It was our first tryst with Japanese food and we were not just excited but a little sceptical too. Why? Because we didn't expect for the food to be so tasty (and cooked).
Many times, when one speaks of Japanese food what comes to mind is raw food and sushi, but not only was the sushi cooked, it was tasty too. Situated in a quiet corner of Bandra, Kenzen – Sushi and Tempura Bar is a powerful recipe of Chef Tanuj’s culinary prowess and Joy’s command over catering to the whims of the audiences.
After having shared our apprehensions about the cuisine, Chef Tanuj was kind enough to whip up a 'safe' meal for us. Safe, in the sense that everything that was presented to us was cooked—no raw salmon or other things please!
We started our Japanese epicurean journey with the lip-smacking appetizers comprising of Tossed Edamame in butter garlic sauce (which was not too garlicky, just the way we like it).
We couldn't get enough of this one and wanted the Edamame to never get over (almost wanted the plate to keep filling itself the way it does in Hogwarts!). Next up from the appetizer section was Fire Cracker Shrimp—crunchy prawns drizzled with either wasabi or hot sauce.
No Japanese food is complete without sushi and as per Chef Tanuj's recommendation, we opted for Ebi Tempura, which had crunchy prawns, avocado and toasted sesame—quite delicious, this one! By now, we were full, but couldn't wait to taste the mains the Chef had conjured up for us.
First up was Torikatsu curry with steamed rice—this one is traditional Japanese golden curry with panko fried chicken. The appetizers were so tasty that this one didn't quite meet the expectations we had from a main course dish.
The chicken, though crispy and succulent didn't agree with our tastebuds—it wasn't a bad dish, but we didn't enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the other ones. But, the next one, Udon Noodles (Japanese style thick wheat noodles tossed with vegetables, soy and butter, with the option of adding chicken, prawns or eggs to it) was very different and tastier than the previous one.
The noodles were soft without being soggy—a perfectly balanced dish we would say. To end our bingeing on a sweet note, the Chef brought to us Cotton Cheese Cake with Miso Ice Cream (fluffy and airy cake made with Philadelphia cream cheese paired with miso ice cream. To sum it up in Chef Tanuj's words: It was a truly a journey through flavours on a plate.
