More familiar with Japanese miso soup, ZALINA MOHD SOM is tickled to be served dobin mushi, hot seafood soup served in a little teapot.

The kimono-clad Malay waitress gently places in front of us, a small clay teapot with a small cup. If not for a tiny slice of lime balanced on its lid, we would think the teapot holds the ubiquitous green tea served in Japanese restaurants.

"Dobin mushi," she announces as she turns to make little steps back into the air-conditioned area of Eyuzu Japanese Cuisine Restaurant.

"It is a classic Japanese soup dish that has mushroom, vegetables, seafood and chicken," says restaurant manager Zabidah Makhtar.

Since the only Japanese soup I know is miso soup, I am impatient at the thought of drinking soup served in a cute teapot. I grab the pot and pour the soup into the tiny cup.

"You can squeeze some lime in if you like it a bit sourish but without it, the soup is still tasty," says Zabidah, answering our unasked question about the lime.

The teapot soup quickly cools down enough for us to swallow it in one shot (well, perhaps it's not very Japanese to hastily gulp the soup in such a manner).

The soup is refreshing with a slightly burnt flavour from the clay pot-cooked stock, an earthy flavour from the mushroom and a fresh sweetness from the seafood.

Though there isn't even the slightest hint of chili or other spices, I find myself enjoying the soup very much. In fact, with a squeeze of lime juice, it reminds me of Thai tomyam soup but without the pedas factor and the accompanying scent of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf.

After we pour out the soup, we spoon the remaining ingredients out of the teapot and Zabidah tells us that dobin mushi is one of the hot-selling items in the restaurant.

Signature Dishes

The teapot soup or Eyuzu Dobin Mushi is one of six house specialty dishes that are served for both lunch and dinner.

Head chef Ricky Hui offers other specialties like Eyuzu Sashimi Moriawase, Eyuzu Kaki Moto Yaki (baked oyster), Eyuzu Maki (cut roll), tenderloin beef teppanyaki and Eyuzu Moro Miyaki (teppanyaki mixed mushroom).

Like the Japanese (whose surname is followed by given name), these items carry "Eyuzu" as part of their names.

Weekend Buffet

Besides these hot-sellers, Eyuzu Japanese Cuisine Restaurant is also known for its weekend dinner buffet. The shumatsu buffet, available on Saturdays and Sundays at RM72 (adult), offers over 100 items from sushi and sashimi to a la minute teppanyaki and tempura.

On other days, the restaurant offers four dinner sets -- bento gozen, sashimi to maki sushi gozen, tempura to shake teriyaki gozen and teppanyaki shake to tori katsu gozen.

For lunch, customers can choose between its lunch sets and the a la carte menu which features the signature dishes.

It is best to make reservation for Eyuzu Japanese Cuisine Restaurant is always packed for either lunch, dinner or its shumatsu buffet.

Rare, Expensive Citrus

Located on the first floor of the Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Eyuzu Japanese Cuisine is named after a rare, expensive citrus -- yuzu.

As a fine dining restaurant, Eyuzu serves only exquisite Japanese fare instead of predictable sushi, tempura or teppanyaki.

As a testament to its authenticity and exquisiteness, Eyuzu was named Best Asian Cuisine Restaurant and Best Asian Cuisine Chef by the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2005/06. The best part about this restaurant is that all its staff members -- from kitchen crew to service staff -- are Malaysian, including Hui.

Subtly decorated in modern-Japanese deco, the restaurant offers comfortable seating for 150, either in the garden terrace or the air-conditioned dining area.

Besides the common dining area, there are also four private rooms and sushi and teppanyaki counters.