Yakitori @ Maruhi Sakaba, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur




If you are looking for an authentic Japanese barbecue, then this is it! And if you like to see alot of pictures, then this is the post for you too!

It was XH's birthday some time ago and me and a few friends decide to celebrate by bringing him out for dinner. If you are unfamiliar with the name, he is a good friend of mine and an occasional contributor to the TOG. Being a fan of Japanese food and culture himself, going to an authentic yakitori joint seems to fit the bill. 

The basic interior. Real spartan-like


Located in Taman Desa, Maruhi Sakaba fits the criteria of what an authentic yokocho yakitori izakaya should be. Simple deco, simple menu, simple concept, but amazing in its final product. The place is hot with skewers on the fire, and plastic tables and stools are the main furniture. Minimalism at its best. You are not going to experience something out of Ginza here, but rather salaryman sustenance that will make you salivate if you are in Omoide-Yokocho. 

Yucky and great at the same time.


Going straight into the woods, the first thing we got was ika shiokara. For the uninitiated, this is fermented squid. As it is not easily available locally, it was something that struck me and a bowl of it came soon after. Strong, salty, pungent, musky and slimy, it is not for everyone. However, my party of friends seem to enjoy it (bar one). And it goes well with alcohol. My venom of choice for the day, or to be more accurate, the hour, was a good swig of Sapporo Classic. 

The menu


The barbecue bits came soon after.  With a dizzying array of what to order in terms of yakitori, the menu makes it easy to navigate. There are 4 types to choose from : chicken which is the classic yakitori, its porky cousin yakibuta, seafood skewers and vegetables. There are also an 'others' section for skewers that are uncategorized. When you have decided an order, just call for a waiter and your skewers will come by soon enough. And if you want to get more, just ask. You do not have to order all your dishes at one go. 

The first of many tasty morsels



The chicken skewers we ordered was superbly done, as it should. After all, yakitori literally translates to chicken that has been grilled. The all time classic negima (chicken with leek) was cooked to perfection. Lightly seasoned and arranged alongside aromatic leeks, it was the smoky flavours of the skewers that really hits the spot. The chicken was juicy and cooked evenly. Not one bit was burnt. But the negima was not the only chicken items we had. The tail was well done too and the gizzard skewers were surprisingly flavourful, but does not have that metallic flavour you get in innards. My guess would be the smoky flavour of it all that makes the gizzard more palatable. 

The tail is on the far left. The rest are the mince. 


The tsukune came soon after. For those who do not know, tsukune is grilled chicken meat balls, although they can be served like a sheesh kebab. So to be more politically correct, one may have to refer them to grilled chicken mince, if that is the case. And that was the case for Maruhi Sakaba. Deep and loaded with flavour, there is a distinctive flavour base which seems to consist of soy sauce and mirin. There were also some hints of ginger and garlic. But like the negima sticks, it was the charred flavour that took the cake. Just delicious.

Porky galore!


Yakibuta came in later, which was to me the highlight of our meal. You can choose which part of the pork you would like to have and they will be expertly seasoned like the chicken mentioned beforehand. Spoil yourself with an array to choose: from shoulder, belly and even some of the innards. Regardless of what you have chosen, you will be guaranteed some great barbecue. If you like something with some bite and flavour, the shoulder is your best bet. If you want something more greasy and fatty, look no further than belly of pork. 

Me really enjoying the intestines. Delicious I tell you!


My favourite among the lot were actually the innards!

The tongue of pork had a unique texture, which was rubbery and yet tender at the same time. The intestine had a chewy texture which was great fun to have and reminded me alot of what I had back in Saitamaya 2 in Tokyo. As there were many folds in the intestine, it created pockets for the marinade to sit in, which leads to a real gush of flavour. The marinade was no fools errand, as its sweetness really latched on to the intestine, which is usually an organ that does not hold on to flavour very well. Wit traces of sweet soy, mirin and sake, this was excellent. For a brief moment, I was back in Japan. 

Time for some veggies


Of course a meal is not complete without some vegetables. The grilled eggplant was fun to have and we ordered a shiitake skewer to go along with it, which is a traditional choice. 


Definitely not healthy




Lacking some green, we ordered some asparagus. I like asparagus, especially if it is wrapped in bacon. Mum would not be proud of this choice, but hey, at least I ate some greens. The asparagus are not the only option, as you can have enoki wrapped in bacon as well. It was nice, but I found the asparagus a better and tastier option. 

The lamb slobberknocker


Although we have rummaged most of the menu already, what fun would it be if we did not try some of the uncategorised dishes? The lamb skewers were absolutely delicious and it seems to be seasoned differently. There was a distinctive spicy kickback, as it was laced with chilli oil. A great circuit breaker, giving it contrast to the other dishes. 


How can soft bone be this good?

Talking about circuit breakers, why not try some of the deep fried goodies this fine establishment has to offer? The soft bone karaage was definitely one that changed the pace. Crunchy on the inside and outside, I was slightly taken aback on my first bite. But once you have it with the chilli chutney that is provided, it was gorgeous and went down well with beer. 

