The Best Japanese Steak At Torii @ Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights KL

I finally found a compelling reason to return to Batai Village, after what seemed like a long hiatus. Now, what have I missed?

My dinner at Torii that evening, featured masterfully prepared, elegant portions of premium Japanese steaks, accompanied by intermittent sips of Japanese whiskey in between dishes. As far as the drinking goes, having whiskey on a weeknight doesn't sound like such a frisky idea afterall.

Besides, having dinner amidst the stylish and welcoming ambiance, simply added simple pleasures to the overall dining experience.

Expanding from their current range of yakitori and single malt whiskey offerings in the a la carte menu, Torii recently rolled out the Torii Premium Japanese Steak Menu.

And I had the chance to sample three types of Japanese steaks that evening - Kobe Zabuton A5 (the highest quality of it's grade!), Kobe Sirloin A3 and Kobe Sirloin F1.

Fun fact: All kobe are wagyu, but not all wagyu are kobe.

I was getting starvingly impatient after that, and was thrilled when the drinks arrived first at the table.

To start things off, I had the Touguchi 12 years (RM69.90/glass), where two glasses lasted me through the night.

Hakushu 12 years (RM49.90/glass).

Or pair the meal with a glass of housewine (this is the Luis Felipe at RM39.90/glass).

Taking one dish at a time, for starters, I had the Egg Yolk Croquettes (RM19) - golden brown potato crust with a soft egg yolk center, drizzled with tartar sauce. It was hard to resist popping another in my mouth - but I knew I had to save tummy space for later.

Eat this while it's still warm! The Cream of Spinach (RM18) came topped with a wobbly half-boiled egg. 

We also shared a Heritage Salad (RM15) consisting of a mix of baby spinach, avocados, green olives, mizuna, black pepper and balsamic vinegarette.

The Kobe Zabuton A5 (RM250) was exquisite in it's own simplicity. Seasoned with only salt and pepper, this top-quality steak not only tasted distinctly flavorsome and sweet (the truffle sauce at the side was unnecessary), but also had delicate and melt in the mouth textures. It's an understatement for me to add that this was easily one of the best Japanese steaks I've had - and I'm not exaggerating.

I will admit now that I was secretly hoping that no one else would have the scallops (and there's no such thing as overdosing on these), just so I can greedily polish the entire plate clean. On that note, I thought it was well-worth adding the Pan-Seared Foie Gras (+RM29) and Grilled Japanese Scallop (+RM19) to the dish, both came beautifully prepared.

The Kobe Sirloin A3 (RM150) was equally impressive. As per recommendation, all meats are cooked to a medium rare perfection, grilled on a lava made stove. The A3 tasted sweet, moist and juicy on every mouthful. Like the former, this dish also came with added foie gras and scallops. Best eaten with a glass of wine.

Beyond the beautifully done steaks - the dish also came with dainty cubes of shiitake mushrooms beneath (so good!), smattered with miso sauce, and served with cherry tomatoes, edible flowers and lotus root chips (which I thought was a tasty little detail).

Lastly, I sampled the Kobe Sirloin F1 (RM120), which was also the best seller in the steak menu. Now, I will not go through a detailed description of each cut (I'm certainly no expert), but in comparison with the former, this cut had leaner textures (bit more meaty; hence less fatty), and definitely didn't fall short in terms of flavors.

Despite being the best seller, my favorite would still be the A5, personal preference nonetheless.  

Overall Rating: My meal that evening was not only memorable, but also a splendid indulgence at the same time - from the top quality Japanese steaks, to the beautifully done foie gras and grilled scallops, and not forgetting the glasses of Touguchi and Hakushu, which gave my meal an excellent finish. Like the title suggests, I think I've found my favorite restaurant to have Japanese steaks - gosh... that was a heavenly affair.

Torii @ Jalan Batai is located at:
Address: Lot 8, Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Phone: +603 2011 3798 / +6019 203 7093
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 2.30pm & 5pm - 1am (Weekdays) 11.30am - 1am (Weekends)