Isetan KLCC Foodmarket Kyushu Fair 2011

KLCC new Isetan Food Market is now a new place for grocery and food shopping. Since their opening in September, i was very excited to see their new products imported mainly from Japan. My previous posts are: imported frozen food, tempting pastry, imported fresh fruits and vegetables.

Isetan KLCC organizes food fair quite often. Now it is Isetan KLCC Foodmarket Kyushu Fair 2011 from 23rd September to 2nd October 2011.

Kyushu Fair at Isetan KLCC Foodmarket

A simple introduction to Kyushu:

" Kyushu, the third largest island of Japan which is located in the South, has earned the title of "Food Island" by producing one fifth of Japan's agricultural products. Kyushu is also the birthplace of Shochu, and is home to many makers of this exquisite liquor. Local cuisine includes Nabe dishes (Hot Pot), Mentaiko (Pollack Roe), braised dishes and plenty of seafood. The southern prefectures of Kyushu are also well-known for producing nutritional food items."

~~ courtesy from Isetan Foodmarket Kyushu Fair brochure

1. What is Shocu?

Shocu at Kyushu Fair, Isetan KLCC Foodmarket

Shocu is a type of Japanese distilled beverage made from barley, sweet potato, or rice. Sometimes it is produced from brown sugar, buckwheat or chestnut. Typically it contains 25% alcohol by volume. The production is now everywhere in Japan, but it is believed that it is started in Kyushu.

~taken from en.wikipedia/shochu

2. What is Nabe?

Special Eat-in Chanko Nabe at Kyushu Fair, Isetan KLCC Foodmarket

Nabe in Japanese, is a short term for Nabemono. Nabe = cooking pot, Mono = things, Nabemono means varieties of Japanese steamboat dishes. It's also known as one pot dishes.

The pots are traditionally made of clay or thick cast iron. Clay pots can keep warm for a while after being taken off the fire, while cast iron pots evenly distribute heat. The pots are usually placed in the centre of dining tables, shared by multiple people. This is a sociable way to eat with friends and family.

The varieties of Nabe includes: Yosenabe, Chankonabe, Yudofu, Sukiyaki, Oden. Shabu Shabu and Motsunabe..

Chanko Nabe (as stated in brochure), is a traditional steamboat dish eaten daily by Sumo wrestlers.

~ taken from en.wikipedia/Nabemono

At Kyushu Fair, you can order any bowl of Chankonabe according to your favourite ingredients, and you have the chance to enjoy original recipe from Japanese chef.

Display of Chankonabe

3. What is Mentaiko?

Karashi Mentaiko at Kyushu Fair, Isetan KLCC Foodmarket

Mentaiko is marinated roe of pollock, a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

Roe is a fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, while Pollock is the name of a type of marine fish.

~ taken from en.wikipedia/Mentaiko

What attracted me in the Kyushu Fair is, the food sampling of ocean seaweed. We normally see a black to purplish seaweed. But here, i saw the colourful seaweed.

Seaweed food sampling at Kyushu Fair, Isetan KLCC Foodmarket

There are 3 main types of seaweed: Sea-algae, Sea-birdnest, and normal seaweed.

3 main types of dried seaweed

They are packed in small packets, sold at RM44 per packet and at the promotion of Free 1 packet for any 3 packets bought.

Packets of seaweed

The sales-person then soaked the seaweed in normal water.

3 types of soaked seaweed for food sampling

And she put into Miso soup for us.

Miso soup to mix with soaked seaweed

The soaked seaweed with the mix color of red and green, is called the sea-birdnest. When chewing, i felt like biting raw plastic. However according to the salesperson, there are different nutrien for different types of seaweed, including Iron, Calcium and Collagen. Collagen is to improve humidity of one's body and hence improve beauty, suit best for girls.

Other types of seaweed product

I saw a Dorayaki and Sponge Cake, opss, they looked so real but actually was for display purposes only, and not edible.

Sample of Dorayaki

Sample of Castella, a Japanese Sponge Cake

Demonstration of Castella wrapping

Besides Seaweed sample, there are so many other special food to try: Japanese tea, Soymilk jelly, Salmon fish, mini fish pancake, fried and braised seafood, and many more.

Event: Kyushu Fair

Venue: Suria KLCC, Isetan Foodmarket

click here for location map

Date: 23rd September 2011 to 2nd October 2011

Visit their Isetan website or Kyushu Fair brochure for details

New Isetan KLCC Foodmarket: Fresh fruits and Vegetables

In the new KLCC Isetan Food Market, there are lots of new product, especially from Japan, in my previous review such as: Frozen meat and seafood and International Pastry and Cakes.

Everytime you walk in KLCC Isetan Food Market, you will find new and interesting item there. The imported food is from all over the world: Japan, Korean, Australia, US, etc.

Of course you will find affordable food there, but you will find expensive one too.

For example, How much it costs for a pack of Grapes less than 1kg? The most at RM15? Yes, this pack of grape, cost more than RM10, it's from Korea, and it really looks like black color rubber ball.

Korean Grape

But how about a pack of grape imported, of high quality new breed? Double the price? No..It's almost 10 times higher, which means if you buy a pack of this quality new breed imported from Japan, with the same price you can buy more than 10 packs of normal grapes.

New Pione Grape from Japan is sold at RM155 per kilogram. It's black in color. It's round, fresh, in dark black color. I wonder how it tastes.

