KABOSU lime, dried shiitake mushroom, flat udon, tempura chicken and yuzu kosho are among the variety of food that Oita Prefecture in Japan is well known for.

The coastal prefecture, located to the south on the island of Kyushu, has a reputation of being a culinary haven.

We had a taste of these ingredients and delicacies in a culinary showcase of the prefecture at Kampachi, Plaza 33, in Petaling Jaya.

Five kinds of buri (adult hamachi or yellowtail) sushi introduced us to five toppings of yuzu kosho that ranged from the mildly spicy to a hot, tingly one.

Yuzu kosho is a condiment made from fresh chillies fermented with salt, zest and juice from yuzu lime.

Just a dot of it on the sushi and it drops a flavour bomb on it. I relished the spicy, citrusy kosho on each buri sushi, moving from light, peppery to hot and zesty.

Hirame no Kobujime offered thinly sliced hirame or olive flounder cured with konbu seaweed. The almost-transparent fish slices were served with a light, golden soy dip that had hints of fish sauce. The springy fish paired wonderfully with this dip.

The next course, Ryukyu, offered marinated raw salmon, tuna, amberjack, squid and scallop atop rice. I enjoyed the freshness of these, touched subtly by its marination.

The scallop burst with sweetness, and we revelled in the feel and flavour of each slice of fish and squid. They were well-complemented with the rice drizzled with sauce beneath.

Toriten is deep-fried chicken tempura served with ponzu. The chicken covered by a thin, crispy batter was juicy and delicious dipped in the citrus-based sauce.

There was a welcoming sweetness in the ponzu, which went so well with the chicken.

It was a rainy night and a hot bowl of Dango Jiru or flat noodle miso soup was welcoming. I liked the flat, smooth and slithery udon soaking in the essence of the creamy miso soup.

Together with chicken, shiitake mushroom, radish, carrot, spring onion and tofu puffs, it was a wholesome, tasty noodle soup.

Sokita Mochi, with its pillowy skin made of sweet potato dusted with bean powder, had two types of filling – chestnut and red bean.

These were an absolute delight, in texture and sublime fillings that were just nicely sweet.

The muscat grapes were heavenly, and the pear crunchy and sweet, in the Nashi, Budou and Jelly course at the end. A lightly tart yuzu jelly brought it all together.

Every prefecture in Japan has its own sake producers. We sipped on boutique sakes and the wonderfully fragrant and sweet Bungo Meijyo umeshu hand-carried in from Oita.

There were cocktails and mocktails that highlighted Oita produce, such as matcha, kabosu and yuzu. There was the luscious Matcha Ichigo Mirukusheku, a mocktail layered with matcha, crushed strawberries and milk. The cocktail – Kabosu Tonic – was light and refreshing. The Yuzu Honey Shochu Highball landed a kick on the senses with the shochu.

The Oita Prefecture showcase is on in the Kampachi outlets in Plaza 33 Petaling Jaya, EQ Kuala Lumpur and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur till September 24. – September 2, 2023.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.