PETALING JAYA, May 25 — Since it opened in April this year, Prologue in Taman Paramount has been described by some as Awesome Canteen’s Japanese sister.
After all, Prologue serves ramen and donburi and is owned by the same people behind Awesome Canteen that happens to be just next door.
Now they have expanded their offerings to include something closer to home — the concept of a Chinese dai chow with a Japanese twist.
“For the new menu, we are looking to infuse the traditional Chinese dai chow dining concept with Japanese food. Instead of just having ramen and donburi, you get a choice of choosing white rice or ramen to go with the new dishes.
“It is just like eating out at a Chinese restaurant where everyone has a portion of rice with dishes to share at the centre of the table,” said Joshua Tan, one of the partners of Prologue.
“This area is mainly Chinese. We wanted to evoke a familiar feeling of eating in a Chinese setting but enjoying Japanese food. There are one-dish meals as at dai chow restaurants as well as dishes for sharing. We want our customers to have a warm feeling when dining at Prologue,” said Janice Tyan, co-partner of Prologue.
An interesting dish in the new menu is the Cold Ramen with Salmon Sashimi. The noodles are served with tempura flakes, tomato soup, Japanese yam, tamago and natto. There’s also pickled ginger, sesame seeds, toasted seaweed and bonito flakes for garnishing. To eat this dish, you are supposed to mix it all together, adding more of whichever ingredient you like best.
“This dish is like yee sang where you mix everything together. I created this dish because Malaysia is very hot. I personally like Japanese cold noodles but I wanted something different. All the ingredients match and go well together,” said Jack Weldie, the head chef of Prologue.
Also new is the Tai Shoyaki that is grilled red snapper with salt. It is served with a side of mushrooms sautéed in butter. “For Tai Shoyaki, most places just put salt on the outside of the fish. What I did was to cook the fish over the mushrooms, to give it a home cooked feel and a smoky taste,” said Weldie.
The reason why he created this dish was because he noticed that many customers prefer not to eat rice or noodles because it is carbohydrates, which is fattening. This dish is designed to fill you up not just with the fish but also with the mushrooms and a bit of greens. The sautéed mushrooms are delicious and go well with the red snapper.
An amazing appetiser would be the Shiromi Yuzu Zuke, which is raw red snapper soaked in yuzu lime sauce with onions. It is very similar to the Mexican ceviche salad or the Kadazan hinava.
“This dish is good with soju and sake. It is inspired by my hometown in Sabah,” said Weldie who is of Kadazan-Dusun descent.
The Kadazan hinava is a raw fish dish that is “cooked” with lime juice. The Shiromi Yuzu Zuke is tangy with the right amount of zest. There is no unpleasant “fishy” taste when it comes to this dish.
Since their opening, there have been changes to the interior design as well. The wall that covers the kitchen is now painted gold. The blue plastic tablecloths have been removed to reveal the natural wooden tabletops.
The Awesome Canteen team love greenery so they’ve installed a vertical garden with creepers. Morning glory flowers are blossoming and the stalks are slowly climbing up the fence.
The team also fitted the place with more vintage decorations. There are plans to put Japanese words on the glass front to let people know that Japanese cuisine is served.
“We will change the lighting in the place too,” said Tyan, gesturing at the fluorescent lights. “The lighting now is flat so we will use hanging lights instead. Dim lights bring more warmth,” she said.
Prologue is located at No. 17, Jalan 20/13, Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-78729298. Prologue’s Facebook page
