On a tranquil evening in the leafy suburbs of Damansara Heights, jazzy riffs emanated from Ba by 61M, the ultra-stylish bar and lounge connected to Sushi Kazu. Here, guests of Robb Report Malaysia arrived and embarked on a journey to discover the new Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami. This expression, so named to reflect the foundation of its making, owes its conception to Emma Walker, the first female master blender at Johnnie Walker, and Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, owner and chef at the three Michelin-starred French restaurant Kei in Paris.
“As a chef, I wanted the meaning to be in the taste—an aroma and flavour that is unique, incomparable with any other liquor,” Kei said. As for Walker, the entire journey of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami was conceived to be a sensorial one. “We want you to embrace all your senses: to think about the touch of the box, when you pick up the glass, look at the bottle, savour the tactility, and appreciate the golden amber liquid within—a sound from the popping of the cork and swirling of the liquid. That’s the invitation we present,” she said.
All this was paired with the culinary artistry of the chefs at Sushi Kazu, led by chefs Norikazu Shibata and Ricky Kamiishi. In welcoming the guests, Johnnie Walker Malaysia marketing manager Kenny Fernandez described the multi-layered dimensions of this unique new expression, which develops across time, offering different aromas every time one noses it and delivering a unique fragrance and mouthfeel.
The menu comprised a medley of Sushi Kazu’s greatest hits, with chilled edamame soup, crab cream croquette, osetra caviar paired with Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami, seasonal-led sashimi, simmered abalone, a Miyazaki A5 roast beef with apple sauce, and plenty of sushi. In between that and copious sips of Elusive Umami, the real meaning of umami—a word that combines ‘delicious’ and ‘taste’—would soon come to the fore, ensuring an unforgettable night for all in attendance.
More photos of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami dinner
Photography: Law Soo Phye
Videography: The Spacemen
