Two Chefs Lab Japanese Restaurant @ Mahkota Cheras KL - Off To A Great Start!

In my persuit for great food, I visited the newly opened Two Chefs Lab, at Mahkota Cheras, also what I thought to be a teriffic neighbourhood restaurant, serving familiar Japanese food, but with a twist.

"Is this a cafe?" my puzzled friend asked.
"No, it's a Japanese restaurant." I answered confidently.

While the interior feels modern and clearly relatable to most cafes nowadays, the space was calling for some added warmth, which I was very much accustomed to in a Japanese restaurant.

With a name like that; with an interior like this - it's hard not to be confused.

As usual, I picked the brightest table to dine-at, right next to the window.

Throughout my entire meal, there were plenty of curious passersby, mostly families with children, peering through the glass windows, eager to know whats happening beyond those glass doors. The menu stuck onto the window was a good idea, but what would be a great addition - some Japanese elements instilled in the furniture and fittings.

While the interior may not be there..... just yet, more importantly however, let's see how the food fared.

To kickstart our meal, for drinks, we had Mao Feng Green Tea (RM10.90) and a cup of Flat White (RM8.50). Where else can you have coffee and sushi? Strange and uncoventional, I know, but somehow it worked for me.

Next, something which I've not had before. The Hamaguri Niniku (RM16.00) came in the form of grilled clams with creamy garlic sauce, sprinkled with deep fried garlic crunch. For me, the sauce felt a tad too rich, overshadowing the natural sweetness of the clams. We finished this nevertheless.

I'm probably not savouring these darlings elegantly by popping an entire slice into my mouth at one go. I couldn't help myself! The juicy servings of torched Salmon Belly Carpaccio (RM15.00) with soy sauce, was moist and had melt in the mouth textures, literally.

The TCL Salad (RM19.90) was a wonderful salad not meant to be shared. It had fantastic flavors from the sesame dressing, and toothsome textures from the assortment of greens. The best part of this dish for me, would be the use of Japanese crabsticks instead of potatoes in the avocado mash. Delicious!

For those who enjoy cold pasta, I'd recommend the Japanese Pasta (RM16.90). Served cold, the angel hair came perfectly done, doused in fragrant truffle oil, served with crab meat and black capelin roe. More seaweed please?

The colorful row of TCL Signature Maki (RM38.00) came freshly studded with - crabmeat, eel, salmon roe, sweet prawn, scallop and spicy salmon.

Being a huge fan of salmon, I was delighted when this was placed in front of me. The trio of Salmon Sushi Fiesta (RM11.80) consist of torched salmon with yuzu sauce, salmon sashimi, and salmon brimming with spring onion dressing - I also saved the best for last. It had scrumptious Chinese-infused flavors to it. Must have!

I added Foie Gras (+RM25.00) to my Wagyu Donburi (RM72.00). I mean, what better way to enjoy a bowl of Japanese don right? Plus, I'm always greedy. The unification of flavors was amazing - the sweetness from the Australian wagyu beef; the richness from the foie gras; the aromatic truffle oil; the hint of saltiness from the sauces; the onsen egg simply added textures to the overall dish. oishi!

For dessert, we shared a serving of their signature Tofu Cheesecake (RM12.90). It had smooth yet fluffy textures, and not at all cloying towards the end of my meal. This dessert easily one of the better versions I've had. 

Two Chefs Lab Menu Page 1.

Two Chefs Lab Menu Page 2.

Overall Rating: 8/10. My favorites of the day would be the TCL Salad, Salmon Belly Carpaccio, Salmon Sushi Fiesta, Wagyu Donburi and Tofu Cheesecake. Reiterating from the above, Two Chefs Lab would make a teriffic neighbourhood restaurant, serving familiar Japanese food, but with a twist - they are off to a great start. All the best and hopefully more to come!

Two Chefs Lab is located at:

Address: 23-G, Sek 9, Jalan Temenggung 29/9, Bandar Mahkota Cheras, 43200 Kajang, Selangor.

Phone: 03-9011 9910

Opening Hours: 11.30am - 10.30pm (Tue-Thurs) 11.30am - 11pm (Fri - Sun) Closed Monday.