Food Blog | TakeEn Omakase | Valentine’s Day | Kuala Lumpur
It’s that time of the year again! Where boyfriends will be scrambling to find a Valentine’s Day spot before they’re all booked out. Well, you can look no further than TakeEn Omakase - a comfy but luxurious spot for Kappo-style Omakase. With Executive Chef Thomas Chan’s award-winning skills and creativity, it will be sure to be a night filled with delicious food and a wonderful experience!
Note: This is a sponsored post - but only to the extent of a free media tasting - no payment or other incentives received from my end. I have full editorial control of this post and am not being paid / told to write anything in particular regarding the experience.
Kappo actually refers to “Cut and Cook” in Japanese, whilst Omakase refers to “Let the Chef decide”. This is one of the unique points of TakeEn Omakase, as most Omakase restaurants, especially in KL, specialise in more Sushi-style Omakase. For those who aren’t as big fans of raw sushi / sashimi, I think this would be a great option for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner this year!
This is actually the sister restaurant of the longstanding Xenri Restaurant a few units down the block - which has been serving up Japanese delights for around 20 years. What I’ll be sharing will be their Valentine’s Day menu alone - which will be their special menu on the 13th (Friday) and 14th (Saturday) of February 2026.
Is it Halal
No, this is not a halal restaurant. They do serve alcohol and do incorporate the use of alcohol - like Sake within their cooking. However, I did confirm this with them - they do source their ingredients from halal-certified suppliers and if you do tell them beforehand that you are Muslim, they can make the necessary arrangements to accommodate the changes from their end. But, as always, eat at your own discretion pertaining to this and do confirm with them whether they can do it for you.
Where it Is
I think one of the appealing things about coming over to TakeEn - located around Bedford Business Park (Old Klang Road area) - is that parking is relatively easy to find compared to most other places. Parking around the area is free, but if those spots are taken, there are some paid parking lots a bit further down the road. What I should point out is that it has a fairly hidden entrance that you might not spot at first sight.
Address: Lot 5-G, Wisma Elken, Lorong 4/137c, Bedford Business Park, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours:
Daily:
12:30pm to 2:30pm (Lunch)
6pm to 10:30pm (Dinner)
Reservation
To reserve your slot, you can reach out to them via the avenues listed below:
Enquiry (WhatsApp): 018- 220 0352
Reservation: https://reserve.oddle.me/en_MY/takeenomakase/ticket/4865
Menu: https://reserve.takeenomakase.com/
Note: As again, their Valentine’s Menu will only be served for dinner on the 13th and 14th of February only.
What it Costs
Their Valentine’s Day menu will be RM1,388 per couple (before 10% service charge and 6% SST). You’ll be getting an eight course cooked food Omakase with a variety of ingredients from across the globe. What I found very helpful about this experience was that each dish was explained in great detail.
You can take a look at their menu below, and will be going through each of the respective dishes in the next section.
They also have a large alcohol selection for you to enjoy the night - with a big selection of Sakes, Beers, Whiskies and Wines to indulge on. They also have a Plum Wine that is really popular here - that a lot of people buy for their own personal consumption, so I highly recommend checking with the staff on the availability, as it is very popular among the regulars to TakeEn.
How it Tastes
I think what you’ll notice is a recurring theme about all their dishes is that they’re all so aesthetically pleasing! It’s very clear their presentation is really one of their strengths, making this place a great spot to snap your food before enjoying each dish!
Starting off with their first dish, Hajime. It’s an Avocado Roll with Snowcrab meat and Amela Tomatoes, topped off with sweet caviar from Spain. The dish is also finished off with a delicious cauliflower sauce. With this appetizer, I personally think that the star is the Amela tomatoes. It’s super sweet and it pairs really well with that bit of saltiness from the cauliflower sauce on the side. Overall, a very appetizing dish - not too heavy and it does very well to whet your appetite for what comes next!
