A Fusion of Japanese at Azuma

A member of the Edo Ichi, or currently known as Right Potential group of restaurants, Azuma is one Japanese specialty restaurant operating under this big umbrella, which is the parent to a range of many others.

Azuma Japanese Restaurant started its operation on the first floor of Queensbay Mall, Penang almost a decade ago, when the mall first opened its doors to public.

It was pretty popular with the locals, unsurprisingly, at a time when the flavors of Japanese food and the likes of chain outlets are making their way into the local market and contributing to the surge in the growth of these Japanese-themed food industry.

I have only been to this restaurant like a couple of times; most of the time due to the eatery being selected by my Japanese food lover friends.

Well, I am one myself, but somehow, I have always preferred other restaurants.

I blame it on my picky tastes with food, and my tendency to stick to the comfort food zone; frequenting restaurants which I have personally marked as my favorites.

It has been a long time since my last visit, and the revisit was intended to refresh my memory on the selection they have here, and probably as I was hoping to deviate a little (just a little) from my usual haunts.

I have always thought of this as one of those specialty restaurants, due to the presentation of the image of the restaurant from the outside and also that dimly lit "barely seen" environment of the interior as one walks past the entrance which gives it that factor of mystique and class.

The idea of a sushi conveyor belt, or kaiten, running around in the middle of the restaurant will not appear in my mind for a specialty restaurant.

There it was, in Azuma, right there, staring at me in the face.

To be honest, there was that little element of surprise as my impression of the restaurant was suddenly torn between the category of fast food or sushi chains and the specialty cuisine style.

Yes, and all because of the special appearance of a conveyor belt.

The kaiten did all that.

It messed up my mind in a jiffy, and after I have entered the restaurant.

I could have turned on my heels and head out I suppose, but I was a little lost in thought and dazed yet fueled by that curiosity, I simply had to find the answer to the offerings of this restaurant and uncover for myself the identity actually depicted by the place.

Oh, let's just give that benefit of doubt to the people working hard at rolling the sushi by hand, and preparing all the orders in the kitchen.

Started with an appetizer of Turban shells with Okra (Lady fingers) -MYR15.00

The turban shells are unique, and I was again curious though I was a little skeptical with the name and also the idea of having shells; partly because I am not a fan of shells despite my professed love for seafood (shells somehow never made the equation, they don't fit in) and then I was again dumbfounded by the sight of the peculiarly shaped shells when they arrived.
Obviously the plate was laden with more lady fingers than the first named specialty of the dish, though I will not say it was not a good thing either, but the peculiar shape of the shells are well grounded since they are directly named due to that shape resembling that winding cloth making up the headwear (originating from Persia) worn mostly by the men in the Sikh community.
I am not the adventurous type; I am not going to say that I was fascinated by the sight (refer back to my earlier comment on my relationship with shells).

The turban shells are not your typical species of clams, or so I almost thought, for they are a species of sea snails.
Yes, read that, Snails.
I am sticking to the lady fingers, thank you very much.

We ordered this on our own will, but I will leave these turban snails, I mean shells to the other one and just make sure I have my share of the okra, which was just stir fried before drizzling them with the pleasant and light tasting sweet sourish and thin hint of chili gravy. The natural viscid texture of the lady fingers lent and blended well to create a slightly more treacly combination in the gravy, yet not appearing too gooey at the same time.
It was a subtle mixture and is simply alluring, leaving it hard to resist as one would subconsciously take one bite after another, and another.

As for the snails, or shells, I am going to need therapy at the thought of it, so I will leave to ignore the photos or that I even ordered this before. Enough said.
Don't ask me, I have no recollection of this.



The name of the next dish; has momentarily vanished from my memory, and perhaps it was a little (too) salty to our liking.

Stir fried udon with diced chicken, assorted vegetables, one or two shrimps and a few slices (or broken tentacles from a squid) make up this.
I just remember it being salty, which was quite a pity because it definitely look really good in its appearance when it arrived (and even now in pictures), but you know what they say about high sodium in your diet, so sorry, I have to pass on this.



My regular favorite, Salmon Teriyaki (MYR20) was slightly more expensive than most of the versions I have had in other Japanese chain or specialty restaurants, and I could not help but compare this with the others I have had.



Thinner by definition, the fillet was quite frankly, not meeting what I usually would like or even what I had in mind. The sheer amount of the teriyaki sauce did not do much to give the salmon fillet the flavor it deserved, though the only thing which saved it was that it was not overcooked.
I think it was quite nicely done, but it could have been slightly better.
It is one of my personal favorites, not to mention regular, and I definitely have set slightly higher expectations for this wherever I go. Yes, even when it's homecooked.
I am perhaps a little salmon-crazed?

