A Delicious Japanese Resteraunt Called Umai-ya
Umai-ya, a Japanese restaurant with 3 outlets in Selangor, Malaysia- Damansara Uptown, Damansara Perdana, and IOI Boulevard has been published in The Star today (20th June). It was featured in the Sunday Metro section page 6.
The owner of Umai-ya, Mr. K.K. Ong is a strong supporter of Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK), who provides KSK with 40 packets of Japanese fried rice weekly for the last 2 years. He also puts KSK donation box in his restaurants and sometimes plays KSK videos in the restaurants too.
Mr. K.K. Ong works very hard to keep up the three branches of this special resteraunt. He is very hands on this business as he wants to ensure that the quality and taste of the food is kept in the highest standard for his customers. Mr. Ong is also a very kind person who has staunchly supported Kechara Soup Kitchen for the last two years without fail and continues to do so. Just think, a businessman with a heart and conscience. With someone like that, we must go and try his food. It must be delicious filled with love, good heart and kindness. I personally love Japanese food with vegetarian ingredients for example california roll, corn sushi, Japanese sticky rice, wasabe, tempura, etc..yummy.
I thank Mr. Ong for his kind support of Kechara Soup Kitchen.
He is indeed a man with heart and works hard in his business!! I wish him great luck always!
Tsem Rinpoche
This wonderful article in The Star was written by our Kechara Soup Kitchen President Ruby Khong. The Star published this great article. And it is copied and posted below for your reading convenience. Click on image to enlarge.
A Blend of Old and New
By RUBY KHONG | sundaymetro@thestar.com.my
The dishes at Umai-ya are so well-conceptualised, they will leave you wanting more.
In a city awash with Japanese restaurants serving food with various claims to authenticity, it is a refreshing change to find one that takes a different view on things. Treating traditional ingredients with innovative methods is Umai-ya, a Damansara Uptown stalwart that has two other outlets, one in Damansara Perdana and another in IOI Boulevard, which opened recently.
Its propietor K.K. Ong is understandably proud of his menu, which emphasises freshness with little adulteration to what are already the best ingredients. Ong is particular about what goes into his food, personally hand-picking and selecting all of what his chefs use. Everything is flown in fresh from Japan twice a week to ensure quality throughout the whole week.
It was with much excitement that we sat down to a meal of Umai-ya’s signature dishes. First up was their famous sashimi platter piled high with seafood so fresh, it could only be fresher if you ate it straight out of the net floating in the sea. Served in a hollowed-out lobster shell was melt-in-your-mouth tuna, sitting next to buttery lobster, crisp salmon and scallops that sung in our mouths.
We were also treated to the unusual surf clam and creamy sea urchin. On the side was a generous helping of pickled ginger and wasabi, to create a dish so moreish that the non-sashimi eaters with us were tempted to have a taste.
Umai-ya proprietor K.K. Ong is particular about what goes into his food.
We said Umai-ya is more than your average dime-a-dozen Japanese restaurant and we weren’t kidding – their treatment of the sashimi platter is ample proof of this.
At the end of the course, our plate was whisked away only to return totally transformed into a second dish of battered, deep-fried deliciousness. Some of our fellow diners recoiled in horror: deep-fried prawn shells, who eats those? Their first bites into the shells proved them wrong. So well-conceptualised was the dish that despite its deep-fried nature, it still sat lightly in our stomachs without the oily aftertaste that so often accompanies deep-fried foods.
Ong followed the sashimi platter with sakura maki, a family-friendly dish of salmon skin, avocado and cucumber, but made just a little more grown-up with the addition of bonita flakes. Served with an ebi katsuo salad, the sakura maki led perfectly to our next course, the dragon maki. The crowd-pleasing combination of raw salmon, ebi tempura, unagi(eel) and avocado had our table fighting over who got the last piece (this writer did).
The maki were quickly succeeded by one of Umai-ya’s contemporary takes on sushi, goose liver Hawaii Maguro sushi. Served to us in all of its umami glory, our table trembled with excitement to see minced mushrooms and smooth goose liver crowned by more of Umai-ya’s fatty tuna.
Attentive to a fault, Ong then presented us with the perfect palate cleanser in preparation for our final course, a light dish of chako tofu. This dish is truly a credit to the Umai-ya chefs, who did a wonderful job of preventing the chilled tofu, whitebait and ponzu sauce from being oversimplified to the point of tastelessness.
