KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Nothing hits the spot quite like chahan or Japanese style fried rice. The wok-fried grains of rice are fluffy and separate, yet not too oily, unlike more typical Chinese dai chow fare.

Still, what’s so special about fried rice, you ask?

Not an unreasonable question, given how we seem to clamour for bigger, better and bolder these days.

(I’m talking about food, but this could apply to so many other aspects of our lives but that’s a topic for another day, I guess.)

A plain croissant or a basic bowl of ramen wouldn’t do; instead some require croissants to be placed atop said bowls of ramen. I am all for fusion cuisine but some trends scream marketing manoeuvre more than palatable pleasure.

Is it any wonder our taste buds grow weary even as they get desensitised to ever increasing amounts of fat, sugar and salt?

Which is where cosy, fuss-free spots such as Nippon Syokudo still draw regulars grateful for a respite, especially within the traffic-free vicinity of their neighbourhood.

This is where I am savouring the aforementioned plate of chahan, so redolent of aromatic garlic and the soft curds of wok scrambled eggs.

A family-run Japanese restaurant in Taman Desa, Nippon Syokudo isn’t a new eatery. In fact, the original location was in the busier Taman Danau Desa before they relocated to the quieter Desa Business Park (at least in the evenings).

This small change makes a big difference as residents will tell you that parking is a far easier prospect here at night, when the office workers have left.

In fact, I might argue that visiting after dusk has its own special appeal — the cool darkness outside the windows illuminated by the warm light of lamps hanging over every table.

The homey and minimalist restaurant interior of Nippon Syokudo welcomes us even as we head to our favourite table by the corner. (It has an unparalleled view of the wide window ledge outside where geckos scurrying back and forth makes for fine dinnertime amusement.)

Every visit has its own theme, varying with our appetites and moods.

Some nights the ocean calls us to us, and we begin with a saucer of hijiki seaweed. Slowly simmered, these mud-black strands taste of loam and mushrooms, less briny than its more commonly known seaweed siblings such as nori and wakame.

If we miss the feisty conversations of the yatai (street stalls) during festivals, we order a bowl of takoyaki, the orbs of fried batter and diced tako (octopus) seemingly moving thanks to the alchemy of heat and paper-thin shavings of katsuobushi (dried bonito).

Every bite of these glistening spheres (thanks to a generous brushing of umami-sweet takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise) introduces some crunch from the tenkasu (tempura scraps) and acid from the beni shoga (pickled ginger). How tantalising.

Speaking of beni shoga, the pink-hued pickles are a must with many rice dishes at Nippon Syokudo. There are nights when all you crave is a simple kareraisu (curry rice). Here it is adorned with slivers of hard boiled egg and — you guessed it — the indispensable tang of pickled ginger.

Given China’s culinary influence in Japan, it’s no surprise that some dishes remind us of meals we have had in Chinese restaurants.

Despite the use of an Italian staple, Nippon Syokudo’s olive oil mixed seafood with broccoli has that savoury character we associate with so many Cantonese stir-fries. Perfect with rice.

On weekends, there is a set meal that features ginger fried pork accompanied by a heaping mound of sliced cabbage salad, rice, miso soup and a small appetiser. Other set meals such as grilled saba (mackerel) and pork menchi-katsu are available daily.

For some, a classic Japanese meal like this is best enjoyed with a cold beer or some hot sake. For us, iced green tea will do. Best to keep it restrained yet reassuring.

In lieu of fancier daifuku stuffed with fresh strawberries or other dainty forms of wagashi (traditional Japanese confection), Nippon Syokudo offers a more local treat of tau foo fa; we opt for the plain and black sesame versions.

There is nothing earth-shattering about a meal at Nippon Syokudo, which is pretty much the point. Forget bigger, better and bolder. Sometimes all we need is simple and easy and good.

Nippon Syokudo

6-1 Jalan 1/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, KL

Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-3pm & 5-9pm; Fri-Sun 11:30am-9pm

Phone: 010-390 1510

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