Minori: Mutiara Damansara's hidden, halal-certified destination for delectable Japanese dining
March 8, 2022
Paying homage to prized ingredients with careful, clear-eyed preparations, Minori promises a full harvest's worth of fresh, clean flavours that honour Japanese culinary traditions.
Discreetly tucked inside Mutiara Damansara's Royale Chulan Damansara hotel, this is one of PJ's enduring destinations for a crowd-rousing Japanese meal.
There's something for everyone, with nearly 150 dishes that score high marks for quality and quantity, spanning air-flown seafood to the finest Japanese and Australian wagyu beef.
Minori is officially halal-certified, a rarity among Japanese restaurants in the Klang Valley. The kitchen accomplishes this by making all its own sauces with non-alcoholic substitutes for mirin and shoyu that preserve the essence of their taste.
![Minori-15.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8042/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-2fde49ef8754bbc4cff6f4bde4492849.jpg)
![Minori-16.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8047/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-e222b9af792ea482a35492d8cbe68de8.jpg)
![Minori-5.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8057/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-bc74e3b6916bcdcd7981051837c969c5.jpg)
![Minori-12.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8051/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-c9623de3da7d2e5db648598df8ea3c17.jpg)
Minori's Malaysian executive chef harnesses over 30 years of experience in Japanese fine dining, including professional stints in Japan, ensuring a confident experience for customers.
Speaking of beef, the wagyu is wonderful here - the Wagyu Yoganyaki is a should-try, gorgeous with grilled Japanese beef at its most luxurious, cooked for two seconds on each side at 180 degrees Celsius on a volcanic hot stone stove.
This Japanese Wagyu A5 from Kagoshima prefecture (RM286 for 120 grams; RM354 for 150 grams) is the highest grade possible, hailed by many as the world's most exquisite wagyu. It's brilliantly buttery-tender, requiring minimal cooking to emerge at its prime, complemented by a subtle, savoury-sweet peanut shoyu sauce.
If you're seeking an exceptional halal wagyu experience, search no further. Australian wagyu MBS 9-10 (RM170 for 150 grams; RM225 for 200 grams) is also available for a relatively more affordable comparison.
For a casual, wallet-friendly meaty meal, check out the Chicken Teppanyaki (RM35.20), a Japanese favourite with appetising hints of Western inspirations in its sauce. This is a buoyantly balanced ensemble of juicy poultry with crisp vegetables, their rich umami uplifted by garlicky-citrusy elements for a nicely rounded platter.
For fans of Japanese curries, creamy and mildly spiced, the Ebi Furai Curry (RM39.60) will satiate your cravings. Its plump fried prawns, crunchy-breaded and golden, surface over a curry with delightful depth, not sweetly one-note but loaded with veggie-enhanced flavours, complete with rice, miso soup and pickles for a treat that remains true to Tokyo traditions.
It might seem difficult to find a fulfilling halal ramen bowl in KL - thankfully, Minori's Shoyu Ramen (RM26.40) is potent and pleasurable, brimming with firm, bouncy noodles submerged in a choice of shoyu or shio-flavoured broth, blanketed with chicken chashu, egg, nori, corn, broccoli and beansprouts for noodles that taste nourishingly, lovingly wholesome.
![Minori.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8054/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-337d49686d1f86e2b973c4955f05fe7f.jpg)
![Minori-4.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8052/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-81108653b5e83320563cc12d3f037aed.jpg)
![Minori-11.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8060/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-fe65a9a57dd79def044443c3895665e1.jpg)
![Minori-3.jpg](https://storage.googleapis.com/edkl-production-storage/store/postimage/8055/image/%5B:original%2C%20:original%5D-a94d978d59802790251ee62ca1e3a3d7.jpg)
Minori Japanese Restaurant
First Floor, Royale Chulan Damansara Hotel, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Daily, 12pm-230pm, 6pm-10pm. Tel: 012-2282-268
You Might also Like