Makoto Japanese Cuisine @ Desa Sri Hartamas

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Makoto Japanese Cuisine - The First and Only Japanese Restaurant that has air flown live Unagi.

It's no surprise that I am a huge Japanese cuisine fanatic, and one of my favourites is the Unagi (Japanese Eel). The problem I'm facing is that I'm always too afraid to order it in Malaysia because it's really difficult to find a good tasting one. It's always too boney, has too much of a "fishy" smell (鲜味), just not fresh or they just don't know how to cook it the right way.

That is why I'm very excited to introduce this place to you guys because this is the only place I've tried that is on par with the ones I had in Japan. The best thing is that this restaurant is actually Pork-Free! This place is like a god sent to all the Unagi lovers in Malaysia!

The Birth Of Makoto Japanese Restaurant:
They were formerly known as Hikari-ya. In order to expand and perfect their skills in Unagi cuisines, so they collaborated directly with an Executive Chef of a traditional Japanese eel restaurant in Tokyo, which has more than 200 years history and has been loved by celebrities like top politicians and business executives.



The 4 of us opted for a cozy private room to enjoy our dinner. If you want a private room, remember to call ahead to book because they only have 2 rooms.

In Makoto Japanese Cuisine Restaurant, Chef Hayashi - a well experienced Japanese chef will be preparing your Unagi-s as this is not a job many locals can perfectly do. He spent years & years of training in Japan and now lives locally to serve in this restaurant.

Since this place imports live Unagi-s and are only made to order, the eels are only "prepared" when the customer orders them. Thus, you can be sure that you are enjoying the utmost freshness of these Unagi-s here in Makoto.


Chef Hayashi is dedicated to even the smallest details by ensuring the Unagi-s stay alive by changing fresh water, ensuring that the water is at the correct temperature, grilling, steaming, preparation of sauce etc. All these are required to be able to serve the best charcoal grilled Unagi in town!

The Unagi-s can only stay still when they are in ice cold water. When they are exposed to room temperature, they still start to struggle and it is hard to handle. Only an experienced Chef can handle them without wearing any gloves.



What's even more surprising is that if the Unagi dies, they will be disposed and not kept to be serve to customers. This is why Makoto has so much pride & confidence in their star product - Unagi-s.


Apart from the Unagi dishes, you can enjoy other Japanese cuisines including the seasonal items! Remember to lookout for them on the white board as these items are not available on the menu.



Daiginjo Tokusei Gold 

I'm not an avid alcohol drinker but I couldn't resist when I saw they had the Obama Sake! Yes, you heard it right, it's the sake shared between President Barrack ObamaJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meal in Sukibayashi Jiro , Japan.

As you pour the Daiginjo Tokusei Gold into your glass, you’ll see cherry blossom-shaped gold leaves floating in your beverage. They are only 2-3 petals in a bottle and I had one!


UMESHU 梅酒グラス | RM25



Sashimi Platter | RM138
Shimaji(Mackeral), Akami(Tuna), Shake(Salmon), Kampachi(Yellow Tail) & Ebi(Prawn).
The sashimi on this platter is depending on what's fresh for the day. 
Everything is edible on this plate.


Hone Senbei | RM8
I'm seriously amazed at how the Japanese can make use of everything! These are the Unagi bones deep fried into crackers and they are seriously crispy & not oily at all. People usually enjoy these while having a cup of cold kirin over chit-chats.


Tempura Moriawase | RM27
3 x Prawns and 3 x Vegetables served with salt & tempura dipping sauce.
I love that their tempura batter is very light and crispy compared to many other places I've tried.



Unagi Kurikara | RM38
These grilled eels on skewers are just seasoned with some salt and they tastes heavenly! 
The natural juiciness and tenderness accompanied by the aromatic spice from the Japanese sanshō pepper sprinkled over the unagi makes me want more!


Kampachi Soup | RM28
It's the norm to see Miso soups in Japanese restaurants, but it's my first time trying Kampachi(Yellow Tail) soup instead.
They cooked it with dried Kombu and served with some kelp, mushrooms and Kampachi.
The natural sweetness of the fish was enough to bring comfort to my stomach and gave me a warm homey feeling.




Unaju (Small • Half) - RM100
The star of the night's meal, rice is also refillable for free!
The Unaju here is the best I've ever tasted, the Unagi is thick, tender & succulent, and it does not have the smelly "fishy" smell I hate. 
Instead of the normal sweet sauce, it is served with the natural homemade sauce by Chef which is savoury instead.

* Big Size (Full) - comes with whole unagi and kimo liver clear soup at RM 185



Warabimochi (わらび餅) | RM15

And another highlight of my dinner in Makoto - Warabimochi. This is my first time trying this traditional Japanese dessert and I'm in love with every bite! This dessert consists of brown sugar jelly, matcha jelly and warabimochi topped with kinako. In case this is your first time hearing about this as well, Warabimochi is a jelly-like confection made from bracken starch(plant). It differs from the normal mochi made from glutinous rice.

Besides the famous Unagi dishes, Makoto also offers Executive Bento Set Lunch on weekdays, from 12pm - 2:30pm.

I really can't wait to go back for more!

Makoto Japanese Cuisine
54, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, WP Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel no: +6 03 - 6211 1409
Facebook: Makoto Japanese Cuisine 
Instagram: @makoto.hartamas

*Tip: The place is small and they have limited tables, please do call if you going in a large group!



With love, 
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