Daikanyama Revisited, and The Last of the 2010 Venues

Thanks to these two LARVERLY people from the beauty industry, and we can see why(they're in the beauty industry), we were invited to sample the Daikanyama newly revamped menu. Time flies, it's been a year since my dear friends threw me a surprise birthday party. I've always loved the food here, but there is so little time, and so much to eat, hence never affording me the opportunity to return. Like sands through an hourglass, so too the days of our lives.




Moo Beef Teri Salad. Harvested from cows that go Moo, a refreshing starter.


Ciki, Edwin, the charming owner, and Alilfatmonkey.


This fler was the organiser, something LaFaber, related to that famous radio voice of the days of yore.


Soba With Prawn Salad. The prawns were pan fried and had a lovely crunchy exterior while yet maintaining the moisture within.


Give the kids a prop to play with and they go wild.


She looked like Emma Thompson in Harry Potter, as that fake clairvoyant teacher...what was her name? Trelawney? Compare and contrast.



In wartime, during the Japanese occupation...


Last time I generah in Jahpahnese army, now I run restarante...


Chawan Mushi with Smoked Duck. Smooth custard like steamed egg, overpowered a bit by the gamey flavour of smoked duck.


Unagi Tofu Age, a special tofu stuffed with eel and stuff, with a Daikanyama Garlic Sauce. Rather complex, so many different flavours to deal with.

California Cheese Maki (below), with crabstick, avocado, cheese and eel. Well, DKYM are well known for their innovative Makis and Hamuns. (get it?...)





Saikoro Steak With Wafu Sauce. Steak if I recalled was a bit on the chewy side, but the sauce was tasty. Also, by this time, we were getting rather full.


As if by a miracle, this tray of sakes appeared before us.


Lamb Yaki, grilled lamb with sweet teriyaki sauce.


Suddenly, we were given this very girly concoction...some peachy punch....


Soft Shell Crab With Salmon Maki...a rather unique blend of individually familiar items but together, altogether rather unique. Sweet, savoury, crunchy, marine, smokey....rather complex.

Daikanyama has always served alternative Japanese, flavourful, unique preparation, while maintaining the freshness that Japanese cuisine is well known for. Their new menu shows that their innovativeness is a continuous process.

Anyway, thanks Nadia and Lilfatmonkey for having us, and of course, to Edwin for being the ever gracious host.

Daikanyama,

I Feel Loved, In Daikanyama

Every year, I go through this minor drama with my friends. Ever since I hit the big FOUR OH in 2006, I have been disinclined to celebrate the day my mother's Labour Day, and its a genuine err....denial, or whatever you call it. However, my dear friends, and God Bless them all, somehow INSIST on wanting to celebrate with me. The different groups will ask me to commit to a date with them so they can buy me dinner, and it always appears that I am playing "hard to get" but in actual fact, I dont want people wasting money on me in this manner.

This year was no exception, and Thamby, aka the Queen, has been pestering me for nearly a month for a date. Little did I know, she used my Achilles Heel Du Jour, Fratmustard, to con me into committing to a date. Like two footballers strategizing towards the goal, passing the ball in perfect choreography, they perform their best.

On two separate MSN chats: (reproduced as far as I can recall)
Thamby: so, give us a date
FBB: No need la
T: 3rd December?
FBB: Aiya, NOOO NEED LA.

On another MSN:
Frat: eh, you free 3rd Dec?
FBB: Hmm, very fishy, thamby just asked me the same thing. Why?
Frat: oh, food review at Exotic
FBB: I can't say no to Thamby and accept your invite.
Frat: Screw Thamby la.
FBB: You are sooo dead....
Frat: Don't care. So you on?
FBB: Ya, okay.

Back to Thamby:
FBB: I not free la, on 3rd Dec.
Thamby: Cis, how come?
FBB: Got food review.

This must have been where I got caught hook line and sinker.

