Pluck, Hotel Pullman New Delhi Aerocity; Izakaya, JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai; Le Cirque, The RitzCarlton, Dubai

Izakaya, a casual Japanese restaurant is quite popular among the locals, who have voted it the Favourite Japanese Restaurant 2017 — What’s On Dubai. The dishes remain true to Japanese flavours, mainly because the fish is sourced from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market; and the preparation closely follows Japanese techniques.

The toro arare — tuna and rice — is fried at 210°C to arrive at the crunch without absorbing the oil. This was our amuse bouche. The sushi was loosely held together with rice, as it should be. Izakaya uramaki had tuna, yellow tail, salmon and fish roe. It wasn’t dry nor soaked in vinegar, leaving room for the soya and wasabi to blend in well. Though tasty, it pales in comparison to the salmon belly nigiri. The intentional air gap in the rice ball causes it to burst in the mouth, revealing the distinct flavour of the partially seared salmon, a hint of sweet sauce and the tangy yuzu (sour Japanese citrus fruit) soya sauce with which it is served. The black cod was a good choice for the main course. It is marinated in miso for 24 hours before grilling. It came with a grilled lemon, but it did well on its own.

VERDICT A good venue for casual corporate gatherings, great food and excellent service. Neha Gupta Kapoor

The dishes remain true to Japanese flavours, mainly because the fish is sourced from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market