Slurp up this luxurious beef ramen at Solaris Dutamas' Kami Wagyu

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — It's rare to get beef ramen in the Klang Valley so I had to try out Kami Wagyu.

Moreover, it's in the Solaris Dutamas area, next to Publika where I often struggle to find a good eatery to enjoy a satisfying meal.

Hidden behind a closed facade with just the name of the restaurant, you walk through a door to discover a darkly lit place with a counter and an open kitchen. It's definitely not your typical dining space.

They offer two different menus. You have an all-day noodle bar. Or if you're feeling more indulgent — there's also a beef-centric omakase requiring at least three days in advance to pre-order.

The vibe is a fun one with loud dance music to get your feet tapping. As it's only counter seats, the dining experience also includes a front seat to a cooking show starring your ramen.

Cue your phone camera for TikTok or Instagram! Especially when they torch the beef with that torch.

The bowl of Tsukumen is topped with torched Japanese A5 Miyazaki beef, where the cold noodles can be dipped in a beef sauce.

If you cannot do without rice, there's the Wagyu Rice served with Australian M6 Wagyu sliced beef and a poached egg.

Even how they present each bowl of noodles — with an outstretched hand and smouldering eyes — is designed for the perfect camera shot.

It has shades of Japan's famed Wagyumafia that also serves premium Japanese beef including a tsukumen noodles with a similar pose.

As the place sits only nine people at one time, it may be best to call and book ahead. Sometimes it's empty but one time I went, I joined a chorus of five others including children slurping down their noodles.

For my first visit, I fell in love with their beef tsukumen but after tasting their beef ramen, that became the ultimate favourite.

The noodles (ramen or tsukumen) and even the rice bowl comes with a choice of Japanese A5 Miyazaki beef (RM88) or M6 Australian Wagyu beef (RM58). For those who love their chilli, there's also a spicy variation for the ramen and tsukumen.

Just like other ramen joints, just circle the options on the order chit for your ramen. Whether you want a decadent topping, how hard you want the noodles or even how rich you prefer the soup to be.

Wagyu gyozas are juicy bites with a crispy pan fried exterior and best eaten with vinegar and a red pepper paste.

Toppings like seaweed, menma, flavoured egg, green or white negi can also be added. If you want an even more decadent bowl, there's the option to add on more beef.

I decided to go all out and have the richer broth. This totally punched up the flavour of the beef broth, making it a luxurious soup. Every drop of that sublime soup was drunk to the last drop.

For some, the richer version may be too salty. if you know your palate veers towards lighter flavours, just stick to the normal broth.

With regards to the beef tsukumen or dipping noodles, I tried it twice. The first round was excellent but the second time, they messed up my dipping broth hence it was not as good.

If you feel the taste of the dipping broth is lacking, do tell them straight away so they can rectify it. It should have a thick consistency that coats the slightly thicker noodle strands. Flavour-wise, it needs to be beefy and rich, so tick richer on the noodle chit. Otherwise, the whole dip-and-slurp experience will be incredibly lacking.

You also have chicken tsukumen too. And if you cannot live without rice, there's a Wagyu Rice Bowl.

Sushi tacos may sound fun with crispy nori sheets but the ‘engawa’ and ‘otoro’ topping the rice lacked the luscious bite you are craving for.

Part of the dining experience includes a front seat for the ultimate cooking show which includes torching the beef in front of you.

The rice bowl with M6 Australian Wagyu beef was good too with a perfectly wobbly poached egg and chopped green negi. Pure, comfort food for the soul. You also get a cup of beef broth to wash down your rice.

Pair your noodles or rice bowl with a side order of their Wagyu beef gyoza. The dumplings are available in either three pieces (RM30) or six pieces (RM60). You get juicy, delicious bites with a nice, crispy pan fried bottom. Add the red pepper paste and a dash of vinegar to it too.

Other snacks include chicken karaage, sashimi, edamame and the intriguing sushi tacos.

Instead of a crunchy shell, these are made with crispy thicker nori sheets. They are paired with decadent toppings like the premium beef, foie gras or a selection of sashimi like engawa, salmon, otoro and uni.

While the tacos were fun to eat with those ultra crispy nori sheets, I did feel, the cuts of fish (otoro and engawa) lacked the much desired lusciousness, marring the experience.

The omakase is available for lunch and dinner. If you go for their 3-course omakase, it's RM168 for one appetiser, one main dish with soup and dessert. Choices are quite limited for the menu.

The dining concept is a hip, noodle bar with limited seats and a bird-eye's view of the kitchen.

Find the place behind this facade at Solaris Dutamas.

For instance, the appetiser is only for the beef gyoza, beef tartar and Japanese oyster, while the main course is a choice of a 120 grams Angus beef steak or slow cooked chicken breast. If you wish to go for the premium items, you will need to add on money, thus inflating your budget.

For dinner, the omakase starts from RM588 for the Australian Wagyu beef while the Japanese Miyazaki beef menu is RM788. A smaller portion of omakase is also available for ladies. Among the items served for the omakase, there's katsu sando, steak, and sashimi. There's also a non-beef omakase too.

If you park at Publika, walk out from the entrance next to The Playground Borneo and turn left, you will see Kami Wagyu just after Canai 15 Cafe.

Kami Wagyu, No. A3-G2-3, Solaris Dutamas (Publika), No. 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 12pm to 10pm. Tel:+6017-4922321. Facebook: @kamiwagyu Instagram:@kamiwagyu

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