Kintsugi by Jeff Ramsey is another venture by the chef-patron of Malaysia's hottest restaurant, Babe, located in Kuala Lumpur.
Born to an American father and Japanese mother, Ramsey was initially trained in Japan as a master sushi chef. However, later on, he decided to pursue a culinary career outside the realm of sushi and went on to work under chef Jose Andres, a protégé of the legendary Catalonian chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli.
Afterwards, Ramsey came back to Japan to help Japanese "super chef" Hide Yamamoto open the Tapas Molecular Bar in Tokyo. The molecular gastronomy restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2013, making Ramsey the only American to earn the honour outside the United States.
At his Bangkok atelier, which opened a year ago on the 3rd floor of The Athenee Hotel, Ramsey's much-treasured progressive fare is presented in the style of kaiseki -- a multi-course, aesthetically-arranged Japanese dinner equivalent to Western haute cuisine.
His culinary approach takes cues from kintsugi, hence the restaurant's name, which is a highbrow art of repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer. The method transforms artefacts into something new, making it more unique and imaginary than the original.
Thus, the 60-seat restaurant is a place where diners can experience a traditional kaiseki meal which has been reconstructed with daring new directions as well as the finest contemporary touches.
The pan-seared wagyu with shishito pepper and kombu butter.
There are three menu options here: a 15-course dinner (6,500 baht per person); a 12-course dinner (3,500 baht per person); and a nine-course dinner (2,500 baht).
The selection of dishes changes seasonally depending on the best available produce.
Currently, every meal option begins with a cold salad of hokkigai (surf clam), chirimen jako (baby sardines), Japanese cucumber, fresh wakame seaweed and fine shreds of myoga ginger with zesty vinegar dressing.
The second dish of my 12-course meal was Japanese eggplant -- grilled, peeled and served chilled with tomato gelee made with double-boiled tomato water.
Slowly warming your mouth, it introduces you to a subtler and more delicate palate pleasure, the caramelised ankimo.
Regarded as the foie gras of the sea, ankimo is a Japanese winter delicacy. It is made with monkfish liver rubbed with salt and rinsed with sake before being rolled into a firm disc and, according to Ramsey's recipe, sous-vided.
The chilled eggplant with tomato gelee.
Meanwhile, the terrine-like disc offered a rich and buttery mouthfeel of foie gras and was given a crusty caramelised surface complemented by passionfruit pulp, fermented chrysanthemum florets and ponzu dressing.
The parade of gastronomic indulgence continued sumptuously with engawa no tsukudani. Delicate slabs of fluke fin, flash-torched to retain a melt-in-the-mouth, oil-rich texture, were presented with a caviar-like scoop of braised mustard seeds.
Alaskan king crab and truffle chawanmushi is claimed by many returning guests as the best-tasting steamed egg they've ever had. A precise steaming time of 14 minutes and temperature of 85C is crucial for the dish made with fish stock, heaps of king crab meat and freshly-shaved black truffle.
The chawanmushi was indeed delectable but what was far more remarkable, for me, was Ramsey's ingenious rendering of soba -- the best recipe for buckwheat noodles I've ever eaten.
The caramelised ankimo, aka 'foie gras of the sea'.
Interestingly, the walnut also takes a profound role in this signature soba dish served with frostily creamy shock-frozen broth. The noodles were given a flavour enhancement with walnut paste, walnut oil and walnut dipping sauce made with matcha kombu and seven kinds of herbs.
Shime saba, or mackerel pickled in dry-aged rice wine vinegar, arrived next. The cured fish was flash-seared aburi-style to give it a nice char touch and it was best enjoyed with a drizzle of fresh lemon squeeze.
Next, it was time for another playful signature treat: Kin Kat, a foie gras terrine presented as monaka (a Japanese confection) in a fun Kit Kat package.
The duck liver is cooked with sweet rice wine, milk and chocolate before being sandwiched in sticky rice wafers. The flavour was rich and luscious while the consistency was light and airy but with some pleasingly glutenous chew.
Unagi, or freshwater eel, is now in season. The chef prepared it in kobayaki style with teriyaki glaze and smoky wood fire. The fatty eel is served with silky sweet sunchoke puree and deep-fried Japanese burdock root.
Nagano walnut soba in chef Ramsey's wonderful style.
A flavourful and succulent pan-fried A4 wagyu of marbling score 9 served with kombu butter, aromatic shishito pepper and yuzu kocho -- a delicious fermentation of green chillies, citrus and salt -- represented the main meat dish.
The soup finale was tori chintan, or chicken meatball soup. The stock is made from simmering various parts of the chicken with garlic, ginger and scallion for six hours to extract the gelatin from the chicken. The subtle-tasting, collagen-rich stock was added a refreshing citrusy scent by yuzu zest.
The long and sumptuous meal was perfectly wrapped up with a very refreshing dessert of fresh persimmon, homemade cheese and vanilla cream.
The restaurant also features a 12-seat counter bar and two private rooms. Service during my weekday dinner was truly enjoyable.
A signature treat prepared with foie gras terrine in a fun package.
The Nagano walnut soba.
- Kintsugi by Jeff Ramsey
- The Athenee Hotel, 3rd floor
- Witthayu Road
- Call 02-650-8800
- Opened Wednesday to Sunday, 6-10.30pm
- Park at the hotel’s car park
- Most credit cards accepted
