When the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year, avid foodies Ryan Foo and Ivan Thoy realised there was a gap in the market for exclusive, omakase-style Japanese experiential meals at home. So in September last year, they launched their premium online brand Yakuza by Dark.
“The reason we started Yakuza by Dark is because during the first iteration of the movement control order last year, no one could go out to eat. Ivan and I love both love eating Japanese omakase meals, so we were thinking ‘How can we bring this concept of omakase to homes, since people cannot enjoy dining out?’,” says Foo, who also owns a pub.
“We started working with another partner and experimenting on how to bring this experience to customers. We started with a home kitchen and have since moved to a proper kitchen to cope with the orders we have been getting,” he adds.
But things were not smooth sailing at the beginning. Foo and Thoy’s brand was birthed on Instagram, but visibility and traction were poor at the outset.
“When we first started, there was no response at all. We put ads on Instagram and introduced the brand to friends, but there was hardly any response. Things only started getting better in December last year when people were searching for food online for the holidays. So that’s how we grew as an online delivery brand,” says Thoy.
Yakuza by Dark now has nearly 15,000 followers on Instagram and has developed a bit of a cult following among well-heeled epicureans with a taste for the finer things in life. These are typically globe-trotting individuals whose travel wings have been clipped by the pandemic and now want their entire luxury experience encapsulated in a single meal.
“We wanted everyone to have a full experience within a budget of RM200 to RM400, so we wanted to pack everything into a bowl, to make it a value-for-money experience,” says Foo.
Foo and Thoy also spent a considerable amount of time developing the menu, poring over food photos on Instagram and scouring the Internet to see what international eateries were doing, eventually coming up with a menu that they felt would appeal to Malaysians.
To truly have a memorable initiation of the brand’s offerings, indulge (and indulge is the word of the day here) in the Yakuza M8 Wagyu Katsu Sando with Foie Gras (RM168).
Katsu sando is essentially the Japanese term for a breaded pork sandwich – a convenience store staple in Japan which has been gaining steam internationally. In the past few years though, wagyu katsu sando has grown tremendously popular and Yakuza by Dark caters to this need for hedonism with this sandwich, which features Australian M8 wagyu tenderloin, foie gras, pops of ikura and a homemade sauce. This is a meal that you should definitely eat on an empty stomach to fully appreciate its animalistic pleasures.
The dish features cascading layers of softness, from the pillowy sandwich bread to the velvety richness of the foie gras which melts almost indiscernibly into the buttery smooth, incredibly luscious wagyu that is so tender, you could well be chomping down on silk, as befitting its high marbling score. It’s the sort of meal that requires total silence, mostly because it lulls your senses into such a state of blissful submission that speaking is virtually impossible.
Up next, try the Yakuza Premium Chirashi Don (RM138) which features small morsels of Hokkaido scallop, truffle unagi, aka ebi (red prawns), uni (sea urchin) and a Kodawari egg yolk (a Japanese egg that reputedly has 30 times more vitamin E than regular eggs!) under which lies a portion of rice.
This is a meal that allows you to appreciate the unvarnished aquatic qualities of everything in this bowl. Each element – from the scallop to the uni has that unquestionable fresh-off-the-boat quality – when combined in a mouthful, allows you to truly experience the bounty of the sea in miniature, pleasurable bites.
The Yakuza Dragon Scampi Don (RM68) meanwhile is one of the more relatively cost-efficient options on the menu and features scampi, truffle unagi, scallops, ikura and an onsen egg mounted on a heap of rice in what proves to be a delightful coalescence of seafood coming together harmoniously on the palate. It might not have the glamour of its starrier brethren but it certainly isn’t lacking in charm.
Lobster rolls have become increasingly popular in the past year or so and Yakuza by Dark has acquiesced to this phenomenon with its Yakuza Lobster Roll (RM168) which features Canadian lobster, sea urchin, black caviar and ikura. The lobster is the true star of this meal and is plump and incredibly fresh, with its voluptuous, fleshy qualities accentuated by the pops of umami offered by the sea urchin, caviar and ikura which all deliver salty, briny notes that add pizazz to this star-powered meal.Save the best for last with the ultimate nirvanic meal: the Yakuza A5 Omi Hime Wagyu Uni Don (RM388). Omi Hime wagyu has a history that dates back 400 years and is one of the most elite brands of wagyu in Japan, as a result of its lineage. In many instances, the wagyu only comes from heifers that have never given birth, which results in unparalleled flavour.
In this meal, you will discover 150g of A5 Omi Hime wagyu sirloin alongside uni, ikura and Kodawari egg yolk atop a bed of rice. The much-touted Omi Hime wagyu lives up to the hype (and expectation) and features sinfully decadent, melt-in-the-mouth slices of beef that are perfectly pink in the middle. The sea urchin and ikura are great too, but to be honest, there is little time to think or care about them when you are in the presence of such greatness.
So savour each slice of beef, allow for thoughtful mastication, careful swallowing and the pleasures of a slow, sensual meal where euphoria reigns supreme.
Having seen the reception to their online brand, Thoy and Foo are now looking to expand their presence with a physical restaurant, in line with increasing requests from their customers.
In the future, there are also plans to expand their katsu sando range and cater to a broader demographic with kiosk-style outlets specialising in affordable versions of these sandwiches.
“So we have two plans – the first is to open a luxury dine-in restaurant in central Kuala Lumpur. Then after that, we want to target a wider market by selling our sandwiches alone.
“These stores will be small but there will be a diverse range of katsu sando with ingredients like wagyu, unagi or even chicken at lower prices like RM30 to RM40. So that is our other goal,” says Thoy.
Order from Yakuza by Dark on Instagram (@yakuzabydark).
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