All Kansai Fair at Sasagawa Japanese Restaurant

Update – Sasagawa Japanese Restaurant has ceased operations since September 2016.

[Food & Beverage]

Grace Chong and I headed over to Sasagawa Japanese restaurant in Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur on 19 November 2015 for the preview of the All Kansair Fair – a special event showcasing food tasting, featuring the best of Japanese cuisine that runs from 19th September to 20 December 2015. The fair was a collaboration between the All Kansai Food Export Promotion Committee and The Kansai Foods Export Promotion Cooperative Association, with the aim to fill tables with the finest Japanese cuisine, and promote ‘Japanese Food Culture’ through this event.

Hosting the fair is Sasagawa, an authentic Japanese fine-dining restaurant which is known for its Japanese fare by both local and foreign Japanese cuisine enthusiasts in Kuala Lumpur. Named after its Executive Chef – Hitoshi Sasagawa, the restaurant exudes exuberant charm, passion and the very soul of Chef Sasagawa.

Chef Sasagawa was born in the coastal city of Niigata located on the island of Honshu, a region renowned for good sake and quality rice in Japan. After five years of apprenticeship under renowned Iron Chef Ōta, he took a new role as the Head Chef at a popular Ryokan chain. Today, he runs the Sasagawa restaurant, located at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur, and ensures that fresh produce is imported four times a week straight from their vendors back in Japan.

When Chef Sasagawa arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the first time without having much knowledge about the culture, he spent his 6 months here adapting to both Malaysian and Japanese culture into his work ethics. He believes the local scene here has great potential and strives to share his love for Japanese fine dining with local food lovers.

Executive Chef Hitoshi Sasagawa explains, “We will feature a distinctive Special Kansai menu that will see the best gastronomy from the southern part of Japan”.

Among the featured food items include fresh sashimi directly imported from Japan, Ise Lobster Gusokuni (simmered dish), seasonal vegetables with Yuzu flavored stock (pot stew), Echizen Soba Salad (Oshinogi), grilled sea eel with grilled sea eel Yoshino-kuzu Ankake (steamed dish), Autumn Mushroom Takikomi Gohan (Oshokuji), and finally salted beans (rice cake stuffed with sweet bean paste).

“All these offerings are prepared in the finest Kansai tradition using the best ingredients we can source,” adds Chef Sasagawa.

The menus are priced at RM300 for the Premium Kansai, RM400 for the Premium Kansai with SAKE set, and RM460 Premium Kansai special set.