Toriden Experience @ ISETAN the Japan Store

Toriden Experience @ ISETAN the Japan Store

• 4.09.2017

Truth be told this is like the 2nd time i'm here at Isetan (previously known as Lot10), and the first time i was here it was to explore the grocery section below after a meeting and my 2nd time here was when a friend invited me over for a food review, it was none other than Toriden from Hakata!

Couple of days ago i have posted some mouth water photos of the food that was served at Toriden, and now that i am blogging about it in the middle of the night, my stomach is rumbling at the sight of the photos. Darn indeed because where are you going to get such rich comfort chicken soup at this hour?
Of late, i seem to be featuring quite a number of food postings on my blog which is something new and this wasn't even part of my 2017 resolution for my blog too but i am pretty particular about the types of food that's featured here as my aim is to share more about Japan here in Malaysia because as you guys know that my 2nd love is Japan while my 1st is my daughter lol.

Toriden Hakata originated from Fukuoka prefecture and if you have no idea where is that; a much more familiar landmark would be Kumamoto prefecture (yes, where kumamon is from) they are both located in Kyushu Island. If you are the type of person who pays close attention to where most of the Japanese fresh produce sold in Malaysia, would have noticed that majority of them comes from Fukuoka!
Hakata-ku (博多区) is a ward of the city of Fukuoka that's known for its fascinating food culture, and when you google "what's the best food to eat there", you'll be spoilt by choices but also will notice a similarity on quite a number of dishes and that is "Chicken broth".

Before i go in further into this food review, here's something to ponder about k?
We do notice that Japanese people tend to always look younger than their initial age but there isn't much explanation on why is it so but there are a few theories like environment factor, lifestyle, skincare and even food. After giving it a thought i came into some sort of weird conclusion that it definitely has to do with food while others also do play a role la but most of them is due to things they put into their body daily. As the saying goes "you are what you eat".
Most of their food are rich with collagen like fishes (it's a staple food in their daily menu) and of course chicken as well.

And here in Toriden their specialty dish which is the Mizutaki, a type of nabe (hot pot) is actually made from concentrated chicken broth that's been achieved by boiling for at least 6 hours to extract all the essence (a.k.a collagen) out from the chicken and this procedure alone can take one full day before a pot of soup is ready to be served to the customers.
Sounds like a lot of hard work just for pot of soup right?

That's why it's special, it's extensive preparation and flavorful outcome has earned its recognition throughout Japan in fact whenever you google "Mizutaki in Fukuoka", the first thing that comes out is the original Toriden restaurant in Hakata!
Even some of the local Japanese themselves from the main land have yet to try this dish out as there is only 1 branch and that's in Fukuoka itself so everyone has to travel there just to get a taste of it but somehow they have decided to open one in Malaysia (Isetan the Japan Store) which is a huge honor for us Malaysians.

Great having dinner with you Fumiko-san!

I found out about this from my Japanese friend Fumiko-san who previously work in Tokyo but is now based in Malaysia, it was also her first time trying the Mizutaki and of all places we can't believe we are having this dish here instead of Japan lol.
Really at this rate of all the Japanese brands popping up here; soon none of us need to travel to Japan anymore because KL itself is slowly transforming into one! But i do hope to be able to visit the original Toriden Hakata in Fukuoka someday to try them out as well.

Chicken parts being served

Here in Toriden, they actually have a staff assigned to help you with the cooking and serving making your dining experience feel like a lavish one but actually as they cook, they'll also explain abit more about the dishes so that not only your bellies are filled but also your mind with some cool food knowledge! 

Though cooking (more like dumping everything in) is pretty much like our usual steamboat sessions but there are some foods that needs to be cooked in the soup first before the rest goes in and from what i've observed is that the chicken meat that's served in 3 different parts is usually cooked first, followed by the other fresh ingredients like vegetables and special minced chicken balls. Though their menu is PORK FREE but it may contain alcohol. 

Sashimi bowl that comes with the Take course

It's so fresh that it melts in the mouth, okay found my 3rd love which is sashimi lol

For the Mizutaki, they do offer 3 types of courses to select from, Ume course (pretty basic one), Take course (slightly heavy) and Matsu course (heaviest of them all).
Each set alone can easily feed roughly about 1-2 people depending on your stomach capacity but however Fumiko and i shared a Take course and it's enough to make our stomach explode already but if it's not enough you can always top up your order of side ingredients.

The soup base itself is so addictive that i found it hard to stop drinking so practically my belly is filled with alot of water that night lol. But if your girlfriend is having PMS, bring her here to enjoy some healthy rich collagen chicken soup that's sure to soothe her cramps and she's definitely feel less cranky lol but i can't vouch whether it works for ALL the girls la but i know this would definitely work on me XD 

The best way to savor this natural flavored rich tasting dish is to eat them with Toriden's Ponzu!
It might sound cute "ponzu" but it's actually a type of tangy-citrus based sauce that pairs perfectly with the Mizutaki. We were introduced to 3 different types of ponzu catered for those with adventurous taste buds along with seaweed salt as well. To me after trying each of the ponzu with the chicken, it's really something different that i can't seem to find a good word to describe what my tastebuds have tasted except an "interesting" combination.

Finishing off with their dessert Koichi Panna Cotta (green) that's pretty rich with matcha taste making it slightly bitter before the sweetness kicks in from the bottom layer and the warabi mochi kinako ice cream is just heavenly; a perfect combination that reminds me pretty much of Kyoto.

So that ends my little review on Toriden Hakata, Isetan The Japan Store KL, thank you so much for having me over to review your delicious restaurant. Will most definitely come back here again soon :)
Also they accept both phone (03-2119 2623) and online bookings to avoid disappointments.
Facebook: Toriden KL

Toriden Hakata

4th floor, ISETAN The Japan Store,
LOT 10, No. 50,
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.

OPEN HOUR

Lunch: 11:00-15:00 (L.O 14:00)
Dinner: 18:00-23:00 (L.O 21:30)
Closed: Wednesday

AVERAGE PRICE
Lunch: RM 90-
Dinner: RM 120-

SERVICE
Pork Free / Serves Alcohol / Kids Seat / Private Party

If you are visiting Fukuoka in May during the Golden Week, do check out the Hakata Dontaku festival! 🎉

XOXO,