logo
Australian meats get Japanese treatment

Australian meats get Japanese treatment

The Star23-05-2025

Fukuda's twists include Australian Lamb Onigiri with Lamb Miso (left) and juicy lamb dumpling with spicy 'shiso' dressing. — YAP CHEE HONG/ The Star
Lovers of lamb and beef can take the opportunity to enjoy premium Australian meats with Japanese flair.
Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur is hosting Japanese guest chef Koji Fukuda for 'A Taste of Japan' showcase.
Until May 26, Fukuda will serve creations with his signature twist during weekday buffet dinners at Thyme restaurant, with a special Fabulous Meat and Seafood Buffet today and tomorrow.
The celebration wraps up in style with an exclusive five-course dinner with wine on May 26 at Pacific Lounge, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur.
This dining experience is held in collaboration with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Aussie Beef & Lamb.
Fukuda, who is 'Lambassador' for Aussie lamb in partnership with MLA, brings his unique take on the meat by combining it with Japanese ingredients.
The initiative is a global project that identifies influential food professionals who are passionate about cooking with Australian lamb.
Inspired by his culinary journey in Victoria, Australia, Fukuda is on a mission to introduce more lamb into Japanese cuisine, a rarity in his home country.
'In Japan, lamb is not a typical ingredient. Even in supermarkets, it is hard to find.
'Over the past few years, it has been slowly gaining traction.
'In the north of Japan for example, a stir-fried dish featuring lamb shoulder is popular,' he said.
At Parkroyal, expect creative bites like Australian Lamb Onigiri with Lamb Miso, Slim Beef Strip Tempura, Hokkaido-style Genghis Khan Yakisoba and juicy lamb dumplings with a spicy shiso dressing from Fukuda.
The buffet dinner is priced at RM185nett per person, the meat-and-seafood buffet is RM238nett, and five-course wine dinner is RM368nett.
For reservations, WhatsApp 010-229 7156 or email dining.prckul@panpacific.com

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Japanese designer takes top honour at Chelsea flower show
Japanese designer takes top honour at Chelsea flower show

The Star

time17 hours ago

  • The Star

Japanese designer takes top honour at Chelsea flower show

LONDON (Bernama-Kyodo): Japanese landscape designer Kazuyuki Ishihara won the Garden of the Year award for the first time at the Chelsea Flower Show, a globally renowned landscaping competition in London, in May with a Japanese tea garden. According to Kyodo News Agency, veteran participant Ishihara also won the gold medal in the Show Garden category for the first time, among other awards at the annual event held by the Royal Horticultural Society, Britain's leading garden charity, according to his office. It was the 13th gold medal overall for the 67-year-old, who has been competing in the show since 2004. Describing the Show Garden gold as the most difficult to obtain, he said he was "proud" to have won it with his Japanese Tea Garden. He also won the People's Choice award, voted for by the public. The garden, themed on communication and harmony and called Cha No Niwa in Japanese, uses plants and trees commonly seen in the Japanese countryside, such as Japanese maples and irises, around its tea house. "I wanted to convey the beauty of the spirit of Japan that enables heart-to-heart communication through tea and beautiful scenery in a world of chaos," said Ishihara. Japanese designer Masataka Taniguchi, 42, won the gold medal in the category of container gardens featuring small-scale landscapes with his work Komorebi Garden. Komorebi is a Japanese word for sunlight piercing through a tree canopy. -- BERNAMA-KYODO

Japan's largest annual Vietnam festival kicks off
Japan's largest annual Vietnam festival kicks off

The Star

timea day ago

  • The Star

Japan's largest annual Vietnam festival kicks off

TOKYO: The Vietnam Festival 2025 opened on Saturday (May 31) at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, featuring a diverse programme designed to offer visitors a full experience of Vietnam's charm. As the largest annual Vietnamese festival in Japan, the event attracts a large community of Vietnamese residents, Japanese friends, and international visitors eager to explore Vietnamese culture and cuisine. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung highlighted that, since its inception in 2008, the Vietnam Festival has become a hallmark of cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan, warmly awaited by the Vietnamese community and Japanese admirers alike. The festival is also one of the few international events in Tokyo to have welcomed distinguished guests from both countries, including members of the Japanese Imperial Family, notably the current Emperor when he was Crown Prince in 2008. The Deputy PM expressed his belief that with over 100 booths and a rich array of activities, the Vietnam Festival 2025 will offer unique cultural experiences from both Vietnam and Japan, fostering greater connections and boosting economic, trade, investment, and cultural-tourism cooperation between the two nations. Opening the festival, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu stressed that the Vietnam Festival in Japan is not only a joyful occasion but also a meaningful bridge connecting the hearts of Vietnamese and Japanese people. He highlighted that Japanese PM Ishiba Shigeru's official visit to Vietnam marked a new milestone in bilateral relations, deepening mutual trust and cooperation across many fields. The festival continues this momentum by celebrating cultural harmony and mutual respect through daily life expressions, including cuisine, music, art, and human connections. Yuko Obuchi, Chair of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, noted that the annual Vietnam Festival at Yoyogi Park is renowned for showcasing traditional Vietnamese arts and cuisine. As Chair of the association, she pledged to promote exchanges between parliamentarians and friendship associations to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi remarked that 2025 marks a historic milestone for Vietnam, commemorating 50 years since the end of the war. He expressed deep respect for the Vietnamese people's remarkable development since then and hoped that through the Vietnam Festival and the Vietnam Pavilion at EXPO 2025, the exchange between the two countries will deepen further. The festival aims to widely promote the unique and rich cultural heritage of Vietnam to Japanese friends. Highlights include traditional folk arts such as the unique water puppet shows, Ao Dai fashion presentations, authentic traditional cuisine, and the depiction of Vietnam's gentle, friendly, and creative people. A standout feature this year is the debut performance of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre from Hanoi, one of Vietnam's most prestigious and iconic art troupes. Their shows blend Vietnamese folklore, music, and storytelling in ways that captivate audiences of all ages. The festival also showcases young, talented, and creative contemporary artists, bridging vibrant musical performances that resonate strongly with youth, fostering lively connections between Vietnamese and Japanese communities. The Vietnam Festival 2025 promises two dynamic days linking Vietnam and Japan, with around 130 booths expected to attract approximately 180,000 visitors. - Vietnam News/ANN

