Inoha Café – Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya
Words: Joanna Florento
Photos: Han Sen Hau
If you’ve ever wondered about the fixings and flavours of a traditional Japanese breakfast, you are in luck – the newly opened Inoha Café is here to take you on a trip juxtaposing Western breakfast favourites with Japanese palate staples.
Inoha Café – Ara Damansara
Assistant manager, Alvin Lim, says that Inoha Café serves double duty as an airy café catering to coffee shop culture during the day and a cosy, intimate dining venue serving soothing Japanese synth-pop vibes at night (coming soon). Their coffee highlights local roasters, with Tatih brand of coffee sourced from local roaster Arkibrasmi. The café is a study in opposite yet complimentary touches: concrete benches accented beautifully with polished wood and soft cushions, large sunlit windows illuminating high walls painted in soothing, neutral tones, the sound of grinding coffee beans paired with soft conversation and the enticing fresh aroma of Japanese fusion dishes being meticulously prepared.
Breakfast Specials Ara Damansara
Our breakfast began with the Asagohan (RM 25), or the traditional Japanese breakfast. Miso marinated seabass served as a centrepiece to small plates of agedashi tofu, chuka wakame, braised daikon, miso soup and natto. A bowl set to the side showcased pasteurized egg yolk marinated in tsuyu sauce resting on a bed of soft white rice. Expecting strong flavours from the natto, we were pleasantly surprised by its milder taste due to the addition of mustard to the traditional recipe. Despite having powerful flavour profiles individually, we found that all of the dishes were well-balanced when served together.
Next, we tried the Mushroom Medley Omelette (RM 16), with seasonal sauteed mushrooms giving it extra flavour. This dish provided the expected comfort of a Saturday morning omelette but was elevated with small touches. The eggs were soft and velvety, and the accompanying side salad featured pomegranate seeds that provided tiny pops of sweetness.
Tartine
The Beeto Hummus Avo Smash (RM 25) was as much a visual feast as it was a delight to eat. Generously sliced avocado contrasted brightly with vibrantly reddish beetroot hummus spread generously on slices of sourdough. This was accompanied by a side salad sprinkled with furikake and pomegranate seeds, with a sunny-side-up egg adding an extra dose of cheer to the plate.
We then enjoyed the Basil BLT Tartine (RM 25), with in-house ricotta spread thickly across two slices of sourdough garnished with tomato confit, fresh herbs, and candied beef bacon. The tomato confit was created by marinating cherry tomatoes with extra thyme and garlic, making them softer and more flavourful. A balsamic reduction was drizzled all across the plate, providing extra tang. The soft tomatoes and slightly crispy beef bacon added a little sweetness to complement the ricotta.
Main Bowls
We wasted no time tucking into the Zesty Yuzu Steak bowl (RM 35), with the kulim-infused rice instantly stealing the show. Inoha Café makes their kulim oil in-house in a process that takes two to three days. The kulim-infused rice has a flavour reminiscent of garlic and truffles, and the pasteurized egg yolk is marinated in dashi broth and shoyu. The beef strips layered on top are cut from Australian Angus beef chuck and are marinated overnight in a mixture of olive oil, salt and black pepper, sealed to retain moisture, then cooked medium well and served the following day. Finely chopped chives and citrusy and sweet yuzu sauce rounded out the bowl’s rich medley.
The Citrus Harvest Salmon bowl (RM 33) showcased in-house marinated citrusy salmon garnished with shisho leaf and ebiko resting atop Japanese short-grain rice. The salmon had just the right amount of citrus, and the ebiko gave each bite a satisfying crunch.
Fusion Specialties
From the Fusion Specialties menu, we had to try the Creamy Lemon Duck Delight (RM 33). Inoha Café’s extensive preparation of their duck is worthy of applause, with the dry-aged duck taking two weeks to prepare before it’s torched and cut to serve with the pasta. The ricotta cheese is also made in-house, which steers the dish more towards an alfredo-style sauce. Just when you think you know what to expect, the duck crackles with a full-bodied taste that sinks into the creaminess of the sauce.
Dessert
The Kuala Lipis Kek Batik (RM 20) signalled our meal’s sweet coda, with single-origin Kuala Lipis cocoa coating slices of Marie biscuit in a soft log covered with kaffir lime-infused dark chocolate ganache. (That sentence was as much a delightful mouthful as this dessert!) This confection was intended to highlight kek batik single-origin chocolate in a show of appreciation for the efforts of local chocolate producers. Every bite was very rich-tasting, with hints of lime zest sprinkled throughout.
Inoha Café Drinks Menu & Prices
While enjoying breakfast, we sipped lightly fermented Kombucha (RM 15) infused with oolong tea and rose. It was very light and fresh-tasting, and the hint of rose at the end danced on our palates in between bites. The Citrus Crus Tea (RM17) featured passionfruit, cranberry, and citrus flavours intended to balance with the food. Finally, we got to taste the Espresso Inferno (RM 17), with espresso layered atop pineapple tepache. Three drops of Tabasco round it out with a slight kick at the end. The pineapple tepache takes a week to ferment, resulting in the acidity of the fruit artfully bringing out the taste of the espresso.
Inoha Café Review
Inoha Café’s Japanese fusion concept is a masterful blend of Japanese cuisine with unexpected touches gained from their intentional and extensive ingredient preparation. What sets Inoha Café apart from its contemporaries is the care and effort they put into readying their ingredients, sometimes taking weeks to marinate, ferment, and season them to perfection. Their drinks menu is also extensive, blending different flavour profiles to complement the range of their food. We revelled in Inoha Café’s calming interior with neutral colours offset by bright sunlight, artfully designed to inspire conversation over a hearty breakfast and a good cup of coffee.
Reasons to visit Inoha Café: Japanese fusion dishes, meticulously prepared ingredients, locally sourced specialty coffee, and beautiful calming interiors punctuated by plants and elements of Japanese interior design. Our fave dishes were the Mushroom Medley Omelette, Beeto Hummus Avo Smash and Basil BLT Tartine.
Inoha Café
16, Block J, Taipan 2 Damansara, Jalan PJU 1a/1
Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Link to Inoha Café on Google Maps
Street parking is available. Key in “Restoran Kacang Pool Haji Larkin JB (Cawangan Ara Damansara)” if taking a Grab or following Google Maps/Waze.
@inohacafe
*No pork, lard, or alcohol
**Some vegetarian options available
Inoha Café Opening Hours
Daily: 10 am – 6 pm
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