Yakitori Tatsujin

Of late, kushiyaki (串焼き) is gaining popularity partly due to the fact that this delicacy is similar tosatay which Malaysians are familiar with. Operating at Macalister Road, Yakitori Tatsujin (焼き鳥達人) is one shop that specializes in this Japanese street food.

In case the name sounds familiar, Yakitori Tatsujin is indeed the continuation of Tatsu Jin at Kampung Jawa. Unlike other shopping mall kiosks, Yakitori Tatsujin presents a sense of casual ambience for dine-in customers.

The walls of the dining area are decorated with individual pages of Japanese manga (漫画), each meticulously affixed in neat fashion. The 7-foot-high paper collage took two days (and lots of glue) to complete.

The key aspect of kushiyaki is its tare (垂れ) sauce recipe. This sauce is thoroughly brushed on the meat before grilling. Intense savoriness of tare sauce is atypical of regular Japanese dishes because kushiyaki is often meant to pair with Japanese wine (酒). At Yakitori Tatsujin, each kushiyaki skewer is cooked over burning charcoal, such that the meat attains "toasty" aroma when served.

One of the most popular kushiyaki is Chicken Breast (ねぎま, RM4.00), which also includes thick scallion stalks. Tare sauce generally works harmoniously with poultry.

For red meats, try some Pork Belly (豚ばら, RM4.00) too. It would be preferable if the pork were cut into thinner slices. This allows the sauce to penetrate the meat more thoroughly.

Next, Grilled Mushrooms (椎茸串, RM2.50) are cooked to just the right amount such that they maintain a good amount of juiciness.

For something more unorthodox, try a skewer of Bacon Cherry Tomato (プチトマト巻き, RM4.50). The use of cherry tomatoes for kushiyaki is unheard of, but I welcome new ideas at all times. Cherry tomatoes are wrapped with delectable bacon strips, much to my liking.

Meanwhile, Bacon Kani (カニ巻き, RM4.50) is similar to the previous dish, whereby cherry tomatoes are replaced with crabsticks.

Bakuhatsu No Tako (爆発の蛸, RM24.00) is made from deep-fried calamari rings. The rings have been coated with tare sauce to give a unique sense of savoriness. This dish is quite addictive and is certainly recommended.

Saba (鯖, RM13.00), or mackerel, is a common choice for grilled fish in Japanese cuisine. The fish has lots of tiny bones, so use caution when eating.

If kushiyaki is not enough to satiate your appetite, go for something more staple like Hamaguri Ramen (ハマグリラーメン, RM10.90). The generous amount of clams is a delight indeed. The soup carries strong garlic flavor to suppress the fishy smell.

On the other hand, I think the ramen noodles deserve some room of improvement in terms of texture. I personally prefer more springiness instead of doughiness.

One of the main highlights during this meal is Masaki Mixed (RM35.00). This iced cocktail is made from Japanese liquor (焼酎), soda water, lemon juice and sour plum. This drink comes in a large kettle and is sufficient for around 8 tea cups. Consumed in small sips, the initial alcoholic appeal is gradually supplanted by fruity aroma and tangy flavor.

Of course, there are also several non-alcoholic beverages on the menu, such as this jug of Watermelon Juice (RM9.00).

Overall, Yakitori Tatsujin presents a reasonably wide range of kushiyaki choices. The taste is commendable in most cases. As the restaurant is targeting for the masses, the pricing is more affordable than other eateries of comparable setting.

Name: Yakitori Tatsujin (焼き鳥達人)
Address: 66, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-409-8800
Business hours: 11:00am-2:00pm, 6:00pm-11:00pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TatsujinPenang
Coordinates: 5.41512 N, 100.32694 E
Directions: From Magazine Road (Jalan Magazine), drive on to Macalister Road (Jalan Macalister). Yakitori Tatsujin is approximately 200 meters further down the road, on the right side of the road. Street parking is available along Macalister Road or its offshoots like Lorong Kinta and Macalister Lane (Lorong Macalister).

Qian Wei La

Qian Wei La Steamboat & BBQ Barbecue (左麻右辣) is a steamboat-cum-barbecue eatery in Pusat Perniagaan Gemilang, a commercial square within short distance from the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan).

There are around 10 dining tables in this air-conditioned restaurant. Electric-powered infrared stove is built into each table, allowing customers to cook their own food using a steamboat.

Most tables are also equipped with an infrared barbecue grill. A ventilator helps to remove excess smoke during cooking.

On the menu, the two main categories of food are steamboat (火锅) and barbecue (烧烤). There are several sets to choose from, each with a number predetermined ingredients. Should customers prefer, they can also order individual items separately.

