Gifu Ayu @ Ten Japanese Fine Dining, Marc Residence, KL

Gifu Prefecture of Japan will hold an exclusive 2-day only sampling of Japan’s highly celebrated ‘Ayu’ fish at TEN Japanese Fine Dining on 21st and 22nd November to promote appreciation of ‘Ayu’ fish from Gifu.

Gifu is touted as ‘the land of crystal clear streams’, hence it is not surprising that the prefecture is one of Japan’s largest producers of ‘Ayu’ fish.

Ayu or better known as sweetfish to the locals, belong to the salmon family that thrive only in clean rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The name ‘sweet fish’ is due to the sweetness of its tender flesh, which has a distinctive, sweet flavour with ‘melon and cucumber aroma’. Ayu feed mainly on algae and water weeds that accumulate on the rocks from the river bottom.

This is the first time Gifu-ayu is served in a restaurant in Malaysia. Ten Japanese Fine Dining restaurant presents a 7-Course Gifu Ayu Special Course menu priced at RM290+ and you can also choose to have it with sake pairing for RM350+.

Two award-wining masterchefs from Japan – Chikara Yamada and Hisashi Yamashita, will collaborate with Ten's masterchef Daisuke Miyake to deliver this special dinner with the finest Ayu.

Amuse - Saury Fish Parfait with Sushi Rice Cracker

Marinated Fromage Blanc with Saikyo Sweet Miso and Homemade Dried Mullet Roe

We were invited to the media lunch, a rare opportunity to savour this delicacy from Gifu. The meal was exceptional and a delight for the senses with its beautiful, artful plating as well as its wonderful aromas and taste.

After the amuse, we were served this beautiful sashimi platter by Chikara Yamada, the owner-chef of the restaurant “Yamada Chikara”. His previous work experience include La Lune French Restaurant in Shizuoka as well as the famed Spanish 3-star Michelin El Bulli under Chef Ferran Adria.

His sashimi platter features fresh, delicious raw fish as well as interesting molecular-style soy sauce mousse cubes. Using our chopsticks, we broke up small pieces of the soy cube and ate it with our sashimi and wasabi. So fascinating! :)

Yup, those small brown cubes are soy sauce mousse 

We were excited when our soup arrived in a pretty parcel, which we were to admire first by sight, then open and inhale the aroma. Then, the waiters would come by and pour in the blue shell crab consomme into the bowl. The consomme was light and delicious.

Hokkaido Crab Shinjo with Poured In Blue Shell Crab Consomme

Hokkaido Crab Shinjo is a Japanese-style crab cake / fritter

Chef Hisashi Yamashita then gave a demonstration on his signature dish, the Foie Gras Hamburger Steak. He is the owner-chef of the restaurant “Bistro Q”, and is well-known for his Teppan-French dishes. Foie gras is wrapped in the centre of the hambagu to give it a rich, luxurious finish. 

The star of the day, the Gifu-ayu sweetfish, is cooked in 3 ways, namely deep fried Gifu-ayu by Chikara Yamada, confit Gifu-ayu by Hisashi Yamashita and Gofu-ayu Bagna Cauda by TEN. I enjoyed the deep fried one the best, as it was super crispy and we could even eat the bones.

Super crispy

Ayu fish with Matsutake mushroom 

For many Japanese, ayu rice is the most satisfying way to enjoy Gifu-ayu. The rice is cooked with grilled ayu to infuse the rice with flavor and fragrance. We could also enjoy the delicate, sweet flesh of the Gifu-ayu. 

Steamed Gifu-ayu sweetfish rice by Chikara Yamada

Chef Chikara Yamada

Chef Hisashi Yamashita

For dessert, ice cream is decorated with marshmallow and Italian meringue pieces to make it look like a lotus flower. Then, a matcha sauce incorporating the traditional Japanese tea ceremony preparation is made and poured over the dessert. The bitterness of the matcha sauce complements the sweet ice cream, meringue and marshmallow well.

With the chefs who prepared this heavenly Japanese meal for us

Chef Hisashi Yamashita, Chef Chikara Yamada and Chef Daisuke Miyake

For Ten Japanese Fine Dining's menu (a la carte, set lunch, omakase), click here. No children under age of 12 is allowed to dine here.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday Lunch : 11:30am - 2:30pm; Dinner : 6:00pm onwards.

Location: TEN Japanese Fine Dining, A-G-1, Marc Residence, Ground Floor, No.3 Jalan Pinang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2161 5999

Website: http://www.tenrestaurant.com.my/

GPS Coordinates: 3.155384, 101.710314

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