KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — It’s no secret that the expatriate enclave of Solaris Mont Kiara has leaned decidedly Korean in recent years.
There are now more than 20 Korean restaurants in the area serving everything from barbeque to tongdak-gui and jjajangmyeon, and that’s before you even count the bars, grocery stores and hair salons catering to the community.
But while Korean spots currently dominate the neighbourhood, it still has its fair share of Japanese gems.
One such example is also probably the unlikeliest candidate for a gem: a shoplot on Jalan Solaris 3 that goes through tenants like Manchester United goes through managers.
This shop lot has been something of a revolving door in the last few years. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Over the past three years, it has housed three distinct, yet all Japanese, concepts. First came Kakiya Umihiko, a restaurant and oyster bar, then Menya Sankodo, an outpost of an Aomori-based niboshi ramen franchise.
Interestingly enough, both businesses continue to survive elsewhere. The oyster bar has rebranded as Sakanaya Umihiko and now operates in J’s Gate Dining, Lot 10, while Menya Sankodo can be found in AEON Mall Metro Prima in Kepong.
Now, the lot is home to Yakitori Lab Murasaki.
Yakitori Lab is the brainchild of chef Daiji Murasaki, who opened the first Yakitori Lab in Fukuoka in 2007.
Chef Daiji Murasaki working the grill at his restaurant, Yakitori Lab Murasaki, in Solaris Mont Kiara. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The Solaris Mont Kiara branch opened in May, but Murasaki has been in Malaysia since 2023, first launching a ramen concept called Not A Ramen at the Signatures Food Court in Suria KLCC in early 2024.
Not A Ramen specialises in toripaitan ramen — the chicken-based cousin of tonkotsu — which goes a long way in explaining why, on a hot, humid Saturday evening, every table around me in the packed restaurant, mostly filled with Japanese expats, was ordering ramen in a yakitori joint.
Behind the counter, Murasaki grills order after order, his playful disposition on full display as he pulls silly faces at every camera pointed his way.
Of the skewers, the best ones are also the most interesting, the offal cuts: skin (RM4.98), heart (RM4.98), gizzard (RM4.98) and especially the chicken tail (RM6.38).
Chicken skin skewers that celebrate the rubbery texture of the part. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The skin is wrapped around the stick and grilled with a touch of tare; it’s kissed with char on the outside while staying soft and slightly chewy within. If you only like your chicken skin crisp, this isn’t the skewer for you.
The heart is lush and creamy, while the gizzard is firm and springy, but neither are quite as satisfying as the chicken “tail”, or bonjiri, which is fatty, rich and as tender as a baby’s bottom. Coat it liberally in a mound of shichimi togarashi for maximum enjoyment.
Other highlights include a surprisingly soft pork tongue (RM6.98), with thick, square hunks of grilled, lightly sweet meat served with mustard, and a skewer of boiled egg wrapped in pork belly (RM8.70), its yolk still delightfully jammy in the centre.
An inventive skewer of a boiled egg wrapped in pork belly. — Picture by Ethan Lau
But by far the most adventurous item on the menu, and indeed on most menus, is the chicken offal prepared yukhoe style (RM14.98).
Yukhoe is a Korean dish of marinated strips of raw beef, typically served with a raw egg yolk and slivers of Asian pear.
Not sure what about the chicken offal ‘yukhoe’ style counts as ‘yukhoe’, but it’s still a good raw offal dish. — Picture by Ethan Lau
I couldn’t quite tell what about this dish qualifies as yukhoe; there was no egg yolk or pear, but the combination of sesame seeds, white pepper and plenty of scallions tossed with beautifully red, plump pieces of liver, heart and other raw chicken offal in a sweet-ish soy sauce mixture is a winning one.
Top it off with the excellent coriander salad (RM17.98) for a much-needed punch of verdant brightness.
Finally, I caved to the implied peer pressure from every table around me and ordered the paitan ramen with pork belly chashu (RM18.79).
After the first sip, all I could say was “wow”. Wow, wow, wow. The silky broth is packed with a clean yet potent chicken flavour that any ramen restaurant would be proud of, let alone a yakitori joint.
I was a filthy non-believer, but it converted me, so much so that it’s only a matter of when, not if, I return for this alone.
Yakitori Lab Murasaki
16, Jalan Solaris 3,
Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.
Open daily, 5pm-2am
Tel: 017-597 6618
Instagram: @yakitori_lab
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.
Dining and Cooking