If there is one Umai-ya dish that leaves you wanting more, it is their special salmon soup. This is not the kind of soup created to mask leftover fish with heavy cream. Double-boiled for three hours, Umai-ya’s salmon soup is a beautifully clear consommé created from the best salmon belly, earthy mix of mushrooms and smooth tofu. In its simplicity, this is a dish that allows the quality of ingredients to really shine through.
Ong’s meticulous attention to detail extends beyond his menu, so keen is he to create the perfect dining experience. His mastery of mixing tradition with contemporary touches is reflected in his restaurant – tatami seating that lends a touch of old Japan coexists alongside intelligent toilet doors which are clear when open, and opaque when shut. At the IOI Boulevard outlet, the modern self-service sushi belt is complemented by good old-fashioned customer service.
Tempted yet? Pop down to any of Umai-ya’s three outlets. The first, in Damansara Perdana, was established five years ago, followed by Damansara Uptown which opened three years ago. The latest place, in IOI Boulevard, opened her doors to diners a mere four months ago. Look out for more outlets to come as Umai-ya continues to define Japanese dining in Malaysia.
Umai-ya’s three outlets are open every day from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and 6.30pm to 10.30pm. For enquiries or reservations, call 03-8075 1113.
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Wow, not only can Dato Ruby speaks well, she writes just as well! It is so nice of Mr.K K Ong to support KSK. I have not been to any of the restaurant because I thought that they were quite expensive. hehe but after reading this article, it is only right to try the meals! hopefully there are lots of vegetarian dishes to try! =)
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche!
Every year without fail, Umai – ya has been sponsoring delicious vegetarian sushi for Kechara Wesak Food & Funfair.
Umaiya was connected to our Wesak Food & Funfair through a friend of mine , Mr. W K Chew.The owner of the restaurant would just ask how many people do I expect to turn up and he would get the food ready few hours before the Fair starts.
It’s been 4 years now, I sincerely thank Mr Ong for his kind and generous support.
One look at the restaurant’s name will straight away give me the idea that the proprietor would definitely be a Japanese. It was not so when I read on. The owner is K.K. Ong a compassionate young man who owns Umai-ya with 3 outlets in Damansara uptown, Damansara Perdana and IOI Boulavard. His type of food has traditional ingredients freshly flown in from Japan. Mr. Ong does not think about making money only, but he also thinks about the homeless and hungry. He has provided KSK with 40 packets of Japanese fried rice weekly for two years. He also helps to collect donations for KSK by placing a charity box in his restaurants. Umai-ya also provides vegn food if required.
One good turn deserves another! I had the good fortune to visit the aforesaid restuarant at Damasarara uptown, for collection of the 40 packets of fried rice on our sunday rounds with Mr.Koh to feed the homeless and urban poor at KL. At each delivery, the 40 packets would always be taken up in no time, with many coming back for more. There were even requests for advance bookings from these people of all races, chinese, malays and indians & others. The 40 packets of the well-sougtht after fried rice usually come very neatly and hygienically packed, such a caring and kind hearted man, that Mr.Ong really is!
I love japanese food! But as Rinpoche says, food with love outstand any standard. Now coimbined japanes and love fopod this sounds great!
It is nice to see that people are helping such a good cause as Kechara Soup Kitchen, the help we give, when it is compassionate and altrucitic -that is out of love and empathy and given without expecting anything in return, is an amazing positive energy, the energy of generosity without agenda, with a genuine care for others. I rejoyce that in the world I live in there are many people sharinmg this spirit of compassion, and I wish there will be more and more!
Umai-ya a Japanese name Restaurant. You may think the owner is Japanese. Oh no! Don’t be surprised the restaurant is owned by a Malaysian Chinese by name of K.K.ONG. Umai-ya has three outlets , Damansara uptown, Damansara Perdana and IOI Boulavard. Mr Ong the owner is a strong supporter of Kechara Soup Kitchen who has been delivering 40 packets of fried rice per week without fail for 2 years. Umai-ya cooks Japanese food with vegetarian ingredients too and goes hands on to cook himself too. His food is very yummy according to some of our members who has tasted them. At the same time Mr. Ong also helps us to raise funds for the homeless. He has a donation box put in his restaurant to receive donation, with such a kind man around and helping us to do charity for homeless, in turn we must help him back by attract people to eat in his restaurant to help him increase his business so that he can help us to increase more funds to benefit the homeless.
