Muraii

Muraii

Muraii is more casual, designed to look like those hole-in-the-wall Japanese izakayas when you step in. From the outside, Muraii might look like a Hong Kong restaurant as the entrance is next to a bookshelf with nostalgic ’80s comics. But once you step inside, the cosy tables and hanging lanterns bring you to Japan. There’s even a bar counter where you watch the chef prepare your dishes right in front of you.

 
And you’d want to drop by Muraii soon to catch the comic store front before it gets revamped into a Yakimono stall.

Be prepared for an exquisite gastronomical journey as the chef puts his own spin on Japanese classics, inspired by local flavours and produce. When the Furutsu Rainbow Dragon Roll first arrived on the table, the sushi roll looked like a mix between a dessert and a fruit salad. The fried ebi roll is covered in colorful tropical fruits like kiwi, mango, and orange, and drizzled in a sweet yoghurt sauce – a harmony of sweet and savoury all in one bite as all the flavours complement each other in your mouth. Somehow, all the ingredients just works together and it just made me want to put piece after piece in my mouth just to taste the myriad of flavours again.

Other must-trys include the Ika Meshi, an entire Hokkaido grilled squid covered in teriyaki sauce and stuffed with garlic fried rice, and the Kaisen Dragon Fruit With Mentai, a spicy mentai salad with cod fish roes and salmon served in a dragon fruit. I like how the chef takes extra care in the presentation of the dishes down to every carrot flower detail, so much that taking the first bite almost felt like I was destroying a work of art.

The ultimate indulgence is the Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef, A5 grade Japanese wagyu beef that melts in your mouth. Grill the beef on both sides for a few seconds on the stone grill, where the delicious sounds of the sizzle and the smell of cooking beef is enough to cause salivation, before putting the slice of heaven in your mouth. That’s what 200RM tastes like, but it’s worth every cent. The beef is best eaten with the side of garlic chips for a burst of umami.

Location

Muraii

Shop 9, Ground Floor, Menara Malpakat, 260 Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru

Operating Hours: 12pm - 3.30pm and 5.30pm - 11pm daily