Fast forward, the Monday before the event. I totally forgot about the food review, and accepted dinner with Dr Jimmy, an old friend. I tell wife I am having dinner with Dr Jimmy, and she who is in cahoots with the surprise team, thinks I am pulling her leg. The con-team panics, and Frat quickly reminds me about the food review. I go, ARRRRRGH, I TOTALLY FORGOT. Luckily, Dr Jimmy was quite understanding, and allowed me to postpone our dinner.

Frat offers to pick me up on the night of the party. Wife says, "oh well, since you're going out, I'm also going out with the girls. (since it was a group of old friends, I didn't quite suspect). He rambles on about how the QGuides had managed to secure two new contracts with err... Cava, and Daikanyama, and since we were at Changkat BB (which should be renamed Changkat Babi, due to the many Porcine Shrines), he said he'd stop by at Daikanyama to pick up the contract.

And THEN I SAW IT!!!! GASP!!!!



What was HE doing outside Daikanyama, in full size some more!!!!! YIKESSSSSSSSSSSS!

Gathered there, friends from Standard 3, and friends who weren't even born when we were in Standard 3, bloggers and non bloggers, all shouting SURPRISE. Which it really was. HATS off to Thamby and Judas Frat Iscariot Mustard for such brilliant execution.

Thanks to Thamby, Bald Eagle, Ahboy (for that CUTE CUTE STANDEE), Fratmustard aka Judas, Masak Masak, Paprika, Unkaleong, Thenomadgourmand, Nipple Joe, Cumi & Ciki, Memoirs of Chocoholic, ToyCouple, Logan & Karen, dear Leon Lai, (Favourite Diva Instructor), The Just Heavenly Master Bakers (also for the lovely cheesecake), Cheng Ying, the dashing Andre of Rama V, the ever so bubbly Cheryl, cousin of Paprika and Barricuda and Edwin of Daikanyama. Special thanks to my old and dear friends, The Deaf One, Khaw Tai Tai, and my oldest oldest friend, Encik AAA.
You guys made it a night to remember. Copious amounts of Sake later....




Anyway, two weeks before this, Thamby had invited me, courtesy of Barri, and Edwin, to Daikanyama for a food tasting session. I instantly fell in love with the food, and the place, and mulled over the idea of hosting dinner there for my old friends.

This is what we had for that original food tasting night.


A lovely fish jerky kinda starter. Absolutely tasty and chewy, with a delicious mayonnaise.


Apparently Daikanyama is the name of a train stop. For me, Daikanyama will now and forever mean, "I AM LOVED BY MY FRIENDS".


A lettuce parcel, with lots of yummy bits inside.


Special sushi rolls, with sashimi salmon with a twist. I love this interpretative Japanese cuisine thingies.


My favourite. Pork and garlic yakitoris. What could be more blissful.


Oh dear, I can't remember what this was. I think it was cheese baked scallops. Must have been good, coz everything was good that night.


Another porky dish, kinda like an eggroll wrapped around pork. Eggs and pork, again, what a blissful partnership.


I LOVE THIS DISH. It's those mushrooms with the really fat stems. Dunno what they're called, but it taste like vegetarian scallops. Sauteed lightly in butter, it was fantastic texture and taste.


Mini pizzas...which were a bit out of place in the menu, I felt





Pan Seared Maguro Tuna, with a scintillating sauce, that really enhanced the flavour.


Squid Ink Pasta, with garlic flakes, that were moving from the steam, and looked alive. Fascinating effects. And the squid ink pasta was superb. Al dente, and not fishy at all.


More sushi. I felt like a duck reared for its foie gras! Eat eat eat.


Pork Fried Rice. Enough wok hei, and fluffy grainy rice that made for a perfect fried rice.






I have to thank Thamby again, for inviting me, and for Barri for hosting. Twas a lovely dinner, and despite having been there twice now, I can't wait to go again!

Location: It's along Changkat Bt Bintang, more or less opposite El Cerdo.