Yet there is no trace of seafood in any form at Sushi Kitchen KL. This restaurant prepares what it calls “high conscious” Japanese meals that are vegan – meaning no meat, milk, eggs, and, yes, specifically fish.
Nestled along the busy Persiaran Surian in Kota Damansara, the Sushi Kitchen KL branch is easy to miss. But take a chance on this restaurant and prepare to be amazed.
Ying, 30, has been running this humble establishment for the last 15 months with the goal of getting people to put on their thinking caps when it comes to the food they eat.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that deep-frying is kept to a minimum and vegetables are soaked in enzymes as part of the cleaning process.
A former Sushi Kitchen chef herself, Ying, who only goes by one name, is keeping this outlet true to the aim of its main branch in Penang – to make eating smarter, better yet still tasty.
She’s also on a mission to change the narrative about vegan dishes, which don’t contain meat or dairy. Going by the sheer number of customers tucking into their meals at the restaurant, Ying is doing a rather brilliant job of it.
In fact, business has been booming in all six of the Sushi Kitchen branches – including its operations in China. Ying attributes this exclusively to Sushi Kitchen’s excellent cooking.
So how does the KL branch’s meals compare? FMT put their dishes to the test and chomped down on some of their more popular offerings.
The first entree for the day was “Golden Age” mango sushi (RM17) with chopped carrots, Japanese cucumber, sticky rice, seaweed and luscious slabs of mango on top.
This is only available during the mango season, Ying says, adding that the imported mangoes are picked for their sweet-sour taste – only sweet is a no-no.
This sweet-sour concoction has a real kick to it – all thanks to Sushi Kitchen’s 100% vegan mayonnaise – “no egg and no milk” – and their homemade “Japanese vinegar”.
Next on the menu was the Golden Miso Udon (RM10.80), a hearty bowl of hot udon, the “fatter cousin” of the Japanese noodle family, wakame seaweed and flaxseeds.
Paired with deep-fried enoki mushroom, this was a definite favourite; the crispy mushroom was to die for, and the zesty bowl of soup was good to the last slurp.
If you’re a fan of laksa, the Happy Spicy Noodle (RM10.90) is just for you. As its name suggests, the claypot noodle dish is filled to the brim with all sorts of local spices.
“It’s our specialty homemade soup base,” said Ying. “Inside, we have finely chopped curry leaves, chilies, turmeric, lemongrass, lime leaves and Camerons cabbage stems.”
For this well-seasoned-with-spices writer, the noodle dish was not overly spicy. But what was apparent was the creaminess of the dish – thanks to a blend of silken tofu.
The Japanese Edamame Fried Rice (RM11.80) was another favourite. White rice lightly fried with soy sauces, seaweed, cabbage leaves, Japanese carrot, and topped with yummy, protein-filled edamame, it was to die for.
Some of these dishes are not just there to delight your taste buds and be models for your Instagram, mind you. The Global Warming Maki sushi (RM16), for one, is a serious deal.
Behind the piping hot, deep-fried radish and carrot sushi – which really just melts in your mouth – is Sushi Kitchen’s humble efforts to raise awareness about global warming.
“A picture of a starving polar bear recently went viral,” said Ying. “People are starting online petitions to save him, but when we become vegans, we can help in the long run.”
She’s confident veganism – now a booming trend in most developed countries and popular here – will cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, the main source of global warming.
And even if they don’t realise it, those who visit Sushi Kitchen are doing their part to help the planet. So, Ying’s happy that by just serving vegan meals, things will change and for the better.
It’s just an added benefit that the meals here are finger-licking-good as was the Strawberry Chocolate Cake (RM12) which was moist, creamy and yummy.
Sushi Kitchen
I-06, I Residence,
Persiaran Surian
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Business hours:
Wednesday-Friday and Monday: 11:30am-2:30pm; 6:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11:30am-10:00pm
Tuesday: Closed
Tel: 011-5680 1088