MASTER CHEF RETURNS

EVEN THO I'm a food writer, I'm not one of those like Anthony Bourdain who will, it seems, eat ANYTHING, whether it used to move or not. Nope, I have to admit to being pretty conservative, although probably better than many as I have been exposed to quite a few different cuisines, and got to enjoy.

Japanese is one that I one such: I learnt to eat sashimi late in life, but having done so, with a vengeance: I love the kick that wasabi gives you - and I freely admit to being one of those who, unlike the Japanese who just dip one little corner of the raw flesh in; I actually dunk the whole thing in and coat it in that delicious green gunpowder! - with raw salmon. Having said that there are certains things that I probably won't dare pop into my mouth.

Last night I was invited to the Equatorial's KAMPACHI Restaurant, where guest Chef Master Koei Ebisawa from the Shizuoka Prefecture (location of the world famous Mount Fuji) showcased his new culinary creations. Master Ebisawa demonstrated how he fillets the specially-imported eel - it took literally less than 30 seconds, so fast that one could barely see it. In Japan he would have been doing it to live creatures. Apparently they have filleting competitions amongst chefs in Japan. One hesitates to think what the loser might do with his sharp knife ...

The food from this part of Japan very much reflects the local produce: green tea, wasabi, shrimp etc. I took No2 son along, and although he was a bit reluctant (raw fish?) after that he told me the Beef Teppanyaki was gorgeous.

I had one of the sets comprising a starter of mixed sashimi, unagi (eel) with rice, the poor eel that he had filleted coated in a batter and lightly fried, and a gelatine dessert which had been coated with green tea powder. There was also a very tasty, crispy pink (cherry-coloured) shrimp (only available from a certain part of Japan at a certain time of the year - apparently the whole ocean turns pink then) tempura.

UNFORTUNATELY Master Ebisawa is only visiting for two nights, so if you are reading this on Saturday the special two nights will be over (but he will be back; this is not his first time in Penang). However the good news is it's still on tonight. And pretty popular too if the number of guests last night was anything to go by - by the time we left people were still coming in.