Nintendo aims to match Switch success with new console
Nintendo aims to match Switch success with new console

Free Malaysia Today

timea day ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Nintendo aims to match Switch success with new console

The Switch 2 features a bigger screen and more processing power than its predecessor. (AFP pic) TOKYO : Nintendo hopes to match the runaway success of the Switch when its levelled-up new console hits shelves Thursday, with strong early sales expected despite the gadget's high price. Featuring a bigger screen and more processing power, the Switch 2 is an upgrade to its predecessor, which has sold 152 million units since launching in 2017 – making it the third best-selling video game console of all time. But despite buzz among fans and robust demand for pre-orders, headwinds for Nintendo include uncertainty over US trade tariffs and whether enough people are willing to shell out. The Switch 2 'is priced relatively high' compared to the original device, company president Shuntaro Furukawa said at a financial results briefing in May. 'So even if there is momentum around the launch, we know it will not be easy to keep that momentum going over the long term,' he warned. Sales of the Switch, which can connect to a TV or be played on the go, were boosted by the popularity of games like 'Animal Crossing' as a pandemic lockdown pastime. The Japanese company forecasts it will shift 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the current financial year, roughly equal to the original in the same period after its release. The new device costs US$449.99 in the US, over a third more than the Switch. A Japan-only version is cheaper, at ¥49,980 (US$350). New Switch 2 games such as 'Donkey Kong Bonanza' and 'Mario Kart World' – which allows players to go exploring off-grid – are also more expensive than existing Switch titles. Most original Switch games can be played on the Switch 2, and some Switch blockbusters such as 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild' will have enhanced editions released for the new incarnation. 'People were a bit shocked by the price of 'Mario Kart World', the first US$80 game that we've ever seen,' said Krysta Yang of the Nintendo-focused Kit & Krysta Podcast. While the company is 'going to have to do some work' to convince more casual gamers that it's worth upgrading, Nintendo fans are 'super excited', she told AFP. The Switch 2 will have eight times the memory of the first Switch, and its controllers, which attach with magnets, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse. Although the new console is not radically different, 'a lot of people (are) saying, 'this is what I wanted, I wanted a more powerful Switch – don't mess with a good thing',' said Yang, a former Nintendo employee. New functions allowing users to chat as they play online and temporarily share games with friends could also be a big draw, said David Gibson of MST Financial. 'It's a way to appeal to an audience which has got used much more to the idea of streaming games and watching games, as well as playing games,' he told AFP, predicting that the Switch 2 will break records in terms of early sales. And success is crucial for Nintendo. While the 'Super Mario' maker is diversifying into theme parks and hit movies, around 90% of its revenue still comes from the Switch business, analysts say. Nintendo delayed pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the US by two weeks as it assessed the impact from president Donald Trump's global assault on free trade. But its pre-orders have since sold out in the US market and elsewhere, with the company boasting of particularly high demand in Japan. Furukawa said in May that Nintendo's financial projections are based on the assumption of US tariffs of 10% on products produced in Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and 145% on China. 'Hardware for North America is mainly produced in Vietnam,' he added. Trump's hefty so-called 'reciprocal' tariff of 46% on goods from Vietnam is on pause, while those on China have been slashed. Tariff uncertainty could in fact push consumers to buy a Switch 2 sooner, because they are worried that the price could go up, Yang said. Charlotte Massicault, director of multimedia and gaming at the French retail giant Fnac Darty, told AFP that pre-sale demand has been 'well above what we imagined'. 'For us, this will be a record in terms of first-day sales for a games console,' she said. The Switch 2 is 'less of a family-focused product, and more of a 'gamer' product' compared to the Switch, she said. 'That's what Nintendo wanted, and it works.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store