Imagine this for an elevated date night experience: omakase dinner at Hokkaido Table, followed by a movie mere steps away at the luxurious Aurum Theatre—because they are both in the same place. Introducing Hokkaido Table, a unique upscale dining experience brought to you by the same people behind Aurum Theatre, adding yet another notch to their belt of dining outlets. Rest assured that you won’t need to catch a movie at Aurum Theatre to be able to dine at Hokkaido Table, as the latter is accessible to the public.
Located in The Exchange TRX, Hokkaido Table is helmed by Chef Edwin, who boasts a wealth of experiences including being head chef at the Shangri-La Group. The menu isn’t strictly Japanese at the omakase private dining section, fusing a touch of Italian to keep things interesting.
The Food
For now, Hokkaido Table offers three omakase menu types: a five-course lunch (RM288), a six-course dinner (RM488), and a premium seven-course dinner (RM588). At the inaugural menu launch, we got to review the Hokkaido Table six-course omakase dinner menu, which typically goes in this format: Tsukidashi (appetiser), Tsukuri (raw course), Yakimono (grilled course), Shiizakana (chef’s choice), a choice between A5 Miyazaki Wagyu or Roast Lamb Rack for the mains, and Mizukashi (dessert).
The appetisers begin with a cold-style dish featuring Japanese brown algae with snow crab, followed by two kinds of sashimi, the latter highly dependent on what’s currently in season. The next course moves swiftly into Italian fare—spinach and ricotta ravioli, served atop gorgonzola sauce and drizzled with basil oil. For the chef’s choice, we see Chef Edwin try his hand with a fusion dish: pan-seared scallops in a clear yet rich seafood consomme. It’s a comforting dish that warms the stomach yet isn’t too cloying, preparing us for the main course.
Red meat makes up the main course, with a choice between wagyu or roasted lamb rack—and I chose the latter. Both meats are prepared fairly similarly, grilled over open flames and served alongside roasted vegetables. After several seafood courses, the red meats are a welcome change in flavour and texture, before moving back into seafood for the second type of mains: four kinds of sushi nigiri. Like the sashimi, this also depends on the catch of the season. Dessert arrives at the end in the form of a yuzu creme brulee—a zesty version of a classic.
Our verdict?
Add this to your repertoire of restaurants to visit, especially for date night. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better location that offers a swanky restaurant and a luxury movie theatre.
Address: Level 2, The Exchange TRX, Persiaran TRX, Tun Razak Exchange, 55188 Kuala Lumpur.
Opening Hours (Omakase): Monday – Sunday: 12:00PM – 2:00PM (1st session) / 6:00PM – 8:00PM (2nd session) / 8:00PM – 10:00PM (3rd session).