I SO enjoyed the beef chazhuke soy soup rice the first time I was at Hartton Kitchen, I decided to go back for it a second time.

It’s a fair sized bowl of rice covered with shredded beef topped with scallions, some chilli and sesame seeds. There’s broccoli at the side. It comes on a tray together with a tub of hot chazhuke soy soup to pour on the rice, and a dish of tofu with nori strips. Chazhuke is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea or dashi, and even hot water over rice, as a quick meal.

Here at Hartton, it’s a delicious combination of hot soy-based beef stock poured over the rice, submerging it. The Australian beef topping made it even more flavourful and there was a little heat from the chilli.

Bursting as it was with a fried chicken breast infused with rosemary, thyme and pepper, scrambled egg and melted cheese, you couldn’t possibly eat the roasted chicken breast sandwich the way you’re supposed to eat a sandwich,. We had it in a set with French fries, one of the options. I liked the thick sandwich – the chicken breast was moist and tasty and together with the moist scrambled egg and cheese made great bites.

I had a matcha detox punch with this sandwich. It’s a refreshing combination of matcha with lemon juice, passionfruit and cucumber slices. I will definitely try the recommended coconut milkshake and the gula Melaka avocado milkshake another time.

On our second visit, we had the summer lime fish, Afuri red king ramen and of course the beef chazhuke soy rice soup.

Summer lime fish presented fillets of pan fried fish, mashed potato, scrambled egg and a salad of cherry tomatoes and cucumber. The fish came with a sauce that didn’t do much for it. Unless they change the fish to a better one for this, I’m not having it again.

The Afuri red king ramen with beef was an excellent choice. The ramen stock was not too heavy or thick, glistened with chilli oil, and had balanced flavours. There was a good portion of thinly sliced beef on it, scrambled egg, shredded scallions and seaweed strips. It was topped with a rib of sweet corn. The ramen was cooked right and I liked it in the sweet and lightly spicy soup. I would have liked the corn to be shaved off the hard core of it.

We shared a slice of the avocado burnt cheesecake which was creamy enough without being too rich, and the sweetness level was just right.

The beef chazhuke costs RM23.50; Afuri ramen, RM28.50; summer lime fish, RM26.50; avocado burnt cheesecake, RM16.90; and matcha detox, 14.90.

Hartton Kitchen is pork-free. It’s at 48 Jalan SS21/39, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, tel: 018213 0138. It’s open from 8.30am to 7.30pm. – July 20, 2024.