quick, clean finish.
Super Dry
was first brought into Malaysia by Carlsberg in 2011.
Winner Chang
Tze Bing and his partner, Khoo Mei Yee, said the beer, with its refreshing, dry
taste, could go with any food.
 |
| Asahi Squid Fritter with dried mullet roe |
Dinner
started with Asahi Squid Fritter with dried mullet
roe. On first bite, the squid fritter, coated with crumbled shisho, burst out
with an overwhelming taste of ginger. But as one chewed, the other ingredients
of sesame, kombu, chilli powder and mayonnaise tempered this down to a
lingering finish.
 |
| Confited Scallop on bed of tomato salsa |
Next was Confited Scallop, laid on a
bed of tomato salsa alongside pickled burdock, kyuri, red seaweed and
chrysanthemum petals. The translucent scallop was delicately luscious with a
sweet, buttery flavour.
 |
| Poached Marinated Eggplant under deepfried kale and topped with quail egg and crumbled mimoletto cheese |
Deepfried but soft Poached Marinated
Eggplant was blanketed under a leaf of deepfried kale on which rested a quail egg
with a soft centre. Crumbed mimoletto cheese added a sprinkle of bright orange
hues.
 |
| Grilled Lobster on lobster bisque and potato noodle |
 |
| More karakuchi Asahi Super Dry for me |
Chef Kamimura is known for his deft
hand with seafood and the scallop we tasted earlier was a perfect example. The Grilled
Lobster on lobster bisque and potato noodle was equally sensational. The bisque
was explosive with crustacean aroma. I wasn’t quite taken with the choice of using
cabbage in the dish though.
We had more karakuchi Asahi to clear
our palates. While wine enhances the flavour of food, Asahi Super Dry is
designed to cleanse the palate with its crisp taste and clean finish.
This prepared diners for the Chargrilled
Wagyu, served with watercress, caramelised onion and leek.
Mei Yee said the medium rare beef was
tender to the bite.
But beef was
not my thing, so Chef Kamimura prepared for me Panfried
Cod Fish with watercress, caramelised onion and potato instead.
 |
| Chargrilled Wagyu with watercres |
 |
| Panfried Cod with watercress |
The cod was
sweet but I detected a slight fishy flavour that was easily cleared with sips
of Asahi Super Dry.
 |
| Pear Sorbet with a yummylicious yoghurt cream crumble, nuts and berries |
Dessert was exquisite – Pear Sorbet
with yoghurt cream crumble, nuts, maple syrup and lime. The sorbet was smooth
and lightly scented but it was yoghurt cream crumble, nuts and chopped berries
with just the right balance of taste and texture that put a skip in my gait as
I made my way to the car for the drive home.
SENJA ITALIAN RESTAURANT
(No pork served)
The Saujana Hotel
& Resort
Jalan
Lapangan Terbang SAAS
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Telephone
+603-7843 1234
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday
Closed on Sundays and public holidays
Closed on Sundays and public holidays
6.30am
– 10.30am (breakfast)
12.00pm – 2.00pm (lunch)
6.30pm – 11.00pm (dinner)
12.00pm – 2.00pm (lunch)
6.30pm – 11.00pm (dinner)
Event
Asahi Degustation Dinner with Chef
Yuichi Kamimura
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