【Penang Restaurant】Where Wine & Food Pairing Matters | Kizuna Japanese Restaurant

Kizuna Japanese Restaurant

Click for Chinese Version

Recently, I have been to Bay Avenue quite often. Last time I went there for the Shi Fu Chinese Restaurant food review and this time I was there for Kizuna Japanese Restaurant food review. Kizuna is a casual dining restaurant that focus on quality, value for money and a unique mix of traditional and modern Japanese dining. At Kizuna, satisfaction of every customer is their top priority and they will do anything to deliver their customers the most enjoyable and memorable meal.

Once I step into the restaurant, the first thing I saw is this big word of "绊", which is Kizuna in Japan's Kanji.

The Japanese word "kizuna", meaning bonds or connections between people, has been chosen as Japan's kanji of 2011. For Japan, 2011 was dominated by the earthquake and tsunami in March. The disasters led to unprecedented numbers of Japanese helping one another. After the tsunami smashed into Japan's north-east coast on 11 March, killing thousands and engulfing entire communities, people's stoicism and their determination to pull together won international praise. In April the then prime minister Naoto Kan thanked the world for its help in a letter entitled "Kizuna - the Bonds of Friendship". 

-Quoted from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16321999-

It was dim inside the restaurant with the classic Japanese song being displayed. Both the dining tables and the chairs as well as the racks on the wall were made of wood. The light bulbs were wrapped by a round ball made of iron wires which looks quite modern. Lots of wine can be seen arranged nicely on the racks. The fact is, the director of Kizuna, Kevin is actually a wine lover!

On our dining table, there were few bottles of wine with a candle light in glass being setup. I believe this is the idea of Kevin which aims to provide us a better dining experience and for photography purpose. This was my first meeting with Kevin. He was a nice and talkative person. He served us warmly throughout the food review while explaining to us in detail for each of the dishes. Well. Kevin has definitely made the food review an enjoying one!

Lavina Catalunya【RM100/bottle】

The review was started with a glass of white house wine, which was a good pairing with Sashimi that will be our first course later. According to Kevin, white wine is always paired with white meat, and red wine will paired with red meat, for example beef. However, not all red wine are suitable for red meat, so it is better to ask the staff for advise for the perfect wine and food pairing.

Sashimi
Tuna (5)【RM35】| Salmon (5)【RM30】| Scallop (4)【RM40】

This set of sashimi is for photography purpose only. Kizuna served the sashimi separately and the presentation is displayed in a symmetrical way such that both side of the customers get the same view. Let's put aside the salmon and scallop first as they were just too good to comment on. For the tuna, it was not just any tuna you get from elsewhere. The tuna chunk was just as soft as the salmon! Serving together with the white wine, you can feel the taste of the sashimi and the wine both wondering in your mouth for a long time.

Dragon Maki【RM29.90】

From the perspective of food presentation, I must say that Kizuna has done it perfectly. Just by looking at the Dragon Maki, I was already deeply attracted by it, not to mention that it tastes really nice! The maki is wrapped with shrimp in the middle with salmon roe on top. It tastes sweet and I like to serve it with a little bit of wasabi.

Hokkaido Scallop To Caviar (4 pcs)【RM60】

Yup, as the name suggests, the scallop came all the way from Hokkaido - the second largest island in Japan. According to Kevin, most customers will go for this Hokkaido Scallop To (with) Caviar, as probably the caviar would be the main reason for the choice. Personally think that the wasabi taste is a bit strong that it covered up the taste of the caviar.

Hotate Mayo Maki (4 pcs)【RM50】

Hotate Mayo Maki tastes sweet and spicy, which came from the mayo on top of it and sour, which came from the lemon slice beneath it. The salmon roe that burst inside the mouth gives a really nice mouthfeel. Overall, the taste was just nice to my liking. It was one of my favourite dishes for the review.

Foie Gras With Black Cod【RM95】

Foie Gras, or the liver of a fattened duck or goose, is a popular and well known delicacy in French cuisine. Kevin purposely prepared this dish just for me as I am the only blogger that has yet to try out their Foie Gras. Really thanks a lot, Kevin! This was my first time (I suppose) eating Foie Gras. And OMG! I was surprised that the Foie Gras literally melted instantly in my mouth! Wow, it was really something I didn't expected. Beneath the Foie Gras were the slippery black cod fish and the crunchy radish, which made up a nice combo with the Foie Gras.

Kyushu Ramen【RM19.90】

If you have visited Kizuna before, the ramen might not on the menu yet. From December 2014 onwards, Kizuna is going to add in 6 different ramen into the menu, and of course, there will be other new dishes as well. Back to the ramen, if you cant stand spiciness, I will recommend you go for this Kyushu Ramen. The soup was kinda sweet, and yes, you gonna love the al dente noodles.

Tobanjan Ramen【RM20.90】

Just by looking at it, you can get the idea that this ramen is a spicy one. It was not that spicy though, which I will say that it's spiciness level was acceptable by most people. You know what? I love their eggs very much! This was probably the softest and smoothest egg that I ever ate! I swallowed the egg in one go and was satisfied with the fluffy sensation alone.

Jigoku Ramen【RM20.90】

Among all the ramen, this Jigoku Ramen (literally means Hell Ramen) is said to be the spiciest. Just look at how RED it is! However, when we tried it, it does not taste as spicy as we imagined. Kevin said that the spiciness level has been adjusted to suite the local taste, the original one would be much more spicy than this and you will see a layer of red oil covering the surface. Still, you can have a try of the original one. Just tell the waiter that you want the most spicy Jigoku Ramen.

Hot Stone Wagyu Foil (160 grams)【RM119】

Wagyu, or the Japanese Cow is known for it's quality, and demands a high price. The Wagyu served at Kizuna was imported all the way from Australia. For your information, the Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside Japan. The wagyu was served on the hot stone with enokitake and it was so much tantalising! Since wagyu is a red meat, thus it is best served with red wine. Not just any red wine though, some might be just too strong that it covers the taste of wagyu, and vice versa. I suggest that you ask for advice for the choices of red wine that is most compatible with the wagyu beforehand.

I saw this big mirror inside Kizuna and so it's selfie time for me! I am quite good looking sometimes, don't you think?

Address
C-9-1 , Bayan Bay Indah 3, Bay Avenue,, 11900 Bayan Lepas
（Opposite Lolipot, Near Eastin Hotel）

Opening Hour

Monday to Friday
10:30 AM - 3:00 PM
5:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Saturday & Sunday
1:00PM - 10:30PM

Contact
Phone：04-638 3491
Mobile：012-555 8983
Email：kizunaksda@gmail.com

Official Website
www.kizunajapaneserestaurant.com

Facebook Fan Page
绊 Kizuna Japanese Restaurant