When I first join the KSK, I heard of the sponsorship from Umai-Ya I was like “what… a Japanese restaurant sponsoring food……I want to be homeless tonight”. At that time I feel like wow KSK got some Japanese food for homeless….they must be lucky man…..Then later I think it over how good if we could get more of this great restaurant to sponsor great food for the homeless. The sharing thought for people just arose naturally. Homeless people are still ordinary people and serving their ripening negative karma (from their previous act).
Mr Ong indeed is a very kind person. He never miss sponsoring us the food and it has been 2 years now. So consistent.
We should try his food because it’s from a kindness heart restaurant! It’s delicious.
Thanks to Rinpoche for having KSK. Rinpoche has given an opportunity for so many people (multi races & religious) out there to learn & practice compassion. In KSK we can see the harmonious of the society together they unite to benefit others.
It is heartening to know that there are business people out there with a charitable heart who helps the less fortunate on the streets by giving food and the owner of the Umai-ya restaurants, Mr K K Ong is one of them. Even if they can’t do it directly themselves, they help by supporting organization like Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) who specializes in taking care of homeless people in the streets by contributing packets of food to their cause. In a dog-eat-dog commercial world, such charitable act of kindness gives us a sense of hope that there is still much kindness in this world and it inspires more people to do charity. The consistent and continuous contribution of food to assist KSK for the past two years shows the sincerity Mr KK Ong in helping the less fortunate. I have not dine in any of the Umai-ya restaurants but I definitely will soon. I hope that Umai-ya’s business will grow so that they can support organization such as KSK even more in the future.
Malaysia food can be considered as fusion food as far as I am concerned, this is because it receives its influence from three distinct and rich cultures of Chinese, Indian and Malay Archipelago styles of cooking. Hence the normal hawker stall on the road side can give fancy restaurants a run for their money in terms of value and enjoyment. I used to write about food, and at times I find that certain hawker food can put some of the more posh establishments to shame. Competition in the food industry is very fierce, this is one aspect of Malaysia that we can truly be proud of.
For Mr Ong to succeed in the Japanese food market is a feat in itself, Japanese food has really taken a firm foothold in Malaysia many people in KL especially are exposed to it and do demand high standards for the type of food served. I have even discovered sushi a placed served under a ‘mamak’ type conditions and it is doing very well in OUG. Who says in business there is no compassion, Mr Ong has defied conventions in that way and he must certainly see the value in KSK for him to be such a supporter? So do you see a value in KSK?
Dear Mr Ong, you have set an inspirational example of a business module that operates from a combination of taking social responsibility with great business dynamics. Many business counterparts would fall into the trap of solely “profiting’ from the society without the notion of “giving back”.
As far as I know, you are one the very few that has been sponsoring KSK with 40 packets of fried rice for 2 years and are still continuing. Your consistent support means a lot to the homeless as your packed fried rice is always the first thing they take out to eat when we pass them our bag of food.
Personally I am a fan of Umai-ya. I have tried your restaurant in Damansara Perdana and I must say my family and I are totally satisfied everytime we go there. Yes your garlic fried rice is excellent. No wonder the homeless loves it.
Thank you Mr Ong for your continuous support to KSK!
I must really ask my friends to support Umai-Ya, especially those japanese food fans so that Umai-Ya can continue supporting the homeless. It is genuinely fortunate to know that there are business owners who are altruistic enough to forgo profits in order to benefit others. such a restaurant is worthy of support instead! Also, Ruby is so kind to write an article to help promote the restaurant, they need to be promoted and visited by more and more people as the proceeds are not going for just replenishing the stocks or filling the coffers, but also towards the betterment of others. It’s actually an indirect way of helping the patrons of that restaurant generate merits!
I want to go there one day. It sounds delishiously interesting. I simply cannot wait to sample all the food there. I am a very big food lover. I am happy that Mr. Ong is supporting the glorious Kechara Soup Kitchen by providing hot food for the homeless. The homeless really need hot food as they want something to stimulate their taste buds with something tasty like Japanese Food. What is the most recommended dish? Also, what is the real purpose of providing Japanese Hot Food than serving a cheaper hot food like Nasi Lemak to feed more! When the building comes up, I guess we don’t have to worry about that any more. The Soup Kitchen can finally serve soup when the building is up.
Terima Kasih Rinpoche!
Another worthy ‘Dharma Protector’ of KSK, found in one businessman with a conscience, how delightful that Mr Ong can think of benefiting others besides his own circle and an example of what the Government has been trying to promote: corporate social responsibility. And through KSK, he has found this avenue as a way to benefit back and support.
