Sushi Hibiki — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Late review but felt that it had to be said since it’s still lingering in my mind. I was visiting from SF and have been eyeing this place to try out when I was back visiting family, and unfortunately, had to leave 100% disappointed after our June 10th dinner. We had a party of 3 but was shocked when we were told after being seated, that it would be a tempura omakase vs the expected sushi omakase since the head chef was not available!

First off, why weren’t we informed that the head sushi chef was on travel, and they couldn’t serve raw fish prior to our reservation? This should be the first thing any restaurant, let alone fine dining, would inform their customers especially when the prepaid reservation was for sushi omakase and not tempura omakase. Secondly, the apprentice chefs were so unprofessional in explaining the tempura dishes because one of them was drunk from drinking with a bunch of rowdy customers prior to us arriving for our 8:30pm omakase dinner.

We truly had such high expectations prior to dining at this place and left completely disappointed with the food and the unprofessional display from the chefs. One would never expect the display of unprofessionalism when the owner/head chef was not in town.

Unfortunately, what started out as a great anticipation/expectation meal became pretty bizarre with the drunk and rowdy customers and chefs. By end of the night, we felt so uncomfortable that we wanted the dinner to end quickly. We couldn’t even enjoy the meal anymore without having the thought of the drunk customers approaching us or what would come out from the drunk chef! The manager kept apologizing but that was all he could do…

For the total cost of RM$2,134.00 for 3 people, this never really measured up. Maybe they were having an off night without the owner/head sushi chef, but with a restaurant of this caliber, it should not matter – we left feeling utterly underwhelmed by the performance of the apprentice chefs...

Hands down, the best omakase restaurant in KL which I wasn't expecting AT ALL. I mean, no one really talks about this place and it doesn't really show up in those "best omakse spots in KL" lists, so I thought it'd be like any other spot but nooo, this place is bomb. I just don't think they do any marketing and their restaurant is so small and hidden (behind an oyster bar in the basement of the Four Seasons hotel), it's unassuming.

I gotta admit, probably one of the pricier omakase spots? But you don't always get premium food at premium prices, and at Hibiki you DEFINITELY do. I opted for the RM750 per person omakase (Miyabi course). The less expensive is RM520 for non-premium ingredients and the more expensive is RM980 if you want to customize it and work with the chef on something Idk special.

They put a lot of love, effort, and thought into everything they serve here, you can taste it in every bite. You can also tell by the way the staff (chefs + waiters) are so excited to share information about the ingredients and their process of preparing everything. They have a book handy so they can always show you exactly what you are eating! They get shipments from Japan 2-3 times a week and everything comes FRESH, NOT FROZEN!! You can taste it in their ikura (salmon roe eggs), the saltiness is so mild and it's because they get the fish fresh and dig out the eggs themselvessss. I think this was the best ikura I've ever had. I'm sure 95% of most sushi restaurants get that stuff shipped in frozen lol.

I loved everything they had, which was a mix of hot + cold dishes, but the highlights were that ikura, monkfish liver, their super comforting hot red miso soup, and of course the sushi all delicious fresh and some perfect bursts of flavors...

My partner and I discovered Sushi Hibiki at the Sushi Summit event that we attended a couple of years ago, where participating chefs presented guests with short courses that best showcased their skills and the art of sushi. What left a lasting impression was Sushi Hibiki’s true to Edomae style, clean and classic menu.

Two years later, we’re back at its establishment located in the Four Seasons Shoppes. To say the least, we enjoyed ourselves; SUCH great food coupled with the immaculate vibes, it makes me think what took us so long?

We found the Chef to be engaging, as he really took the time to explain each dish and the origin of every ingredient. Between the many words exchanged and the laughters shared, I briefly mentioned that I am fond of the Japanese delicacy, shirako, which happens to be in season. Guess what off menu item was offered to us? No brownie points for this one. 🙊

From the sushi to the sashimi, the grilled dish, steamed dish, tempura, and even the dessert, everything was done right. The cherry on top was the attentive service! I could nitpick and still would not be able to find fault.

Some may shy away due to the price point, but given the quality of food and service, rest assured it is worth every cent. So, if you got that hot date you would like to impress, or a special somebody you would like to celebrate, perhaps you’re in the mood to treat yourself, look no further.

Overall, 10/10. Thank you, Chef for the oishii meal, the rest of the Hibiki crew for the warm hospitality. We will see you soon in hopes of trying that RM20+ farm-in-the-mountain creamy...