A popular dish even outside Japan, sushi’s potential to adapt to ingredients or local tastes is incredible,” says Shubham Thakur, a Japanese master chef and head chef at Megu, The Leela Palace New Delhi.
Chef Thakur’s take on the popular Japanese dish comes at a time when the consumer is aware of, and equally eager to experiment with, a cuisine that packs a healthy punch of flavourful offerings.
Japanese cuisine has set a benchmark for speciality offerings in India. For a traditionally-rich fare with fresh ingredients and healthy options as its mainstay, the opening of a number of outlets, menus and dining concepts specialising in the cuisine is a telltale sign of its growing popularity.
Call Me Ten, a progressive Japanese restaurant and bar opened in September last year in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area. A month earlier, in August, Shiso, an experimental Asian diner with sushi and omakase counters, opened its doors to the public in Amritsar. The first half of 2024, too, saw the launch of some Japanese eateries, such as Hyatt Regency Gurgaon’s Shin’ya, a fresh dining concept that aims to revolutionise Japanese cuisine in Delhi-NCR, and Megumi, a spot for sushi and yakitori, in Mumbai.
Similarly, Megu, the modern Japanese restaurant at The Leela Palace New Delhi, recently launched its new izakaya menu that aims to provide a refreshed culinary experience, blending locally sourced ingredients with international imports.
All these are happening at a time when several establishments such as Harajuku Tokyo Cafe and Mensho Tokyo in Delhi-NCR, INJA at The Manor in New Delhi, Izumi and Mizu in Mumbai, Kofuku in Goa, and Oyama in Chennai, to mention just a few, are already taking the Japanese cuisine to a whole new level in India.
Meanwhile, you can also head to Wasabi by Morimoto at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, which has a menu developed by Masaharu Morimoto, the first executive chef of the iconic Nobu restaurant in New York, or to Adrift Kaya in JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity with Michelin-starred chef David Myers at the helm, to get a taste of the cuisine that offers flavour-forward and ingredient-focused options.
“There was a time when Japanese cuisine was unpalatable for Indians. Consumers were either not opting for flavours, or restaurateurs were hesitant to use high-priced ingredients. Today, accessibility and awareness of the young consumer have made it a favourable cuisine,” says chef Vaibhav Bhargava, consultant chef and director of ABV Hospitalities, who fondly remembers his association with the launch team of Ai, one of Delhi’s first Japanese fine dining restaurants, in 2008 by AD Singh, entrepreneur, founder and MD of Olive Group of Restaurants.
“Almost a decade ago, people in their 40s were big spenders, and loved to travel. Today, young kids travel and are exposed to new experiences; they have spending power as well. As a result, they look for similar experiences in India,” explains Bhargava, who has curated the menu of Call Me Ten. With Japanese citizens working in MNCs in India, especially in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, restaurateurs are also turning their focus on the cuisine, he adds.
Chef Myers, who does not like to follow specific Japanese trends in his Indian outlet, is more focused on the yakitori (charcoal grills) experience. “You may put your own twist on classic dishes, but I always appreciate the skill and technique that’s involved. The best restaurants in Japan are the ones that border the line of honouring tradition and bringing their own creative influence. Globally, while the cuisine has just gotten better, there is also a focus on quality just like there is in Japan and it’s quite exceptional,” Myers tells FE.Over the past decade, sushi bars and izakayas have also become popular in major Indian cities, offering a variety of Japanese snacks in a casual dining setting. “It has changed the perception of Japanese food that now suits the Indian palate. For instance, you can use paneer or mango in sushi rolls. Sake (Japanese rice wine) consumption has also increased in India,” says Adi Melaz, chef de cuisine, Shin’ya, Hyatt Regency Gurugram.
Japan on a platter
Japanese cuisine, to an extent, has adapted to local tastes and preferences while maintaining its core essence. There are now sushi rolls with tandoori chicken or tempura with Indian spices. There are also sushi burritos and poke bowls that combine Japanese elements with Mexican and Hawaiian influences in the US. In Brazil, you can have sushi featuring tropical fruits like mango and avocado.
Vegan sushi rolls and plant-based ramen are now common in places like California.Indians have also developed a particular fondness for certain ingredients like the use of soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger that complement their palate for bold and complex flavours. “Teriyaki chicken and miso soup are well received due to their savoury and umami-rich profiles.
