Korean Raw Fish Restaurant, Solaris 大魚횟집 #대어횟집

I haven't been out much since the unfortunate pandemic hits us in early 2020. Hence the long hiatus since my last post. I have though, been out occasionally for some Korean food and found some gems! So I thought I might as well share my experiences with you guys. 

The one and only time I had 회 (Korean raw fish) was when I visited Jeju back in Fall 2018. It was a totally new world to me, experience-wise and palate-wise. I was surprised to find this restaurant as I have never seen much 횟집 (Korean raw fish restaurant) around in Malaysia and was dying to try one since my first and last experience in Jeju.

The first thing that hits you as soon as you walk into the restaurant is the smell of the sea. And that already gave me a good feeling that the food I'm about to have is going to be as fresh as it can get. The restaurant itself is not too big and I like that the tables are divided into small room sections (Hello social distancing and privacy!).

One might be as shocked as I did when you looked at the menu if you have never been to a 횟집 (Korean raw fish restaurant) before. Yes, the prices are quite crazy, ranging from RM80~RM600. I was skeptical at first, thinking if spending this much is going to satisfy my appetite? What if I am left as hungry as I was coming in in the first place after a few pieces of raw fish? BOY I WAS WRONG.

So 4 of us ordered the Large 모듬회 (Assorted Sashimi) and few beers. Actually, I would prefer if they named it 'hoe'/'hweh', instead of 'sashimi' cause come on... Korean pride!

Quite a standard first round spread of side dishes I would say that you can expect from a Korean restaurant. We've got 파 무침 Pa Muchim(Scallion/ Spring onion salad), Kimchi, Hot dogs, Edamame, Pickled onions, 백 김치 (White kimchi aka non-spicy kimchi), 메추리알 MeChuRiAl (Quail egg), 김치 전 Kimchi Jeon (Kimchi pancake) and some kind of 찜 (stew) dish I would say. It had some pork, kimchi, and radish in it.

And our side dishes never stop coming lol. We were also served with some sizzling smoked duck breast and king oyster mushroom with broccoli on a cast iron pan. And we are not done yet.

More side dishes coming up. There is the baked corn with cheese dish and a tempura dish. The corn dish is to die for. Kid you not, at this point I was already quite stuffed.

Behold... the highlight of the dinner. It got 4 'wows' from the judges' table! Visually quite impressive I would say and it smelled so fresh. The assortment was a mix of 광어 (Halibut), 우럭 (Rock Fish) and 도다리 (Flounder) but honestly, I couldn't tell which is which. Excuse me for not being a fish expert as I have not been the biggest fan of fish. According to my Korean food expert friends, you can eat it in a few different ways. 

1. Just eat it without any condiments

2. With a squeeze of lemon juice

3. Dip in 초장 Cho jang (short for cho gochujang, a tangy spicy chili sauce)

4. Dip in soy sauce

I found that it already tastes good with just a squeeze of lemon juice, and maybe a few with chojang here and there. All of the fishes have a quite distinctive texture, however, I couldn't say the same for the taste. They all taste pretty similar in my opinion. For those who are worried about raw fish smelling fishy, I can assure you, you will not get it from here. As opposed to red-hued flesh colour fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout which has a stronger smell, white flesh fish smells less fishy and tastes lighter in comparison. I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed my first Korean raw fish in Malaysia.

This piece of grilled 고등어 (Mackerel) was grilled to perfection! Crispy skin, buttery flesh that melts in your mouth. It was a very well seasoned and undoubtedly fresh piece of fish. This grilled mackerel could have been a meal on its own.

To my surprise, that was not the end of our meal. We were served with this huge pot of 매운탕 Maeun-tang (spicy fish stew). I only had a few spoonfuls of the stew and I couldn't consume any more as I was so full at this point I could barely breathe. For the record, I could and would down this fish stew with a bowl of rice on any other given day.

For those who had never tried Korean raw fish before, or who are looking for a place with good food, I would highly recommend this place. RM500 for bazillion quality side dishes, fresh raw fish, and a big fish stew pot, 4 satisfied adults with bellies sticking out would say, it is worth it.

The restaurant doesn't seem to have an English name 大魚횟집 (대어횟집) - directly translated as Big Fish Raw Fish Restaurant. But no worries, the signboard of the restaurant is big enough that you wouldn't miss it!

Address: Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Phone: +60 10-299 8186