Sushi Azabu — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

TLDR: Azabu is the perfect choice for first time omakase adventurers. Price point steep though. Bugee siot. Very traditional, timeless, classic. Adventurous diners experienced with the omakase experience will find little to no new places to explore except for uni. Fish was all pre sliced though, and expect to open eye big big at the green tea pricing (just ask a waiter and they’ll get you the non-premium green tea for free though). Please don’t let my rating deter anyone, I’d still strongly recommend.

Clocking in at RM490++ for the omakase, the price is definitely very premium, versus Ori’s 380, Oribe’s 380, Hagi’s 380… lunch price of course, 380++ does feel like the magic number…

Anyways, Chef Keisuke attended to us, and I must say that dining with him as a chef is an experience in itself.

He is the very image of a stoic Japanese master (despite his age, no shade, but he looks really young). With utmost respect to his craft and patrons, he took us through the course with dignity, grace, and obvious pride in his creations.

I mentioned that my companion was a first timer, and he proclaimed (before the course even began) that “omakase sushi is different, you will never eat sushi the same again”. I gleefully agreed of course, but I digress.

He takes care to explain cultural, regional and seasonal preferences, traditional elements in cooking, and the approach Azabu takes to each ingredient. Through the course, it felt like he was trapped in catering a menu he would’ve tailored different… I digress again.

To those seeking more adventurous offerings, Azabu feels like an omakase checklist.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing, but for frequenters, it is predictable. It’s got all the bits and pieces, but none of the OTT flair. That modern youth adores to social media-lize.

It feels and tastes traditional in its truest sense.

The highlight (and in all probability the reason for 490++) is the uni flight plate. Three types of uni, and chef Keisuke LOVES uni. Educational and delicious, chef was especially passionate about this one.

Two complaints!

One! The fish was all pre-sliced! We arrived 10 minutes late on our reservation, I notified them of course, and was greeted with a tray of everything to expect was produced magically. A tiny gripe, but one nonetheless.

Two! The drinks are EXPENSIVE. If you didn’t know better, you’d order their green tea (as usual) and they’d bring you the premium stuff at 10-ish ++. The homemade ginger ale is suspiciously carbonated shelf lemonade with gari mashed in (20-ish ++). I only learned later on when I asked for a refill, that I could have asked for the normal green tea at the price of… free. Kudos to the waitress who was really passionate about tea and educated me about tea.

Please do visit this place if you have grown tired of fusion elements and random additions to a traditional...

In short, service and ambience is great, but the omakase is mediocre when considering the price. If youre looking at the price point and debating on whether to choose this place for omakase, probably wise to pass on this one. If 490 rm for omakase is cheap for you, then this will be a decent deal at best.

I found this restaurant on the top of a list when googling best omakase in KL, so I made a reservation for 2 at 6pm on a Saturday. We chose the omakase(490rm/pax). To my surprise there were empty spots at the already limited seating at the counter, but in hindsight I now understand why.

The service was very attentive, empty plates sat for seconds before it was taken away and my cup was never dry. The staff did a great job in making the experience feel like a high end restaurant. The chef himself was very kind and did a decent job in explaining each piece.

The restaurant is pretty small, nothing amazing in terms of decor, but definitely not casual by any means.

Now as I try and think of how to describe the food, one word comes to mind: forgettable. The starting courses before the nigiri were so average, I almost wondered if I was getting conned. My partner could not even finish the chawanmushi that came in a shot-glass sized cup. The rice in my nigiri was so loose that I felt I needed to pick it up with a spoon. I say this with zero sarcasm: my favorite thing about the entire experience was the grape they included in the dessert, it was the only item where I had a genuine pleasant reaction to. The fish was fresh and nothing was lacking in terms of quality, but the final execution was just ok. Not bad nor good. Not how I would want to describe an omakase experience.

The effort from the chef and staff are there and the illusion of a premium omakase experience is there. Youll get some decent pics for your instagram and itll be a cozy experience for you and your date. But the food falls so short compared to everything else.

The total was a little over 1100 rm for two people with no liquor ordered, I felt regret as I paid the bill. But nothing is worse when paying that much just to walk out and see disappointment in your partners face. Please take this...

It was earlier celebration for my coming birthday with my special 1. We booked 2 person omakase set. The presentation of the appetitiser is so plain, without the wow effect of real omakase. young chef was appointed to serve us, we would like to have some sake, the Waiter also do not know how to recommend this omakase set Is going well with certain sake or just plain green tea will be better. And just show 2 sake for tasting without any explaination. Then the main course came only a pure display of standard nigiri sushi nothing special, portion is so small. When asking the chef what is oyster farmed or wild also they not really sure how to differentiate. And when ask about 2 different sea urchin tasting, what is the different and is it farm also they not able to tell the different as well, probably just told us what the seafood vendor/supplier mentioned to them. When my special 1 getting uncomfortable with the barage of nigiri sushi, especially the non so fresh red snapper, it kind of stuck in her throat not able to swallow down. Afterward she felt lost of appetite, and I have to ask the chef is they anything sour like plum or anything to let her take it to make her feel good. He just replied no we dun have plum... That it... They actually can offer lemon/citrus with warm water could actually helps too... But nothing was offered. Except the ginger slice which already served the dessert also didn't Include any ice cream but just some plain fruits.... Over rm1100++ for omakase experience at this restaurant is not worth it. Oh ya the rest room at women toilet is congested and they is no water for women toilet as well. Bad experience. As the toilet need to shared witht the entitre lot 10 4 floor japanese restaurants there. Which is ridiculous 50-70women customers shared 1 room of women wash room?... (Without water supply). Only thing give me wow effect is the monk fish liver... The taste is good. The level of omakase served is too low for the price...