You wouldn’t have noticed Chipta even if you frequent these streets. No in-your-face signboards, just a humble 32 (approximately) font sized print out laid at the entrance pointing you upwards to their lair. It’s on the second floor. The deco – simple, no frills, minimalistic.
We got the best seats at the counter. Helmed by Chef Jack, it was a first having an Omakase course prepared by a non-Japanese. He proudly celebrates local ingredients and is pushing the norms of sushi with his playful take on fusing some unheard of combinations. I was curious and totally unprepared for what to expect.
Appetisers
There is something hypnotic and enticing about watching a chef up close charismatically slicing through fresh fish that makes me want to reach over the counter and grab the entire slab.
The staff probably noticed that tendency and tension in the room with my laser eyes piercing through my to-be sushi dinner, and promptly served us our appetizers. Simple sourdough with papaya jam and custard egg with Thai basil and shredded smoked duck to kick start the show. Not much to rave about yet.
Chipta Sushi (Eight Pieces)
We were then treated to a flurry of beautifully crafted sushi one after another. Starting with this Amberjack fish with spinach puree topped with fish sperm sac on the right. On the left is a fish tartare consisting of Otoro, Seabream, and Stripjack served atop crispy rice cracker topped with caviar. Both were very good.
I was a bit hesitant at first. That sperm sac was a first for me, but I actually find it to be pretty tasty. It gave a creamy contrast albeit a slightly funky odor which was quite unusual. The tartare was delicate; touch of umami from the caviar while the rice cracker provided a nice crunch to the mouthfeel. An excellent pair to start with.
All of Chipta’s nigiri sushi utilizes this Assam Jawa-infused Japanese rice. Slightly tangy, fragrant, perfectly seasoned, works just as good as the usual version if you ask me.
Nigiri started with a Bang! This Australian prawn was my favorite of the night. I love raw shrimps. It was so fresh, succulent, slightly creamy, naturally sweet. Topped with pickled sengkuang with pink salt, this added touch of sour and savory completes the dish for me. A burst of wonderful flavors, totally setting my taste buds alight for the night.
Amberjack with frozen yuzu and red perilla leaf sprouts. This was okay. The toppings were a little overwhelming in my opinion and carried a slight bitter aftertaste. I would have preferred it with just half the yuzu and omit the perilla leaf altogether. But then again, we are at a fusion sushi establishment.
Stripjack, also known as Shimaji cured for 5 days with pickled wasabi. The texture is the highlight for me. Maybe because of the curing, there was more bite to it, wonderful texture which I enjoyed. The pickled wasabi was slightly over pungent for my liking, but a solid nigiri nonetheless.
Torched Amberjack belly with homemade chilli paste and pickled bunga kantan. This was another excellent mouthful. The belly was oily and fatty, the meat tender and juicy. The torching further enhanced the flavor by melting that fatty goodness. That ooze of fat, that coating sensation, so rich and decadent, you’d wish you have another. The chili paste and pickled bunga kantan was milder and complimented the fish beautifully. Absolutely loved this one.
Cured Horse Mackerel topped with wild ginger from Sabah. This was another okay dish. The ginger was fragrant but again slightly too pungent for my liking. Even though mackerel tend to have a stronger, bolder taste and scent profile, the ginger was a tad too overpowering to let the fish truly shine.
Seabream aged five days, skin lightly charred, squeeze of lime juice and kaffir lime zest. Perfectly balanced flavors and the fragrance of the lime zest was a much valued addition. Just the right amount of acidity on fish that was so delicately sweet and distinct. The char enhanced the aroma and overall kick. This hits the spot in so many ways.
At this point, I am starting to notice a pattern here. Even though I have not yet had a bad sushi thus far, I feel that each nigiri I was being served is alternating between being decent and excellent.
Next up, Otoro topped with Indian Moringa pickled in bunga kantan juice. I expected the Otoro to be fattier than this. Apparently, according to Chef Jack, this breed of tuna is from Miyagi and are fed sardines. I’m not too sure if that led to it being a leaner breed, or that Chef was just sharing a fun fact. It was still delicious nonetheless. The pickles were not as bold as the others before, giving just a hint of sweet and sour. We were still able to fully savour the taste and texture of the tuna.
The Cholesterol Chirashi Bowl
Apart from the Australia ebi at the very beginning, this was another favorite. A mixed bowl of sea eel, flounder fins, salmon roe, uni, scallops, otoro, hairy crab liver pate and beetroot. The flavor was out of this world!
The sea eel was simmered in light soy then charred, smoky, sweet. The flounder fins were also charred to perfection. So juicy, creamy and delicate. The hairy crab liver pate packs a huge umami note along with the uni. So buttery, rich and tastes just like the ocean. Scallops were fresh, plump and sweet. Salmon roe gives the bowl some much needed balance in terms of saltiness. Even the beetroot tasted good here, vacuum packed with white wine and sous vide, it shines with this beautiful color and delicate texture. The soul, essence, and everything good about Chipta was highlighted in this bowl. Splendid.
I was already pretty full at this point, but I could have easily gobble up 3 more bowls of this. Mixing as many ingredients as you can in a mouthful is the way to go!
Hot Dishes at Chipta 11A
10 days aged duck that has been slow roasted with caramelized onion and black olive, beetroot sauce, shaved summer truffle, cheese foam and vegetables kuih. The duck was nice but there was too much going on on this plate. It was a bit overwhelming with the cheese foam and olives on the fatty duck. I felt it was too much, too rich. The summer truffle was sadly non-existent. There was no flavor to the truffle which surprised me and tasted more like a bland root or paper. The sweet, tangy beetroot sauce was good to cut through all that richness. In fact, if it was just the duck and beetroot, I would have liked it more. Less is more with this one.
Australian Wagyu beef marble A5. Raw egg yolk on roasted garlic. Mushrooms laid over charred beef fat, apple wine garlic sauce and mustard. The beef was beautifully pink but was still quite chewy for an A5 Wagyu. I loved the charred beef fat underneath the mushrooms. Mushrooms were slightly under seasoned though. The yolk and roasted garlic didn’t really add much to the dish but was still fine. Overall, pretty decent.
Dessert
For dessert, ice cream kombu and Japanese cucumber ice cream. Light and sweet, a very nice and simple conclusion to a very happily stuffed customer.
As a proud Sabahan, Chef Jack treated us to some Lihing wine, brewed from Sabahan rice. Never a fan of alcohol, I surprisingly find it really yummy, refreshing with a sweet aftertaste. I didn’t take a snapshot of it, but I would definitely order some next time.
Final Thoughts on Chipta 11A
Chipta hasn’t been around long, but I am certain they will be going places. Given that there was limited variety of imported seafood due to the Movement Control Order as Chef Jack explained, he was still able to produce an impressive course. Kudos to him and his team. For RM300 per pax, I must say it was really value for money. Very satisfied with the quality ingredients, service and the super friendly and attentive Chef Jack. Chipta 11A was my first time having sushi with a fusion twist but it most certainly will not be the last.
Chipta 11A Curated Dining Website: https://chipta11a.carrd.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipta__11a/ Address: 11a, Jalan 20/16, Sea Park, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
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I could agree more- and maybe I should!1!1! :p