Sushi Hibiki, Shoppes at Four Seasons Place KL: Fine Japanese Cuisine

Tucked away in the basement of the new Shoppes at Four Seasons Place is Sushi Hibiki, a high-end, exclusive Japanese restaurant-cum-sushi bar. Drawing inspiration from a speakeasy, diners will first have to find the restaurant by locating a wooden signboard with a picture of a fish... a hidden gem in every sense.

The restaurant's interior is the epitome of understated elegance, lulling diners with a sense of calm. This intimate restaurant only seats nine at the sushi bar and there are also three tables of four (which comes with view of the sushi bar). The restaurant is led by Sushi Chef Makoto Saito Sam or better known as Chef Sam to the patrons.

The menu offers four premium Sushi Courses, all handcrafted by Chef Sam and his team using the finest ingredients from Japan. The freshest fish from Japan is air flown in to the restaurant four times a week; three times from Tsukiji in Tokyo, and one time either from Osaka, Hokkaido, or Fukuoka. Diners can choose from either the Hibiki Course (Standard Course RM240), Iki Course (Premium Nigiri Course RM360), Rin Course (Seasonal Omakase Course RM480) or Miyabi Course (Premium Omakase Course RM720).

We sat in the best seats in the restaurant, had the Rin Course, and what a culinary experience it was! There are many Japanese restaurants in KL these days serving omakase, but the question is: What makes an omakase experience truly special? The secret weapon at Sushi Hibiki is Chef Sam with his infectious smile and warmth as well as the way he interacts with the guests effortlessly.

Of course the food here is also top notch. We sipped on our welcome drink of sparkling wine while we enjoyed the Canapes, including scallop skewer, chamame, aji (horse mackerel) wrapped in seaweed and a fresh tomato. Everything, down to the simple tomato, was flavorful. Chamame is usually in season from August to September and has a delicious nutty flavour.

For the Rin Course, you will be served a selection of hot and cold dishes, depending on the seasonal ingredients available. Hamo, also known as pike conger is a type of sea eel which is currently in season. Perfectly firm and juicy, the hamo is served with a clear soup with some yuzu zest.

A work of art, the sashimi platter featured wild snapper, Hokkaido scallops and sanma (Pacific saury). Autumn is the best time to try sanma as it is much fattier at this time of the year. You will also find hanaho, which tastes just like the shiso leaf as it's the flower from the same plant which blooms from August to September.

Blackthroat seaperch, also known as rosy seabass or in Japanese, nodoguro, is a fatty fish so when grilled, it is extremely delicious. Loved how tender and sweet the meat is, paired with the pickled seaweed on the side.

Next, we were served a shellfish salad with a sweet miso and Japanese mustard dressing (karashi), which definitely had a powerful kick to it.

An orchid leaf is placed on our plate, right before Chef Sam prepares to enchant us with his sushi skills. For his sushi, we learnt that he uses two types of rice, from the Yamagata and Niigata prefecture as well as two types of vinegar, the regular white vinegar and a red vinegar which has a stronger flavour and pairs well with a rich-flavoured fish (such as chutoro).

I have to say, it was extremely therapeutic watching the sushi maestro at work. We had the shima aji (striped jack - lovely and firm), botan ebi (shrimp - so sweet!), chutoro (the tuna belly, my fav - so fatty, it melts in your mouth), ikura (salmon roe), Hokkaido uni, a lightly torched nodoguro (which gave it the nice smoky flavour) and anago (sea eel cooked on the charcoal). Fresh ikura, as opposed to the frozen ones we get throughout the year, has a wonderfully crunchy texture and is in season from September to October.

Enjoy your meal with the premium cold brew green tea

Shima aji

Botan ebi

Chutoro

Fresh ikura

Hokkaido uni

Nodoguro

Anago

The Saga seaweed that Chef Sam uses here at Sushi Hibiki is one of a kind. They're handmade by a friend of the chef in Japan and not available anywhere else in Malaysia. He lightly toasts the seaweed sheet over the charcoal embers, to make a roll consisting of freshly shaved bonito, shiso, radish and pickles.

For a sweet end, we had a light yet luscious strawberry tiramisu. An amazing meal we will remember for many years to come.

Look for this fish inside Atlas Gourmet Market to find your way to Sushi Hibiki

Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday Lunch: 12.30pm to 2.30pm, Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (Last Order). Closed on Mondays.

Location: Sushi Hibiki, Lot B1-04(A), Basement 1, Shoppes at Four Seasons Place KL, No 145, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2391 9008

Website: https://sushihibiki.com/


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