March 30, 2012
Izakaya
Virtuvė : Japonų
Contact Information: 2nd floor, DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Emilio. Ph 011 46656317, 011 46656318
Average cost for 2 : Rs. 2500 (without alcohol but including taxes)
Santrauka : “Authentic Japanese food but a bit high on grease”
Peržiūrėkite:
You know it’s a good sign if you walk into a Japanese restaurant and the tables are occupied by Japanese people! People tend to forget that Delhi has a massive Japanese population and there are markets dedicated to Japanese raw material! Despite this, you very rarely find Japanese people at Japanese restaurants. For example, TKs at the Hyatt, despite my love for the place, doesn’t get much Japanese traffic. So long story short, I entered this restaurant with an optimistic excitement.
The second sign was the open kitchen in which the Japanese chefs had been put on display to instill confidence in Japanese guests. Worked for me too!
As far as the ambiance was concerned, even though the place was small, they had managed to have fun by trying to introduce different levels in the restaurant separated by only a few steps. So even though the whole thing is pretty flat, it looks aesthetically pleasing. I didn’t like the chairs with one armrest and minimal lumbar comfort.
Now for the food. We started with the most standard sushi dish you can order in every Japanese restaurant in Delhi… the California Roll.
When you eat this dish, you are looking for freshness in the crab meat, the crunch from good caviar and a delicate balance of mayo and avocado. Not as simple as it sounds. Till today, my favorite California Roll in Delhi has been at 360 Degrees at the Oberoi and TKs at the Hyatt. I think its pretty safe to say that there’s a new kid on the block who means business. The Roll was absolutely amazing.
For main course, the authentic Japanese restaurants have very lengthy and complicated menus which make it difficult to compose an order. This place was no different. After much deliberation, I managed to narrow it down to Chicken with Teriyaki sauce, Udon noodles with seafood and Grilled Pork Belly.
In terms of taste, the chicken and noodles (though greasy) were awesome. The pork looked and tasted fried and not grilled as the me
nu described. By the time the food got to the table, it was all a bit cold and so I sent it for re-heating which didn’t take long. But there was a hair in the noodles! I did point it out to the manager who immediately apologized and as expected, they didn’t charge for the noodles (since I hardly ate any). In all fairness, these things can happen in restaurants and I can’t really hold it against them because the overall experience was enjoyable and I would definitely go back for more.
I think that the popularity with the Japanese community is what the restaurant relies upon. Because of the size of the menu which is confusing, to broaden their customer base, they need to consider adding set meals to the menu where the chef can select a variety of dishes and package them in a price per person. Sort of like a Japanese Thaali! When people come out to experience an international cuisine, they need guidance. For example, you would not leave a Japanese person at Karim’s at Chandini Chowk and tell him to order! But if you told him he had an option of a non-veg thaali, he would be able to taste a variety of dishes without any confusion.
All in all, the food and service are good. Its in the same price range as most places in Delhi Malls now days which is on the higher side. We ordered a sushi, noodles, chicken and pork and the bill was around Rs. 2400. Would I eat here again? Most probably but not certainly.