Anyway, our dining experience at Azuma was not too bad and do not be disheartened, it could be my personal tastes which may differ from yours.



I would say the food here displayed significant signs of the intermarrying of both the Japanese style and also a little local tastes injected into cooking and preparation of the food, making it more of a fusion rather than purely Japanese.

It is something that I have observed evident in most of the local Japanese restaurants, especially among the chains, though there are still a few outlying (and outstanding) restaurants which have differentiated in their own presentation and obedience to the authenticity of the cuisine origins.

It is creativity, perhaps innovation, but there is always something to suit everyone, isn't there?
One man's meat can always be another's poison.

After all, the charm that lies in that culinary sector is all about experimenting and getting creative with all that there is.

A Matter of Taiwanese Tastes at Taiwan Courtyard

It is rare to find Taiwanese restaurants around here; let alone a good one, and I am fortunate that most of the ones that I have come across have more than meets the eye.
While I was on my 'blogging break' during the peak season of my work(and also due to the inaccessibility to my blogs due to the malicious threats) a year ago, I stumbled upon this new restaurant in the hip and trendy Queensbay Mall.

In the place of the previous Xian Ding Wei on the 3rd Floor in the Centre Court of the Mall (right beside Sakae Sushi), Taiwan Courtyard opened its doors back then to the regular mall hoppers and family crowds on the prowl in one of the most happening shopping malls on the island.


While the predecessor opted for an Oriental touch to their interior, Taiwan Courtyard revamped slightly with a simple touch of contemporary chic design and a hint of home style decor; at the same time maintaining some of the existing furniture from the previous business.







If Xian Ding Wei portrayed the image of a classy luxe environment, its successor, Taiwan Courtyard made it into a homey ambiance with the concept of comfort and relaxation in mind; incorporating the minimalistic design and the emphasis of wood in the restaurant. One can enjoy a peace of mind, and also browse through the magazines on the open rack while waiting for the food to be served.

Start off with a mix of fruity flavors in this Mixed Fruit Tea (MYR7.90); a flavorful combination of the varied tastes from the likes of green apple, watermelon which can be found in generous chunks at the bottom of the drink, giving it that exotic yet enjoyable kick of a sweet and sour ride with a light scent of the tea.
It is one of the recommended drinks on the menu, and I can easily see why.



Taiwanese Style Wanton Noodles Soup (MYR12.90) is a simple and comforting bowl of thick rice noodles cooked in plain soup, alongside the well-sized hand wrapped wantons (dumplings) filled with minced pork meat.








For the seafood lovers, the Seafood Noodles Soup (MYR16.90) would probably be a delectable option.
Generous with the thick slices of grouper fillets, fresh juicy succulent prawns, clams, squids, mushrooms and vegetables, this is a light option to please the seafood-appeasing buds.





For those with a taste for dry noodles and with a twist of flavors, an interesting option would be the Minced Pork Noodles in Preserved beans sauce (Dry) (MYR12.90)







Taiwan-style Deep Fried Prawn Roll (MYR11.90), meant to be an appetizer, resembling our local version of Lor Bak, only this is filled with a mix of finely chopped prawns along with mixed vegetables wrapped in fried bean curd sheets.



For a taste of the comforts of home, this Homemade Village Fish Pot (MYR19.90), packed with the simple tastes of bean curd, enoki mushroom, napa cabbage in a light sweet broth enhanced by the fresh and tender deep fried fish fillets and tomato cubes.
While the name suggested the home connection, the taste and presentation of this dish did more than just connect the dots to remind one of mum's homestyle cooking.


Taiwanese Supreme Prawns in 3 Variety of Sauce (MYR16.90) is an interesting presentation of the prawns ala the Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡) style.
Albeit a little saltish in taste, the luscious tastes of the juicy prawns made up for it and it would go very well with a bowl of white rice in that typical Asian meal style, no?






Another interesting flavor to enjoy the prawns, and one of my personal favorite is this slightly localized and probably fusion-styled Fried Prawns with Ginger Flower Asam Sauce (MYR14.90)


Taking a turn away from the heavier tastes of the earlier three varieties of sauce, this is a pleasantly aromatic and appetizing dish where the succulent prawns are enhanced with that extra kick from the sourish with a light sweetness asam sauce and is definitely tailored for the local taste buds. Yums!



Sweet Braised Squid (MYR12.90) is another favorite to crunch on; with its lightly crispy fried outer concealing the chewy and bursting with freshness squid rings.





