Japan says hello!
16 May 2014 7:51 PM
This is for those who love all things authentic. Metropolitan Hotel’s Japanese restaurant Sakura recently hosted their Golden Week. The Golden Week in Japanese culture is supposed to be very auspicious and the restaurant had a specially designed menu to celebrate that.
As we walked into the dark wooded soothing interiors of the restaurant’s Gurgaon branch, it felt like being transported to another place entirely. The place mostly had Japanese guests and one Indian family with kids (but they were perhaps the most well behaved kids in the history of Saturday lunches!). We were told that the restaurant (Time Tower Building, Main Mehrauli Gurgaon Road) was a hot favourite with Japanese companies based in Gurgaon and also with Indian companies with Japanese clients.
That made one thing very clear - the food in Sakura is as authentic and as close to home Japanese can get in right in the middle of Delhi NCR.
As the chef briefed us about the menu we sipped on some great Japanese beer and enjoyed the calm as all other guests ate in amiable silence.
First came the Kobachi - chef’s choice of three appetisers in vegetarian and non vegetarian and had a serving of Japanese beans, salmon, chicken, spinach, kim chi salad and a piece of Japanese omelet.
The menu also included Sushi and Sashimi (Nigiri, Maki and Sashimi - in vegetarian and non vegetarian), Tofu steak (grilled tofu in teppanyaki sauce on a bed of vegetables) Shake Shio yaki or Teriyaki (grilled salmon with salt or glazed with teriyaki sauce) Yakitori Shio or Teriyaki (grilled boneless chicken cube with leeks on skewers lightly salted or glazed with teriyaki sauce).
For the main course there was Tempura Moriawase with Gohan set (tempura served with Japanese rice, miso soup and pickle - available in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options).
And the incredible afternoon came to a end with a serving each of green tea, red bean, wasabi and black sesame ice cream.
If we had to pick the best reasons to revisit Sakura it would be the food and the ambience. It is an ocean of calm and when the food is that perfect and the hospitality immaculate - could we possibly have anything to complain?
They also have a branch in their Connaught Place hotel so if Gurgaon is too off the map for you - pick central Delhi.
A meal for two will set you back by Rs 3000 (plus taxes without alcohol) for two people and believe us - you won’t regret it!
As we walked into the dark wooded soothing interiors of the restaurant’s Gurgaon branch, it felt like being transported to another place entirely. The place mostly had Japanese guests and one Indian family with kids (but they were perhaps the most well behaved kids in the history of Saturday lunches!). We were told that the restaurant (Time Tower Building, Main Mehrauli Gurgaon Road) was a hot favourite with Japanese companies based in Gurgaon and also with Indian companies with Japanese clients.
That made one thing very clear - the food in Sakura is as authentic and as close to home Japanese can get in right in the middle of Delhi NCR.
As the chef briefed us about the menu we sipped on some great Japanese beer and enjoyed the calm as all other guests ate in amiable silence.
First came the Kobachi - chef’s choice of three appetisers in vegetarian and non vegetarian and had a serving of Japanese beans, salmon, chicken, spinach, kim chi salad and a piece of Japanese omelet.
The menu also included Sushi and Sashimi (Nigiri, Maki and Sashimi - in vegetarian and non vegetarian), Tofu steak (grilled tofu in teppanyaki sauce on a bed of vegetables) Shake Shio yaki or Teriyaki (grilled salmon with salt or glazed with teriyaki sauce) Yakitori Shio or Teriyaki (grilled boneless chicken cube with leeks on skewers lightly salted or glazed with teriyaki sauce).
For the main course there was Tempura Moriawase with Gohan set (tempura served with Japanese rice, miso soup and pickle - available in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options).
And the incredible afternoon came to a end with a serving each of green tea, red bean, wasabi and black sesame ice cream.
If we had to pick the best reasons to revisit Sakura it would be the food and the ambience. It is an ocean of calm and when the food is that perfect and the hospitality immaculate - could we possibly have anything to complain?
They also have a branch in their Connaught Place hotel so if Gurgaon is too off the map for you - pick central Delhi.
A meal for two will set you back by Rs 3000 (plus taxes without alcohol) for two people and believe us - you won’t regret it!
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