CHEF Jeff Ramsey has a calm presence that puts his customers at ease — as guests at his omakase-style sushi bar will experience. The accomplished Michelin-starred chef is mesmerising to watch as he swiftly makes some fresh sushi or puts together one of his unique “Japas” (Japanese-accented tapas) creations in between.
Known to Malaysian foodies as the executive chef and co-owner of Babe at Clearwater Residences, which serves a modernist Japanese-fusion cuisine, Ramsey decided to take advantage of the time he has while the restaurant in Damansara Heights is being revamped to create Sushi Babe, a temporary pop-up dining experience.
An amalgamation of traditional sushi-making techniques with modern, playful twists, the American-Japanese chef says, “Our concept is simple: respect and reinvention. We aim to serve you well-crafted fish and seafood dishes that pay homage to my roots as a trained sushi chef.”
Having earned his first Michelin star-rating at the age of 32 while serving at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s Tapas Molecular Bar, Ramsey also spent time training with Japan’s official sushi ambassador, Masayoshi Kazato, in Chiba, though his primary skill lies in molecular cuisine.
Pointing to an official-looking tag pinned to his apron, Ramsey recounts with a smile, “I worked with him and went to sushi competitions he arranged for me to be in. I won some, and didn’t win some others, but he gave me this badge — it says ‘master of the art of sushi’ — and told me I’m the only one in the world who has this.”
The omakase menu is a way for Ramsey to return to his sushi-making roots, a time that inspired him significantly here. Consisting up to 17 bite-sized courses prepared and served by Ramsey and his team in front of the customer, the Chef tweaks his menu based on the ingredients he has. “I look at what’s in season, and go from there. I’ve included some original creations that I’ve never seen done before,” says Ramsey.
One of them is the Tenshi Ebi Zukushi, a New Caledonia blue angel prawn nigiri sushi with a surprise. He reveals, “We roasted the prawn head, chopped it up and stuffed it underneath the prawn.”
A confident innovator when it comes to putting flavours together, Ramsey does not follow a particular order when it comes to the flow of his courses, preferring to take the diner on a culinary journey that keeps their taste buds on edge. Nevertheless, he opens with an appetite-whetting starter involving sea grapes and Junsai — a soft seasonal aquatic plant from the Akita prefecture — paired with plum and dashi dressing for a refreshing salty-and-sour kick.
Besides the popular Uni (sea urchin) and scallop, the Sushi Babe omakase menu introduces some unusual fish varieties, each given a tweak that brings out a new depth to its flavours. Among favourites would be the Shimaaji Sashimi, striped horse mackerel seasoned with white konbu (seaweed) and sesame oil powder. This was followed by the most “umami” of flavours in the buttered rice with king crab, salmon roe and sea urchin.
Another mouth-watering tapas is the grilled Hokkaido scallop topped with turnip cubes, roe and sea urchin. Cooked in some Sake and a special blend of soy sauce, the scallop’s natural flavours is enhanced by the mildly sweet marinate, which is nicely balanced by the savoury salmon roe and sea urchin.
Watching Ramsey wrap Japanese sardine in seaweed roll to resemble the cross section of a fish, one becomes aware that the experience goes beyond just taste. From the specially crafted minimalist plate, to the use of 1000 year old cedar bark to smoke a rare Jack Fish, paper-thin crane origami preserved ginger, not to exclude the satisfaction of watching your food being created on the spot, it promises to also be a front-row seat to culinary excellence.
The pop-up sushi bar is located on the Upper Floor, The Apartment at KLCC. Serving up to 6 guests in one seating for the Omakase menu at RM398++ per person, with three sessions per night, there is also the option of a la carte and set menus in the main dining room.
To make a reservation, visit www.tableapp.com/sushibabe.