Top 5 Japanese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

(Editor's note: All establisments listed are pork-free unless indicated)

Continuing from our last list of top 5 Japanese restaurants in Subang, we turn our palates to the city centre and find out which establishments serve the best Japanese food in Kuala Lumpur.

From fresh fish and seafood air-flown from Tsukiji Market to signature al-dente ramen from the island of Kyushu, the Japanese dining scene in KL is, in no way, inferior to the 'Land of The Rising Sun'.

Read on for our top 5 Japanese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.

Nobu KL at Menara Petronas 3
As the first South East Asian country to hold one of the world’s most recognised restaurants in Japanese cuisine, Nobu Kuala Lumpur is nestled on the 56^th floor of Menara Petronas 3, commanding a 360-degree astonishing view of the surrounding city landscape. Headed by chef Philip Leong, the signature dishes include toro tartar, Chilean sea bass red jalapeño miso and octopus carpaccio – definitely worth visiting more than just once. (nobu.com)

Read our review of Nobu KL here.

Kura at One World Hotel
Kura is a Japanese restaurant that is known for creating delicious meals from rare treasured delicacies. The master of its kitchen, Chef Kazuo Ebat,a is skilled in preparing a wide variety of creative Japanese dishes and aficionados flock in for the new-style sashimi like the carpaccio of salmon, scallop and amberjack, assorted sliced raw fish belly and fresh sea urchin. (oneworldhotel.com.my)

Kin No Uma at Palace of the Golden Horses
At Kin No Uma, dishes are infused with local and Asian flavours such as the beef takaki, sashimi to tempura set and kin no uma bento set. It is also pretty much compulsory to go for the signature Kin No Uma roll. Deep-frying the king prawn brings some extra bite to a dish that is so full of wholesome vegetables. Chef Khair is the force behind the creative menu at this restaurant. (palaceofthegoldenhorses.com.my)

Sagano at Renaissance Hotel
Luxury is the theme here at Sagano and it shows from the appetising aromas of Japanese flavours wafting around you to the tunes of stringed instrument playing in the background. These little touches certainly add extra flavours to your dining experience here. When at Sagano, remember to feast on the various lobster dishes including a decadent lobster roll with avocado, ikura and deep-fried lobster. (marriott.com)

Kampachi at The Troika
After 40 years and counting, Kampachi is still widely regarded as one of KL’s best Japanese restaurants. For a fresh take, try Kampachi’s extraordinary Sunday brunch buffet that offers dishes including premium sashimi, king crab, succulent lobster and beef. You can enjoy all these at The Troika. (kampachi.com.my)

BONUS:

Hakata Ippudo at Bangsar Shopping Centre (non-halal)
A successful chain of non-halal ramen restaurants hailing from Hakata (Fukuoka) in Kyushu, Japan, Hakata Ippudo has made its mark all over the world including Malaysia and Singapore. At Hakata Ippudo, you can find a variety of ramen that will leave you craving for more. Do try the Hakata-style shiromaru ramen or the all-new Kuro ramen with the latter only available at the BSC outlet. (ippudo.com.my)

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