Their next dish is a Black Truffle Hokkaido Diver Scallop on Orange Cauliflower Espuma. I like the mild transition from the sweet appetizer to something a bit more citrusy, whilst having the luxurious diver scallops as the star of the dish. It’s a dish where, again, they have a great sauce pairing with the dish whilst still having that succulent and tasty scallop at the center of it all. I really enjoyed the texture of the scallop, as it was neither too rubbery nor too soft.
I would say there are two main attractions of their Omakase. The first, would be the next dish that I’ll be sharing. This dish is the definition of umami overload. It’s a very luxurious dish with bluefin tuna toro dressed in Kaviari caviar. If that wasn’t enough, they also have a sea urchin nori tart to complete this course. In many ways, I feel like this almost felt like two separate courses as well. The tuna and caviar really marry together to make a delightful combination that works very well together. It is one of those ‘showstopper’ dishes that your girlfriend would love to share with her Instagram followers to show off on Valentine’s Day. For me, I found the Sea Urchin Nori Tart very memorable because the seaweed had a strong flavour and texture that brings you close to the ocean. The textures on top in the form of the Hokkaido Uni and the edamame puree make this a dish that I enjoyed a lot, personally.
Next up, the Langoustine (prawns) from Toyama, combined with asparagus from Kyoto. This dish also features a fermented sea urchin glaze. I think this was a nice dish, as the prawns were bursting with flavour and the sea urchin glaze really elevated the dish, as it almost has this slight alcohol taste from the fermentation process. Overall, I think the sea urchin glaze was very unique, as it isn’t something I have seen before from other Japanese restaurants.
For their Rekka dish, they serve up a flavourful Abalone Isoni with an Awabi Kimo sauce, topped with some artichoke chips. What I’ll say is that these artichoke chips are like those Chinese New Year snacks that you can’t stop eating. Super addictive and you’ll find yourself wanting more as you gobble it up. TakeEn’s take on Abalone is also very interesting, as they’ve taken the approach of deep frying the abalone, making it almost tempura-esque.
Finally, we come to the star of the night! Of course I’m talking about their A5 Wagyu Beef! They've selected Miyazaki A5 Wagyu marinated in miso, plated with cauliflower and radish sprouts. I think the Wagyu really speaks for itself and makes this whole package a very elevated experience. Soft, tender, tasty, I think these are the things that came to my mind when enjoying this dish. I like the way they incorporated miso into this dish, as it really gives the whole dish a nice saltiness that makes it stand out among the rest. Easily my favourite dish of the night!
What comes next is a lighter dish in the form of their Kombu Chasuke Amadai (Red Snapper) rice dish. This dish is one of those very homely dishes that feels so simple but has a lot of elements mixed in. You have the Kombu broth that is very light and earthy, and you have the red snapper that is super crispy - as they also prepare this dish with the scales - a unique feature of both the fish and preparation. My favourite part of the dish is actually - whether intentional or not - the crispy rice bits at the bottom of the plate.
They shared two desserts with us for media tasting. The first is a barley cheesecake. It’s quite different from a lot of other cheesecakes I’ve had in the sense that it’s an almost liquid-like texture with the crust on the side. It’s definitely on the more savoury, rather than sweet end - which is why I like that they didn’t make this dessert too big, as I can imagine you might feel very bloated after this dish if you’ve had too much.
Because I have a sweet tooth, I was naturally a bigger fan of the vanilla ice cream dessert. It was a lovely dish to finish off the meal, as it incorporated different elements of sweetness, crunch, savouriness, and alcohol into one classic dessert. The strawberries were sourced from Shizuoka and were exceptionally sweet and flavourful. They were probably the single element of the dish that I enjoyed the most—although I truly enjoyed many different components. (Note: they did mention that this would be subject to availability on Valentine’s Day itself) The cherries soaked in red wine, cashew nuts, chocolate, and meringue all worked together in harmony to create a delightful end to the meal.
Overall
This is a very pleasant place that you can bring your partner for Valentine’s Day. Dishes are unique - things that you won’t typically find at other Omakases / Japanese restaurants. I think the fact that they have such an extensive alcohol menu is another plus point for those who want a small drink on Valentine’s Day! Definitely a spot you should consider this Valentine’s Day.