There are 3 soups choices for steamboat. Sichuan Spicy Soup (麻辣汤底) is the most popular. For something non-spicy, Pork Soup (白汤底) is a sound choice too. Herbal Soup (药材汤) is also available but I have yet to try this type. Steamboat soup costs RM10.00 for a single choice, and RM15.00 for two choices (鸳鸯).

Qian Wei La's Steamboat Set (火锅套餐) comes in 3 sizes, starting from RM18.00 for 1-2 persons, up to RM60.00 for 4-6 persons. Besides increased portion, each progressive size also includes more variety of ingredients.

The most basic package includes prawns (海虾), meat balls (肉丸), fish balls (鱼丸), salmon balls (三文鱼丸), crab sticks (蟹棒) and seafood tofu (海鲜豆腐). Non-meat ingredients are tofu (豆腐), fu zok (腐竹), enoki (金针菇), pumpkin (金瓜), baby corn (玉米笋) and water spinach (空心菜). A bundle of yee mee (伊面) is also included.

The steamboat set includes a plate of pork slices (五花肉片). The slices are served chilled, therefore they remain curled until they thaw.

Minced pork (自制猪肉碎, RM5.50) can be ordered separately. These balls are made from pure pork, certainly not mixed with flour! Even though this item is not available in the standard steamboat set, I highly recommend that you order some because they are truly fresh.

The steamboat soup is the proprietor's own creation, as opposed to being a derivative of an existing recipe. The soup bases are prepared by stewing pork bones for several hours, to a point where they are rich in savoriness and can be consumed directly. Even the Sichuan Spicy Soup is not excessively spicy to a degree which numbs the tongue.

Meanwhile, barbecue ingredients come in portions for 1-2 persons. There are several versions to choose from. Today's choice is BBQ Chicken (秘制鸡肉烧烤, RM18.00). Other options are BBQ Pork Belly (秘制三层肉烧烤, RM21.00) and BBQ Squid (秘制苏东烧烤, RM18.00).

The chicken thigh has been deboned and marinated beforehand. Other accompanying ingredients include mushrooms (香菇), enoki (金针菇) and baby corn (玉米笋). Onions and bell peppers serve to complement heatiness of meat. As the chicken is sufficiently tender, it can be easily cut to smaller pieces when the chicken is halfway cooked.

Raw cabbage is provided as wraps. This is similar to the practice in Korean barbecue (고기구이). By adding some mushrooms, onions and bell peppers, each bite of cabbage-wrapped barbecued chicken is succulent indeed.

As for condiments, there are malajiang (麻辣酱), fried shallot oil (葱头油), peanut sauce (花生酱) and bird's eye chili (小辣椒). Qian Wei La makes its own sauces from scratch, therefore the flavors that cannot be found elsewhere. Malajiang (麻辣酱) contains alcohol and is not as spicy as it sounds. I also like the peanut sauce in particular, especially as a dipping sauce for meats. Unlike those used for spreading on bread, it carries a distinctive sense of saltiness and herbal aroma from constituent spices.

Qian Wei La will be introducing noodle dishes during lunch hours in the near future. Taking advantage of its conducive ambience, the restaurant is also able to host private events for up to 50 people at a time.

Name: Qian Wei La Steamboat & BBQ Barbecue (左麻右辣)
Address: 113, Jalan Perniagaan Gemilang 1, Pusat Perniagaan Gemilang, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-548-9209
Business hours: 12:00pm-11:30pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/qianweila
Coordinates: 5.35180 N, 100.44118 E
Directions: From the North-South Expressway, take the Bukit Mertajam exit and head east. Drive forward till the end, then turn right and then turn left immediately. Qian Wei La is located at the row of shops on the left. Parking is available in front of the restaurant.

Ittan Izakaya (一炭水產) @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

It's easy to notice Ittan Izakaya, thanks to the flashy colorful flags with Japanese characters right outside the restaurant, waving and luring Japan-philes to flock in. Fresh Seafood is the thing at Ittan Izakaya, it boasts about their air-flown Seafood, directly imported from Tsukiji Wet Market Tokyo; seemingly aiming to be the apex in serving the freshest Sashimi in town. Step in the restaurant and be wow-ed by the interior decor- filled with wooden crates and Japanese-character embellishments. We actually thought they moved the entire fish market here! All servers were trained to be energetic and they will shout (earth-shakingly) in gratitude for your presence in the restaurant. Tables are well-partitioned but if you are coming in smaller groups (probably 2 or 3 in a group), you may have to settle with the smaller ones. Alternatively, pick the seats near the Sushi Bar where live actions can be seen and witnessed but do not expect the seats to be comfortable. The menu is dedicated to Sashimi and Grilled Seafood... with a few exotic choices like Chicken Sashimi. Not all dishes we had were great but they did excel in terms of freshness of the Sashimi. If you are in the vicinity, the place is worth a look. 

