Yamaguchi Fish Market @ Kampung Pandan, KL

Inspired by Karato and Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan, Yamaguchi Fish Market‘s goal is to bring high quality and fresh ingredients to seafood lovers in a vibrant space. The aim is to recreate a Japanese fish market experience for a memorable visit.

Filled with fresh catches from seasonal fishes to sea urchin, king crabs and oysters, guests can either dine-in or purchase the seafood back home at wholesale prices.
Personally, I feel dinner time would the best time to visit Yamaguchi because that’s when the seafood stock has been replenished. However, if you are not bent on looking at fishes, lunch time is also a good time to drop by partly due to the lower crowd level.

The restaurant features an extensive menu of seafood prepared in various styles – raw fried, broiled, steamed, grilled and claypot. It could be quite a daunting to pick what you want to eat but luckily there are top 10 and chef recommendations to help first-timers like us.
With seafood so fresh available in the premise, sashimi is a must have. Yamaguchi’s Signature Sashimi Seafood Platter @ RM198 is fit for a king and features a luxurious selection of salmon, scallop, king crab, abalone, oyster and prawn.

Just to be clear, I did not manipulate the color of the salmon sashimi, as it’s really as vibrant as it appears to be. Needless to say it was extremely fresh and enjoyable.

Next up, a mysterious looking dish that resembles a pie. But then why is a hammer provided?

It’s in fact Salt Baked Tai Fish @ RM48, where a Tai sea bream head is baked in a thick salt crust. The hammer is used to break the crust open and reveal the fish which is wrapped in kelp.

The resulting fish is moist and melts in the mouth, but it tasted extremely briny. So, as interesting as the salt baked fish might be, it’s not recommended for those who prefer to savour the natural flavor of the fish. The overpowering saltiness pretty much dominated everything. In hindsight, I’d have tried a steamed fish instead.

Alas, the Hakka Stir Fried French Brown Crab @ RM156 was a tad salty as well. Otherwise it would had been an excellent dish because the cooking style really paired well with the crab’s mild and sweet flavor.

That said, it didn’t stop us from devouring the rich and creamy roe, especially now that cholesterol is finally off the ‘naughty’ list.

For something that’s more pocket-friendly yet high on taste, try the Seafood Nabemono @ RM38.

The comforting and slightly aromatic clear soup turns sweet after being cooked with large amount of fresh vegetables and seafood. Portion size is big enough to be shared between two people too.

Lastly, sake lovers will be glad to know that Gekkeikan Sake, one of the world’s leading sake brands is available here too. Gekkeikan Sake is known for its naturally brewed sake by combining culture and sophistication with tradition and novelty. Perfect to be enjoyed on any occasion in a relaxed environment with a spectacular view of the city.

Based on what we had at Yamaguchi Fish Market, there’s no doubt as to how superior the seafood and ingredients are in terms of freshness and quality. Some of the the cooked dishes’ seasoning could use some work though.

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