Syok-udo!

Hands down, Shokudo, the little Japanese bistro at Hotel Armada Petaling Jaya has my vote for the best untrumpeted casual dining outlet in Selangor. The space may be limited, and the decor sparse, but this is the kind of place Anthony Bourdain and his fellow men in white would troop to after their shifts were over. That is IF Shokudo was in New York City and opened past 11pm!

This is what heaven looks like to a sometimes-weary food editor.

The Japanese Chef, Helmi, has complete mastery of Japanese cuisine, down to the clearest, tastiest broths, and right up there to the skilled knife edge of a master sashimi chef. When I want to hide out and pig out, this is the place I choose to go to, with no small reason being that I champion fellow Malaysians who excel in cuisine out of their cultures.

To celebrate a friend who is undergoing treatment for blood cancer, I asked Helmi to hit us with some of his best. He began with amazing salmon sashimi, perfectly chilled which just flew off the plates. Two helpings among three vultures, gone, bang, just like that. 

The few times when being on ice is a treat!

That is beauty, right there!

The great thing about Helmi is that he thinks like a Japanese masterchef. He refuses to give in to baser needs, and gently told me that IF I wanted more salmon sashimi, it would be available after the meal. He then proceeded to bring out these gorgeous sushi, with amazing sweet prawns, and delectable shellfish.

The ethereal meets the corpulent!

Perfect tempura, delicate, airy and light as angels' wings, followed.

As if to ground us, he served up the Japanese hot pot the last. The Shabu Shabu promotion was the best deal in the city. A choice of beef, chicken, salmon Shabu Shabu for below RM35++ for two persons! The warmth of the simmering pot, the richness of the dashi stock, the aromas which meet and melt on the downwind, the salt tang of the mirin dipping sauce and the richness of the other marinade, just transported me. It simply does not get any better.

The beautiful simmering of the shabu shabu.

And the raw, earthy intensity of the beef.

The great thing is that this meal is what Shokudo serves as a matter of course. They are all ala carte dishes and not something created to wow a media person. Knowing that, and knowing the great folk who make this little outlet great, makes any meal here special.