Salmon Sashimi Don (Rm 20.20)

Minced Salmon and Tuna Sashimi Don (Rm 26.90)

Salmon and Kanpachi Sashimi Don (Rm 38.70)

Grilled Eel Don (Rm 30.60)

The most important thing about Sushi/ Sashimi would be freshness and to do this, restaurants must sell boatload of them to keep the stocks coming. We were glad to find out that all of their Sashimi were fresh and appropriately sliced to the right thickness... and the texture was not comprised but what made us excited was the texture of the Japanese Rice. It was served to us warm and at the perfect sticky-chewy texture, just the way we wanted it to be! We enjoyed most of them except... the Minced version. The texture was somewhat rough and not fine enough to our liking. We'd recommend their Salmon Sashimi Don, a value-for-money order. 

Chicken Sashimi (Rm 12)

Grilled Minced Chicken Skewer (Rm 12 for 2 sticks)

Grilled Hokke Fish (Rm 24.20)

Not only uncooked cuts of Seafood can be served raw and for the very first time in Penang, Chicken Sashimi is also served. We hesitated at first but decided to try... for novelty experience. To our surprise, the Chicken Sashimi possessed the soft-mushy texture just like Fish Sashimi, sans the Umami-after taste. It had a nary of flavor, more like biting a piece of usual soft and juicy meat. Delicious? Not quite the case I'm afraid. *Eat At Your Own Risk*

The Grilled Minced Chicken Skewer was disappointingly average as though we were having some sweetened Chicken Satayserved with raw Egg Yolk. Another item that you may forgo would be Grilled Hokke Fish, a type of Mackerel. My Japanese friend commented that the fish was overcooked and the texture was dry. It was supposed to be moist and juicy. Not that bad but not something that we would order again.

Ratings:

Taste: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Service: 7.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Price: 7/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)

Parking: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Ambiance: 7.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Pork-Free

Service Charge: Yes 10%

GST: No

Additional Information:

Address: No. 43-1-2, Jalan Icon City, Icon City, 14000, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Business Hours: 4 pm to 1 am on Mondays to Thursdays; 4 pm to 2 am on Fridays; 12 pm to 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Opens Daily.

Contact Number: 604- 502 6649

Ittan Izakaya Facebook Page

Gear Review: JBL Synchros Reflect Headphones

As a gear reviewer and ardent defender of running with a soundtrack, I've tested dozens of headphones--enough to fill a desk drawer. I've triedearbuds, Yurbuds, over-ears, on-ears, and even bone-conducting models with varying degrees of success, but my quest for the perfect pair has continued apace.

At times I've questioned whether my litany of audio demands might be unreasonable, and whether I should just settle for any old set of 'phones that don't bounce out of my ears. After all, if the fit is decent, does it matter that the sound quality is a bit tinny? Or that the cord is so long ittrails 10 feet behind me like an out-of-shape training partner? Maybe a pressure headache is just the price you pay for the miracle of running with music. 

But the search for my personal holy grail headphones ends here, with a new pair I tested called JBL Synchros Reflect.

First off, the best part: They don't budge while I'm running, which is the most important quality in sports headphones as far as I'm concerned. I can't understate how huge this is for me and my possibly weirdly shaped ears. Most in-ear headphones bounce off my head after a few blocks, and there's nothing more distracting than battling escape-happy earbudswhen you'd rather be thinking about speed, form, food, or literally anything else.    

The JBL Synchros 'phones have comfortable Freebit ear tips in three interchangeable sizes, which keep them securely nestled in your ear under even the most rigorous of testing conditions (in my case, jump-roping).   

The cord is flat, highly reflective, and doesn't pull or stick to your skin like a previous pair that I tested. A removable extender on the cord allows you to wear the headphones connected to an armband at a shortened length or connected to your shorts at the extended length, so you never have to worry about loose, excess wire. There's a shirt clip to keep the cord secure and even a small inline volume control with a microphone that doesn't seem to add any weight.

The headphones themselves boast powerful audio quality, as well as one of my favorite new features (also seen on Yurbuds)--built-in magnets. When you need to be more alert to your surroundings, you can put your headphones on standby and lock them together behind your neck where they won't bounce around.

JBL Synchros Reflect Headphones also make a wireless Bluetooth version, but I didn't try that model. The version I tested is available fromJBL.com or Best Buy stores and retails for $59.95.