The appeal of Japanese izakaya dishes like yakitori (grilled skewers), edamame, and karaage (fried chicken) lies in their familiar yet distinct flavours,” says Melaz of Shin’ya, who, however, feels the cuisine is yet to reach the level of popularity in India as its Chinese or Italian counterpart. Still, it is experiencing rapid growth with an increasing number of Japanese restaurants opening across major cities, he adds.
To maintain its authenticity, Myers, however, hasn’t really changed any of the dishes at Adrift Kaya in JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity to specifically suit the Indian palate. “Our clientele is very sophisticated, well-travelled, and looking for authentic experience. They’ve been to Japan and other cosmopolitan cities, so they are very clear on what to expect. Our priority is sourcing the best ingredients and bringing about the Adrift experience while upholding the tradition,” he adds.
With purity comes limited appeal and this may not always align with the preferences of Indians, who enjoy bolder or varied tastes. As per Vansh Aggarwal, founder of Shiso in Amritsar, dishes like yakitori, katsu curry and chicken karaage, besides noodles such as soba and udon, are very palatable and do not need to be selectively relished. It is often associated with a premium dining experience. “The cuisine is healthy as it uses fresh vegetables, fish, and minimal use of oils.
The diversification in dining preferences, driven by a combination of exposure, health considerations, and a growing appetite for global flavours, brings premium offerings,” says Aggarwal.As the cuisine uses imported vegetables, meats and ingredients, Japanese food also becomes an expensive affair.
“For guests, who are willing to experience the authentic taste, we offer a slightly premium and affordable range of items and. We use uni in the sushi section, instead of abalone or oysters, or use salmon, tuna, yellowtail for many dishes that are not of high value in the restaurant. When we design the menu, we keep in mind our potential clients and their pockets,” says Bhargava.
More than just food
The bar menu at Call Me Ten is driven by bartenders, where one can walk up to one of them, interact, and get help for a good drink.
It is basically based on omakase, a Japanese phrase that means ‘I’ll leave it up to you’. It’s used to describe a dining experience where the customer lets the chef choose the food.Then there is ‘robatayaki’, a method of cooking similar to barbecue, in which food items are cooked at varying speeds over hot charcoal. Japan’s lesser-known but unmissable grilled culinary wonder offers a fire-grilled medley of meat, fish and vegetables that also emphasises on presentation and flavour. This is done in small plates, more compact with different styles of tasting.
“In India, the interest in Japanese culture and cuisine has really grown. But we saw a gap for something that goes beyond surface-level trends. There’s an increasing demand for authenticity paired with a modern touch. We wanted to bring that duality in a place where you can find both the welcoming vibe of an izakaya and the intricate, personalised experience of omakase.
It’s about creating a space where people can explore Japanese flavours in a way that’s both familiar and elevated,” says Karann R Chawla, co-founder of Call Me Ten in Delhi.With a dual-concept space, the restaurant offers two different experiences under one roof.
On Level 0, it has an open atmosphere for casual meet-ups with quick bites. Level 1 has an exclusive setting—the omakase bar with a personalised culinary journey.Among the other experiential dining outlets, Megu launched its izakaya menu to create a high energy dining space on different flavour combinations.
“There is a lot of emphasis on fresh produce, which gives us an opportunity to inculcate seasonal ingredients and local produce in offerings. Our dining space is inspired by the streets and elements of Japan and complemented with modern Japanese cuisine. Megu’s newly launched menu is inspired by the Far East and made using fresh produce sourced from Japan and India.
Certain ingredients, which either have sweet, bitter or umami (savoury) flavour notes to them, such as roasted sesame, yuzu lime, soy sauce or even matcha tea, are very well appreciated among Indians,” says Thakur of Megu.The cuisine’s popularity is also bolstered by the use of five colours (green, yellow, red, black, and white) and five flavours (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami) in its offerings.
The cuisine pays meticulous attention to detail as well as a healthy lifestyle. With umami flavours in miso soup, spiciness in wasabi, the crispy tempura and texture make the cuisine arty as well as healthy. The use of fresh ingredients like fish, vegetables and rice makes the dishes nutritious. At the same time, probiotics and vitamins found in fermented foods are healthier.
The cuisine also involves a number of cooking techniques like grilling, simmering, and steaming.“The interest in contemporary Japanese dining is only growing, and we believe there are several markets in India where this concept is yet to resonate,” adds Chawla of Call Me Ten.