THE ORIENTAL INFLUENCE
The popularity of Japanese cuisine is on the rise in the city, and at least four outlets have opened in the past month. We speak to city chefs about the food from the Land of the Rising Sun
Mumbai is a culinary hotspot, thanks to its thriving food and beverage industry. rom fine dining outlets, sual restaurants and reet food delicacies at mous alleys to the rowing delivery itchen segment where ood is delivered to ne’s doorstep, the ty’s gastronomical ene is getting richer d wider by the day. While we have our share of European and Indian cuisines, the popularity of Asian cuisines, especially Japanese, has been increasing lately. A host of new Japanese restaurants have opened up, such as Foo, Lower Parel; Izumi, Bandra (W); and quick service restaurants such as Harajuku, and The Tokyo Creperia in Bandra (W); among many others. There are also a fair amount of delivery kitchens and street food outlets that are making inroads into consumers’ minds and bellies.
RISING POPULARITY
Chef Prashanth Puttuswamy of The Fatty Bao feels people have taken a liking for Japanese cuisine. He says, “Japanese food is well-known for being a healthy option when eating out. Also, there is growing awareness, interest and appreciation about the cuisine in recent times and it is growing in popularity among millennials. Also, given that Japanese food uses fresh and minimal ingredients yet is packed with loads of different flavours and textures, its popularity was inevitable.” On the other hand, Chef Eric Sifu of Foo feels tourism is one of the main reasons why Japanese food is on people’s minds. He says, “People are travelling all over the world, and their knowledge about food and flavours is expanding. They are becoming more open to subtle flavours.”
IT’S ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS
Some argue that the versatility of the ingredients used in Japanese food is a key factor. Chef Puttuswamy says, “The predominance of rice and noodles and a variety of fried food in Japanese cuisine makes it appealing to the Indian palate. There are a variety of ingredients that are spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter, which suits the Indian palate.” Chef Priyank Chouhan, senior chef of Shiro, shares the same opinion. He explains, “There are a lot of popular Japanese preparations that somehow relate to similar Indian preparations like tempura, grilled food like yakitori, variations in sushi or makimono rolls, Domburi, etc.”
A few ingredients that chefs say people like include edamame, soy sauce, yuzu juice, sticky rice, miso paste, soba noodles, rice vinegar, shichimi, ramen noodles, and green tea. Chef Vishal Atreya of JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, says, “Traditional Japanese cuisine is based on rice, which also happens to be an Indian staple and thus is relished by Indians, especially when coupled with other Japanese sides that consist of fish, pickled vegetables and vegetables cooked in broth.”
Japanese food uses seasonings such as dashi, chilli, sake and mirin, ginger, vinegar, red pepper, barbecue, stew, sugar, and salt. These ingredients are very flavoursome despite not being very spicy, and work well when used as a seasoning while grilling or braising a food item.
However, according to Anuj Jodhani, director, Sushi & More, sourcing authentic ingredients is a challenge. He says, “We have been promoting Japanese food in India for over 10 years now, and unfortunately, sourcing continues to be one of the biggest challenges. Due to challenging import regulations, Japanese food ingredients are not easily available. The supply is erratic and inconsistent. We have, however, accepted this situation and try to work around it.”
AWARENESS OF JAPANESE CUISINE
“International travel, visiting chefs and the availability of different kinds of Asian cuisine in India has enabled Indians to be more discerning and distinguish the different cuisines,” says chef Puttuswamy, adding, “It’s no longer just Chinese or Thai, but the variety that Asian restaurants now offer consists of unusual dishes from these regions and not merely the popular ones.”
Chef Atreya elaborates, “Thanks to the aspirational palate, younger diners and middle-aged customers alike have outgrown the staples of hakka noodles, rice and chilli chicken and have graduated to maki rolls, stir-fries, broth-based main courses and much more.”
If you’re in the mood for some authentic Japanese cuisine, there are a host of options to choose from. Explore fine dining places such as Foo and Kofuku, or go for The Don, a delivery kitchen that brings Japan to your doorstep. You can also try out Harajuku — a tiny eatery that serves Japanese street food.