PETALING JAYA, March 31 — The folks in Paramount Gardens are in for a surprise when Prologue, the latest venture from the same folks behind Awesome Canteen, opens tomorrow.
In an area better known for Chinese dai chow and kopitiam fare, Prologue will be introducing a Japanese-inspired menu filled with an assortment of Japanese snacks, hot bowls of satisfying ramen, and comforting rice bowls or donburi.
The décor is the opposite of Awesome Canteen's vintage look. Instead, Prologue pays tribute to its past 20-years occupant, Woh Fung, a Chinese dai chow that once drew in the crowds with its steamed fish.
“Everyone is tearing and reconstructing to look identical. They just mimic things they see on Pinterest. Why don't we look at what you can salvage and create our own Malaysian-style design?”said Diane Ong, one of the partners of Awesome Canteen.
Push through the steel doors and find the same round tables that Woh Fung once used given a new look with a grey table cover. It's paired with comfortable chairs sourced from a local university.
Even the stainless steel stall that once sold chicken rice will be converted into Prologue's cash counter where you place your orders and pay first, just like Awesome Canteen.
The no-frills place is envisioned as a spot to just hang out with family and friends, where you can throw back a few beers, nibble on countless bowls of edamame and fill your stomach with fuss-free comfort food like ramen and donburi.
The idea for going Japanese was mooted by the many partners of Awesome Canteen who had visited Japan last October. According to Janice Tyan, one of the partners, they fell in love with the simple yet tasty Japanese food they discovered.
Since Awesome Canteen's chef Jack Weldie has 10 years' experience working in Japanese restaurants, he was asked by the owners to come up with a menu featuring affordable Japanese food like ramen and tapas to be paired with beer.
Jack who comes from Sabah worked in a Japanese restaurant in Subang Jaya when he was 16 years old since his elder brother was working there. He recalls that initially, he started out from the bottom sweeping floors and doing tiny menial tasks like slicing vegetables and peeling prawns.
Later he slowly rose up the ranks and was transferred to the other restaurants within the Hatsuhana group, such as Ninja Jones and Ozeki Cuisine to learn the ropes. After he left the group, he helped set up the kitchen of Hyotan in Subang Jaya. His last post prior to joining Awesome Canteen's team was as head chef in Tomoe in Subang Jaya.
In January, Jack sat down with the owners of Awesome Canteen to ask them their favourite items to include in the menu. Diane's request was a simple one: cold smooth tofu topped with natto. In the menu, it's known as Takutakanatto Tofu, where Jack jazzes up the simple tofu with dried chillies and a refreshing mix of pickled Japanese vegetables like takuwan, naganegi and takana.
Janice requested steamed fish with rice that is still a work-in-progress, while another partner Joshua Tan asked for Koebi Karaage or deep fried baby white prawns, a popular beer snack. Jack's version uses no flour to dredge the delicate prawns making it absolutely addictive, when eaten with just a dash of lime juice.
Start off your meal at Prologue with nibbles or Japanese tapas. Choices include Tori Karaage or fried chicken, Shisamo, Yaki Gyoza or dumplings filled with pork, and Yaki Jyaga Imo Mentai or grilled potatoes mixed with fish egg roe mayonnaise. Unlike the other stalls selling grilled takoyaki or the eponymous sotong stuffed balls, Jack's version, known as Age Takoyaki in the menu is deep-fried, which gives it a lighter and fluffier texture.
Must-try fare on the compact ramen menu include the decadent Pirikana Buta Ramen with its crispy roast pork belly slices paired with a luscious pork bone broth topped with bean sprouts, negi and spinach.
It comes with a lime wedge and mashed sour plum that you mix in the broth to undercut its richness. If you don't fancy pork, go for the Sakana Sakamushi Ramen where the fish broth is scented with yuzu peel to give it an appetising refreshing taste. This works well with the red snapper fillet steamed with sake, enoki mushrooms and spinach served with the ramen.
Also on an equally satisfying scale is the Mabo Tofu Ramen. According to Jack, he was taught how to cook this dish by a Japanese friend who loved Chinese food. It's got all the elements of a home cooked meal with the soft tofu cubes mingling with the mild sauce made from pork broth with chicken mince, wakame and negi.
If you can't decide what to chose, order the Prologue Ramen as it has everything from beef slices, crispy pork belly, red snapper fish and a ajitama egg with its molten yolk centre. According to Janice, in the future they hope to also make their own ramen for the shop.
It's not only about ramen, as they also offer a small selection of donburi or rice bowls served with a bowl of miso soup and pickles. Our top pick is the Buta Yakiniku Don with its beautifully caramelised onions, garlic and thin pork belly (butabara) slices. Simply heavenly!
We're not sure if one bowl of this deliciousness is enough, but believe us, it's definitely a rice bowl that you don't mind ditching your no-carbs diet for.
According to Diane, since Prologue is the first shop before Awesome Canteen in the row of shophouses, they decided to name it as the beginning. It's logo uses the Chinese character for the preface of a chapter. It's definitely a good start, as Prologue's fuss-free Japanese food will nourish the soul, and complement their other projects, like Awesome Canteen and Awegallery.
Prologue, 17, Jalan 20/13, Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya. Open from April 1 onwards: 11am to 11pm. https://www.facebook.com/prologue.my