New Pione Grape from Japan

From the description, the Pione Grape is produced in Okayama Prefecture. It is seedless. It is an improved version of Kyoho, the King of grapes. How it tastes? " The large fruit of the Pione has a rich sweetness and a moderate sour taste."

The other types of grape is called Seto Giant Grape, in green colour. It's sold at RM175 per kilogram. Yes, it is RM133.35 per pack!

Seto Giant Grape from Japan

Seto Giants Grape is produced at Okayama Prefecture too. "Once you start eating, you can't stop"! Wow!

So with the price of a packet of Seto Giants Grape (RM 133.35), you can buy 10 packets of grapes from USA (RM13.01). It really depends on consumers, some look for affordable food, but some look for high quality food.

USA Seedless Grape

That's story of grape. How about others? This Rock Melon priced at RM9.50 per kilogram. Half of it, costs RM 7.35. How about another special "species"? It costs at RM 115 per piece! It's called Musk Melon with tagged "Orange Flesh". I guess, it should be from Japan too.

Rock Melon

Musk Melon

I have seen ginseng anywhere, but i have never see normal packing of fresh ginseng, sold at high price. It is tagged as Korean Fresh Ginseng of 6-year-old, costs at RM 890 per kilogram. There is around quarter of kilogram, costs at RM 238 for 4 pieces. There is also fresh ginseng of 4-year-old, of course, smaller in size and less in nutrient or function.

Fresh Ginseng of 6-year-old

The Korean Peach,

Korean Peach

Korean Peach

White Carrot/ white radish, around the same size of my hand, sold at RM 43.90 per piece.

White Radish/ White Carrot

The Mandarin Orange from Japan, called Japan Mikan, sold at RM 210 per box.

Japan Mikan

If you are looking for high quality food, you can visit this place at different time/ day as you will find lots of new item. Besides the interesting fruit captured here, of course there are a lot more.

Location: Isetan Suria KLCC Food Market

Concourse Floor

http://g.co/maps/zv986

Visit their website or brochure of Isetan Foodmarket for further details

New Isetan Food Market in KLCC: Episode of Pastry

New KLCC Isetan Food Market

The arrangement of Isetan is almost the same as Cold Storage KLCC. On the right hand side of the entrance, right in front of cashier, there is a bakery called Sun Moulin. The bread looks quite traditional. And they show on the spot how they cut the freshly baked bread and put into bags for customers.

One of their bread loaf is in cylindrical shape, looks like plastic mineral bottle?

Cute Bread Loaf at Sun Moulin

On the Spot Demonstration: Workers cutting bread loaf

Petit Sucre is among a few smaller stalls further in. They have finely made pastry, especially cute tarts, macarons, chocolates, and they are doing promotion for opening.

Tempting mini tarts at Petit Sucre, at RM5 per piece

Macarons

Fine Chocolate

Mini Truffles, at RM1.80 per piece

Mini Tarts: Milk Chocolate Cheese

Dessert Cup from Petit Sucre

Details can be found in Petit Sucre facebook.

Gino Specialty Coffee sells coffee with pastry. They serve gourmet coffee from Tokyo.

One of the dessert looks like having cream puff on top, but i have forgotten the name. The tiramisu is quite tempting too.

Dessert displayed at Gino Specialty Coffee

Tiramisu 

Yummy yummy, i like pastry and dessert very much.

For previous post related to Isetan Suria KLCC Food Market, please click here!

Location: Isetan Suria KLCC Food Market

Concourse Floor

http://g.co/maps/zv986

Visit their website or brochure of Isetan Foodmarket for further details

New Isetan in KLCC: Isetan Food Market

The new Isetan in Suria KLCC is now opened. This is the first time i see Isetan with food market. It's called Isetan Foodmarket. I supposed they open earlier than the opening date, when i visited the place it was 7th of September. There are lots of new merchants in the Isetan new Foodmarket. Fresh food there include: Vegetables, Fruits, Frozen seafood, pastry, etc, as what normal merchants provide.

The things here attract me, especially the seafood and pastry. Most of the frozen seafood Isetan Suria KLCC has, are from Japan. Why i say they attract me? As they are cute, and i couldn't find in normal places like Giant or Cold Storage. Normal seafood we can find are: Salmon, Clam, Tuna, Oyster, Fish, Crab, Cod Fish, etc, yes. But what i see here, are quite special, and they are of course expensive too.

1. A slice of Imported Australian Wagyu beef steak sold at RM30++

2. Awabi Yamarakani: I don't understand what it means. But i think it's a type of Abaloon (recognize from the Chinese character).

3. Hotate x x: I guess this should be fresh scallop from Japan? 10 pieces for RM80?? oh..

4. Hotate Tepanyaki: This should be the scallop with tepanyaki sauce.

5. Tako: One of the Optopus tail cost more than RM20.

5. Amaebi Sashimi: Prawn is not rare. But the prawns, even smaller than my last finger, sold at RM15++ for only 10 pieces are rare! I should have taken the photo with my finger! They really look- small and cute!

6. Taraba Bedoro: The Long Leg of crab. Yummy, this should be sweet and meaty! It will need just a bit of salt, cheese, garlic, and an oven.

7. Oh, this is real traditional Japanese Taufu then? I wonder how they taste, travelling far from oversea.

8. Tartare Aperfrais: Are they cheese? They are just as big as my little thumb.

There are lots more food to discover. I guess you can learn Japanese fast here, especially the special seafood name. 

Location: Isetan Suria KLCC Food Market

Concourse Floor

http://g.co/maps/zv986

Visit their website or brochure of Isetan Foodmarket for further details