Complete a Taiwanese meal with one of the favorite snowy desserts and there are just so many to choose from in the menu; but my always go-to is this Green Tea Snow Ice (MYR4.90 for S, and MYR8.90 for L)


Enjoy the soft lightly shaved ice in that cottony texture packed with the antioxidant properties of Green tea, and polished deliciously with the sweet and well-cooked red beans complemented by the mild tasting but extremely chewy black tapioca pearls. This is the perfect way to end a fulfilling Taiwanese meal, and definitely my favorite way to (if there is space, but it is worth saving that space to sample their variety of mouth-watering desserts!)



I am a fan of Taiwanese food, yet I would say that I prefer the local Taiwanese food here in my own backyard compared to the actual offerings in the original country.
Perhaps it is a matter of taste; and also our taste buds suited to the localized versions modeled to fit the local palates?
I am not sure, but I personally will be seeing more of myself in this Taiwanese joint whenever I need that Taiwanese food fix. After all, good food, ambiance and service definitely is a an attracting factor for one to return, and return as regulars here at this restaurant, now comfortably settling in their place with their growing popularity to rival that of the other eateries in the mall.

It is simply a matter of my personal preference of the Taiwanese tastes here at Taiwan Courtyard~



(This is not a sponsored post, and the post combines several visits and purely based on my personal opinions and experiences and may differ from one individual to another).

Lunch in a Taiwanese Tea room

Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room, the place which I was looking for previously when I was in The Gardens and ended up dining in Foong Lye (read it here).
I dined in this outlet once; but it was a while ago and I was wondering whether they have any outlet in KL because I believed they do, and the Queensbay Mall outlet is just a branch of the Taiwanese chain restaurant.
Turns out, they do have outlets in KL, but not in The Gardens and I must take note of that :-)



We ended up in this outlet in Queensbay Mall on a Sunday and decided to have lunch here, since I was kinda thinking of Taiwanese food for a while (I have no idea why either!)



Love the cosy ambiance and the welcoming environment inside the restaurant.



The lights are very appropriate to polish the feel and the intended ambiance within the restaurant, don't you think?



The restaurant's main theme color is purple, as can be observed from the wallpapers and the logo of the restaurant and therefore it is no surprise that the menu is also adorned in the same color according to the theme.



There are quite a number of choices which made it hard to decide on what to have...
It took us a while, but we did decide eventually. After all, we can't sit there for the whole day just flipping through the pages anyway.

The waiters were quite attentive and they even made the effort to repeat our orders. After that, they printed a copy of the orders and even asked for our confirmation on the printed orders to ensure that there is no conflict in what we have requested and what they have written down.
A wise move, to avoid wrong orders and maintain customer satisfaction.




Iced Green Tea with Plum (MYR7.90) is one of their specialty drinks



It had the sweet and sourish taste of plum yet the subtle taste of green tea and was a unique combination. However, the plum taste did tend to be more overpowering compared to the green tea.

Fish Fried with Tomato and Egg Sauce (MYR19.90)



A rather unique structure of the mini stove



I have often seen this fish with tomato and egg sauce in most Taiwanese food menus, and this time, we decided to just try it for ourselves.





Honestly?
It tasted like the sweet and sour fish my mum used to make for me when I little, although I am voting for the homecooked version more, of course.
The fish fillets were coated with flour and deep fried before being placed in the simmering gravy of tomato sauce with the addition of eggs at the bottom of the stove.
I do not find anything extra interesting about this dish, and it kinda even reminded me of fish fillets served with the baked beans sauce.

One can opt for the usual white rice or the Minced pork rice at an additional charge of MYR1.00 per bowl (even if you order the set meals).



Set meal: Stewed Fish Fillet in Taiwanese Soya sauce (MYR22.90)



There is also a bowl of soup included with the set meal



I am fascinated with the unique plate used to serve the side dishes in Taiwanese meals.



The stewed fish fillet is a better option; compared to the fish fried with egg and tomato sauce (they also have the set meal too at MYR21.90).
Also a recommended specialty item in the menu, the stewed fish fillet is a whole and slightly more generous portion of a fish fillet fried and served with soy sauce.

(well, I am not sure about the Taiwanese soy sauce because it tasted like normal soy sauce to me...I may need to do more research on this :)
Taiwanese or not, I did observe the generous amount of spring onion leaves used in the dish and since I am a fan, I don't mind, at all!



I definitely prefer this to the fish fried with egg and tomato sauce, as this tastes better and the fish has more meat to it!



For dessert, I had the Eight Treasures Dessert (MYR7.90)



It was definitely fully of beans; red and mung beans, sticky glutinous rice, taro cubes mounting the shaved ice and sprinkled with grounded nuts (unfortunately, I am not really a fan of nuts)
Oh it was topped with a big plum too!



Prices here are slightly on the higher side, or at least it was to me, and somehow some of the portions did not quite fit the prices; again, in my personal opinion.
I did like the dining environment though :-)