I rejoice with his charitable heart for creating the causes of relieving the country of one less suffering person out there and benefiting through accumulated merits and transforming virtues. Sadhu!
Charity is one avenue for our organisation to give back to society in a very tangible manner. Hence, Kechara Soup Kitchen have garnered such a tremendous following and many individuals and organisations are knocking on our doors to help and provide assistance. This example is just one of many and he is exceptional for being a purveyor of fine Japanese food.
I find this would become more and more commonplace in the near future as society gets more and more engaged in the few organisations that are actually out on the street benefiting the homeless. It is not just a packet of food but of getting the homeless off the street and into jobs and reentering society and gaining self-esteem again. That is something what Dharma when put in practice can do for others.
KSK is just simply amazing! I heard there is a fundraising dinner coming up… check it out on the website… http://www.kechara.com/soup-kitchen/
Thank you , Mr. K.K.Ong ! You show us how to strike a balance between business and social responsibility.
I have been to Umai-ya Damansara Perdana. I didn’t know it’s owned by you then. I like the place ,the food and the good energy there because you run your restaurant with love and a good heart.
KSK arose out of Rinpoche’s kindness for the homeless. Since its registration as a NGO, people from different walks of life and different races have been actively participating its weekly food distribution and food sponsorship.It’s heart warming to see such enthusiasm from the volunteers every weekend at KH2 because it shows the Malaysians are caring people.
I can’t believe I am actually sitting here eating an Udon dish from Umai-ya Damansara Utama, while reading this article! The food is definitely excellent, my personal favourites are the grilled mushroom skewers and the clear mushroom soup (yes, I AM vegetarian)
I hope more restaurants will follow Umai-ya’s example and do their bit of charity to help those in need. Imagine, if every restaurant in town were to contribute just 5 or 10 packets of hot food per day, we could feed all the homeless in town and more!
And now that Kechara Soup Kitchen has acquired a new building and will be moving in soon in a matter of months, they will be doing more to help the homeless off the streets permanently. Visit http://kechara.com/ksk to be a part of their noble effort!
Go Umai-ya!!!
This is a great way for businesses to be in contribution. In our dog-eat-dog commercial world, it is rare to come across a sincere establishment that operates from a successful combination of social responsibility (a form of Dharma through action) and dynamic business acumen that leads to profitability & growth.
Umai-ya and Mr. K.K. Ong shows us that being Dharmic NOW can lead to respectable success in the secular world NOW. This challenges the dominant justification that one can only be Dharmic after one has achieved, or rather conform to, the benchmarks of success set by society.
Thank you KSK for bringing the opportunity for sincere businesses and business people to start their spiritual journey while pursuing their dreams with no compromise.
Dharma is for WINNERS!
Mr. Ong has been very supportive of Kechara Soup Kitchen. Our clients love the fried rice. I have met a lot of clients who came back and asked specifically for the fried rice. Mr. Ong is just one of the many generous individuals who came forward to help in KSK’s cause.
There are many kind and generous Malaysians like Mr. Ong. KSK runs heavily on volunteerism, some of the generous sponsors even send it to our door step in Kechara House 2 to make it easy for us logistically.
Whenever we wanted to invite them for an appreciation dinner, they will always decline the offer because they thought by donating to a good cause such as KSK is simply to benefit the poor and homeless and they should not be getting something back in return.
I thank Mr. Ong for his generosity and may he gain many happy returns.
For all those who loves Jap food…you have got to go out to Umai-ya. Not being biased in anyway,..really the food there is so good! The ambiance in Umai-ya is relaxing and the staff are very accommodating. I particularly love the Garlic Friend Rice. Guess what?! That’s one of the item K.K Ong sponsors, packets and packets of super, delicious Garllic Fried Rice for our KSK clients. Imagine driving around the city with packets of fragrant food at the back of your car! Enough said about the food as it’s making me hungry just thinking about it hehe…
K.K Ong, Thank you for your generosity to the many homeless friends over the years! May the blessings you’ve brought many comes back in heaps for you!
I do agree that mr. Ong is a great chef. I went to try their Yasai Tempura and it was very tasty! What a big heart he has to share his cullinary skills with the homeless!
thank you Mr. Ong!
Thank you Mr. Ong for supporting KSK. Can’t wait to try the good food at Umai-ya.
Mr Ong not only is a great chef he also has a big heart and work hard at Umai-ya’s three outlets to benefit others. Thank you!