A bit embarrassed on how good this is. 


If you want a real showstopper, which may possibly stop your arteries, then the fried chicken skin is your ticket! Who says Japanese meals are generally healthy? Crunchy through and through, this extremely sinful dish was greasy, savoury, salty and loaded with flavour. 

We ordered some buta karaage as well, which although was serviceable, I felt that it was nothing compared to everything else we ate through out the night. 

A smaller jug so it can be cool as well? Innovation at its best!


The venom we had was not just Sapporo Classic. Although I prefer it compared to the other ones out there, like Asahi, it is just not complete without some nihonshu and shochu. Midway through, we got ourselves a jug of Karakuchi. Easy to drink and slightly sweet, this can be an introductory sake for people who have yet acquired the taste of sake. And a lighter flavour profile makes it easy to pair as it will not overpower the meal that we were having. 

Shochu!



The Satsuma Mura, which was the shochu that we ordered came later, was more sharp than the delicate sake. This had a stronger flavour profile than the Karakuchi. it was a good companion to the chicken skin and the soft bone though, as it is equally intense. 


With a vast array of tasty delights, we lost count of how many skewers we ordered and also what each one costs. But prices range from RM4 to RM8 per skewer, depending on the stuff that was ordered. An authentic experience in the fringes of KL, this is a place that I highly recommend. Happy birthday once again! 

Happy birthday once again!




If you would like to try this place out, which you should, the address is as follows:

No. 6A Plaza Faber Jalan, Kuala Lumpur 58100, Malaysia

Note: once again, the photos were from XH. Feel free to check out his other works via his Instagram, by clicking here.

Comments

  1. 敬爱的佛教信土:
    我是甲洞三宝寺 (暹廟) SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION NO: 19-21 JALAN 38 TAMAN DESA JAYA KEPONG 52100 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA. 的理事, 当任此职多年, 对内的事務也一清二楚。

    最近, 在网络上看了PHRA PIYATHAMMO和尚和马华公会鸱唛区主席叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师的双方信件, 使我的内心久久不能平伏, 良心受到很大的譴責, 不吐訢不痛快, 所以我要誠恳的説:他叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)侓师叫外来的流流氓到三宝寺(暹廟)挑衅和尚打架及电招警方人员扣捕沙彌, 其嘲笑手法, 不外是要显示其权力, 而鞏固其职位, 以达到权力就是一切, 好让住持难堪, 自动離开, 方便行事……这种举动, 已间接的表逹其含意, 住持和尚兼顾问, 都无能为力,你们这些信徒能做什么?即使告马耒西亜佛教总会又能为难什么?这种心态, 的硧令人反感, 不是一个正信佛教者应有的行为。

    至今, 三宝寺的理事成员多数是其親戚, 这是实事, 加入会员需交RM100元费用,同时,必须经过叶金福(Yip Kum Fook)律师的同意,否则免談, 所以会员也不多。

    马华公会鹅唛区主席叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师,自控制三宝寺之後,把三宝寺(暹廟)当着私人產業,聘用和尚賺钱,利用佛教的道地为政治活动埸所,而处理三宝寺的钱财也不透明?这点,值得信众追问。马来西亚地擴人多,和尚也不缺乏,为什么不用本地和尚当任住持化缘,却偏偏劳心劳神,浪费签证费,交通费? 还要烦劳梹城佛总的推荐信, 向文化不同, 而語言又不通之千哩外囯缅旬和尚求助? 为什么….为什么? 只要我们用头脑想一想,便一日了然, 不必晝虎添足。

    叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak )律师说:欢迎任何人如有意见,可以电话03:62762369/0122039700 Email: YIPKUMFOOK@HOTMAIL.COM 戓到其马华公会鹅唛区会甲洞三宝寺及以下地圵:NO.2,B JALAN 53 TAMAN DESA JAYA KEPONG 52100 SELANGOR, MALAYSIA.討論, 我要老实的提醒大家, 最好不要一个去見他, 因为这个人狡滑, 笑裡藏刀, 很阴险, 出家人都不放在眼裡, 連TAMAN DAYA 52100 KEPONG, KUALA LUMPUR. 众人的印度廟也敢放火燒, 利用权势把场地佔为己有, 由此可见, 他是何等的心毒? 还有现在三宝寺内, 各处都按裝计孔监视来人一举一动。

    目前, 三宝寺很多信徒及当地居民, 已经对叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak )律师不满, 但也不能做什么。他计划把三宝寺主席的职位轉给其子YIP JIUN HANN律师, 续承皇朝. 想近一部了觧詳情, 可上网得知。

    再说, 根据前理事在网络上给叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师的批評, 説他懂得包裝自己的道德守则, 以宗教为幌子手, 到处募款, 啇業经营, 政治活动为重, 并没依循佛教守則行事, 也没对人道作出貢献, 只不过借三宝寺宗教之名捞取权和私利而己, 其言也不为过, 是实事。

    在此, 我恳切希望, 廣大的佛教信仰者, 给予关注, 并共創義举, 弘扬佛教. 谢谢。

    Mr Lim Sok Chia敬啟

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