Okonomi @ Publika KL - Customized Sushi Rolls!

My first invited food review for this new year. Not so new while you're reading this however. I've got a fair number of drafts sitting on my dashboard from last year - those have to go first. Nevertheless, I'm so excited and foreseeing a delicious year ahead. Keep the good things coming please.

Okonomi

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting things. Be it food or everything and anything else in between. And what I found really interesting about this restaurant - the customized sushi rolls. And I want to have it with all my favorite ingredients!

Think about it - crab, salmon, shrimp, ebiko, baby octopus, lobster, eel, smoked duck. But wait - will it all fit?

Okonomi is not exactly a large restaurant, occupying half a shop lot and good enough to fit about 40 pax per seating. With a chic and minimalist interior, the restaurant was clean and brightly-lit, alongside a see-through kitchen right at the entrance, where you can watch the sushi chefs in action.

You may miss the less-than-ambiguous signboard however. The restaurant is located below Red Bean Bag (read Part 1 and Part 2 of my previous visits) and opposite Plan B. It's not inside the mall, but the row of restaurants at the opposite building.

With Mabel and Ah Bok from taufulou.com

Mix and match your favorite ingredients! And if you're adventurous enough, go for those that you've never seen in a sushi roll before. It may turn out to be a piece of art!

There are also plenty of a la carte items to choose from, their signature house rolls, Japanese noodles, salads, and a wide array of green tea and red bean desserts and beverages.

There's a menu order form placed on each table. No prices on this sheet however.

Let's begin with some custom-made sushi rolls shall we?

We started with the smoked duck sushi roll. The duck meat had a nice sweetness to it and the sauces complimented the overall flavors really well. Each dish comes with a dollop of wasabi and Japanese pickled ginger.

My first time having soy wrap! To top that, it came wrapped with brown rice, what an interesting change! Though things could get a little flimsy on the first mouthful - mine fell apart.

I didn't quite fancy this combination. All I could remember was the fiery sauces - too much of it in fact. I thought it camouflaged the natural sweetness of the fillings after all that.

Moving on to some of their signature house-made sushi rolls now.

The Seafood Supreme (RM26.90).

My top pick of the night and the winner hands down - soft shell crab, Hokkaido crab meat and salmon, some of my favorite ingredients all tucked in a sushi roll! This is as fantastic as it gets!

The Firecraker (RM19.90).

The Firecraker was indeed a firecracker - but inside my mouth! Again, too spicy for my taste buds, though taste wise, this was quite pleasant.

Crab Korokke. Rm9.90.

This crab cream croquette came a little too mushy for my liking.

Avocado Prawn Salad. Rm18.90.

An abundance of precious ingredients happening in this bowl - prawns, avocado and tobiko, cleverly mixed and tossed with fresh greens. Easily one of my top picks for the night. My friends agreed with my verdict.

Cold Pasta. Rm16.90.

This cold pasta was a refreshing change to the usual hot-stuff. Springy noodles, packed with crab meat and prawns. What probably held me back was the unusual smell of rich sesame dressing. Tweak that?

Japanese Curry Pasta. Rm16.90.

The curry noodles were also quite good - diced chicken, potato and carrots. That said, after all I had earlier, this was easily forgettable.

Matcha Lovers Parfait. Rm18.90.

Strawberry Waffle. Rm10.90.

Green Tea Lava Cake. Rm16.90.

The champion dessert that I would definitely recommend - this green tea lava cake. Simply addictive and seriously delectable. The cake was sweet no doubt, but desserts like these, are always meant for sharing.

Overall Rating: 8/10. My dinner here tonight was surprisingly pleasant, compounded with some pretty interesting combinations. While I'm penning this down, I can still fondly remember the taste of the Avocado Prawn Salad and The Seafood Supreme. For desserts, I would definitely recommend the Green Tea Lava Cake. As for the rest of the customized dishes - it's really up to you. My self-picked fusion will never go wrong for me, that I know. It's always an added plus to dine at a place that can provide something for everyone. Like the literal meaning of Okonomi, as you like it, it's always better to have choices right?

Okonomi is located at:
Address: A4-G2-02 Solaris, Dutamas, No.1 Jalan Dutamas, Publika KL.
Opening Hours: 10am - 11pm Daily.