Japanese Dinner @ Yashi-no-mi, Wisma Cosway, Kuala Lumpur

One of many hidden gems in the bustling city, Yashi-no-mi is a place where great Japanese food can be enjoyed in an environment similar to that of an izakaya from Sumida. Located at the dimly lit Wisma Cosway, it was a place I really wanted to visit for a long while and finally had a chance to visit the place few weeks ago.

A very casual setting. 

The place is decorated with lots of Japanese alcohol bottles. Shochu, sake, whiskey and so on. The wooden interior made it very cozy and warm. But the main contributor of the ambiance is not that, but rather its patrons being mostly Japanese. And at one time where my table was the only non-Japanese there, I literally felt I was just transported back in Tokyo. And the food? The food is authentic and honest.

Beans never tasted this good. Well they probably have. Still enjoy the though. 

No Friday night can begin without a bowl of edamame. Perfectly paired with a bottle of shochu, this bowl of beans was the perfect set up for the rest of the evening.

Star maker

The rice dishes soon followed, and mentaiko omurice was the name of the game. The rice was very flavourful and packed with so much intensity. The fish roe aroma was very distinctive and sweet and yet has a parmesan like aftertaste. Imagine a risotto powered by caviar, and you probably get the picture.

Photos and bad lighting will never do this justice. 

The egg encasing the rice was the cherry on the cake, where it is slightly bland so it can cut through the richness of the mentaiko. This was indeed a spectacular plate of rice. And at RM21, this was a very satisfying meal.

Check out that juicy meat center

But eggs and rice alone is not what a Friday evening is made off. Yashi-no-mi has a variety of bar snacks and side dishes that goes great with with practically, almost anything. The karaage chicken was seasoned well and was fried to perfection. The inner core is juicy, and yet the outer crust was great to the crunch. It was good on its own already, but being the chilli nut I am, a sprinkle of chilli flakes made this humble chicken dish a star winner for me. The plate of 4 pieces was RM 18 a pop. 

The spicy pork bowl. 

Being  glutton for more chilli, we ordered a bowl of spicy pork. The dish was alright, good in fact. However, it tasted very similar to a kimchi fried pork dish. And kimchi is not Japanese. I may be nitpicking at it for the sake of it, but it felt a bit out of place. Still, it would taste great with a bowl of white rice. This dish was for RM 12.

Decadence!

Next in line was the plate of thick sliced atsugiri bacon. This was such a sinful indulgence. The pork was very salty and strong tasting. With the fat of the meat being rendered down like butter, it went down very easily. It also has a nutty and smoky aftertaste to it, which again, was great with the shochu that we had. This bad boy was RM18 as well.

Parcels of flavour, which goes kablamo!

Not to be outdone were some pork gyoza dumplings. Simple and straight forward, these little morsels tastes very similar to xiao long pao. But the crunchy bottom added more depth to its texture and was a treat to chow on. This place was for RM16. And yes, went down well with shochu.

So much in something so small. Just a joy to eat.

Or it was perhaps the shochu that went down well with everything?

A serious party starter over here!

I may not know the answer but the Kagura Tenson Kourin was a great potion for the night. Standing at 25% proof, it is indeed very strong. But with a little ice and alot of bacon, this thing went down easily. So much so that two dudes demolished the thing in one sitting. And mind you that this bottle was 900 ml, which was RM180. 

Front of the house. You cannot miss it. 

A great place with friendly and warm customer service and honest no-frills Japanese grub, this is a place I would probably visit again. Great from start to finish, this is an establishment that you would probably give a second visit too. If you love Japanese rice dishes and bar snacks,  which has an owner that speaks Japanese, this is the place to be and the address is as follows:


Lot G.01, Ground Floor
Wisma Cosway
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50540 Kuala Lumpur