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.