Six sushi stars will be in KL this October

Becoming a sushi master chef typically requires at least a decade's worth of experience. — Handout

In Japan, becoming a sushi chef is not simply a matter of learning how to slice fish, mould rice into mounds and bind the two together. In fact, the art of making sushi takes at least a decade to perfect and the sushi chefs who attempt to hone this fine art are called itamae.

Earning the title of sushi master chef requires years of watching and gleaning techniques and skills from mentors (including rice configurations which differ from chef to chef) before finally being allowed to prepare sushi for customers.

This October, Malaysians will be able to experience some of the most wondrous sushi on offer, courtesy of six of the finest sushi masters from Osaka, Tokyo, Australia, Bangkok who will be in Kuala Lumpur for the highly acclaimed Sushi Summit, an event organised by event organiser Clime: Workz.

Saito Sam of KL’s famed Sushi Hibiki is one of the six chefs who will be featured at the Sushi Summit in KL. — SUSHI HIBIKI

Titled ‘Experience The Art of Sushi: An Omakase Date with Elite Chefs’, the event will take place from 11 October to 13 October at APW in Bangsar. Tickets are priced at RM1,588 per person.

The chefs

So who can you expect to see in action at Sushi Summit?

Expect to be wowed by chefs like Yuyu Nishimura, who earned his sushi stripes at a restaurant in Osaka with over a century of history and now helms a one-Michelin starred eatery of his own in Japan, an accolade he earned in 2020 and has since kept.

Then there is Tokyo-based chef Shou Emi, a bit of a sushi maverick who has explored everything from fine-dining to sushi chains and members-only sushi clubs in Japan, before opening Sushinosuke in Tokyo where he crafts omakase-style meals. Emi’s second outpost of his famed sushi restaurant opened a few months ago in the Klang Valley.

You can also look forward to the masterful creations of chef Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida who picked up his sushi skills from his own father, master chef Tokio Hashida who owned the famed Hashida Sushi in Tokyo, Japan. Hatch has been running outposts of his father’s eatery in Singapore since 2013, and currently runs Hashida Singapore.

Expect to be blown away by a masterful display of omakase-style sushi from some of the best sushi master chefs. — Handout

Chef Masaya Hasegawa’s journey to sushi excellence meanwhile started out with a part-time sushi job and has taken him all over the world. He now heads Sushi Hasegawa in Bangkok, Thailand.

All the way from Australia comes chef Shimpei Hatanaka, a second-generation sushi chef who was born in Japan and raised in Australia. He started his sushi trajectory at 14 and now heads the acclaimed Sake Restaurant & Bar in Australia.

Last but not least is beloved Malaysian-based Japanese sushi chef Saito Sam of Sushi Hibiki, a popular haunt for elite Malaysian sushi lovers with a passion for Sam’s Edo-style technique.

Clearly, there is plenty to whet the appetite of Japanophiles of every stripe in Kuala Lumpur with the money to spare for this one-of-a-kind culinary extravaganza.

Ken Ng, the founder of Clime: Workz says “As a proud Malaysian, I am genuinely thrilled to redefine our country’s culinary landscape and showcase it to the world. Sushi Summit provides the perfect stage for us to achieve just that.”

Moving forward, Ng says Sushi Summit will also be launching in Dubai, Hong Kong and Macau.

Tickets for Sushi Summit Kuala Lumpur from 11 to 13 October can be purchased at https://bookwhen.com/sushisummit.