Azuki Japan Travel Bistro and Sake — Restaurant in Bengaluru

I visited Azukii Bistro on Jan 25th 2025, with three of my friends, all of whom were very excited as we had read a lot about this place. If I have to sum up the experience of dining at Azukii in one word, it would be “Meh”. For those who need an elaboration on “Meh”, here’s a detailed review: We had four types of sushi, Tentama Maki (Veg Sushi with Tempura droplets); Shitake Mushroom Maki (Veg Sushi with Shitake Mushroom); Seafood Futomaki (Seafood Sushi) and Unagi Nigiri (Barbeque Eel sushi). One thing that was common in all, was that the Sushi rice to vinegar ratio was off, which means the vinegar was trying to upstage the other ingredients. While the Tempura droplets looked nice on the Tentama Maki, they didn’t really do anything special and the dish was forgettable. I wish I could say the same thing about the Shitake Mushroom Maki, that is I WANT to forget it. It was bad. Just the whole texture & flavor was, just bad. I don’t even want to elaborate on it. Seafood Futomaki was passable, the seafood was a little on the chewy side but it was edible. The Unagi Nigiri, which we hoped would be the star that it normally is, was a big disappointment. The Unagi is supposed to be slightly firm with a flaky texture, a slightly crispy-caramelized outer layer, soft and rich inside with a buttery mouthfeel that melts easily. The Unagi that we got was mushy with hardly any sauce and had an off-putting taste. The Eringi Tempura (King Oyester Mushroom in tempura batter) had a good tempura coat, but the mushrooms were chewy. Kaisan Kakiage (deep-fried mixed seafood and vegetables) had great textures but the seafood was upstaged by the vegetables, if you can believe that. I mean we knew that there was seafood in it because of the smell, but we couldn’t easily spot the seafood. There was a little confusion where we didn’t know if this was a veg dish or not and one of us was a pure vegetarian (if anyone is wondering why we ordered so many veg items at a Japanese restaurant, now you know). The Gyu Yukinku was decent, a little more spice and a balanced seasoning would have made a lot of difference. The beef was good and had potential, but the overall dish was just decent. The one thing that we really loved, was the Veg Okonomiyaki. It was an absolute treat. It had a savory, umami-rich, and slightly sweet flavor with a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. Comforting and delicious. We didn’t bother ordering any main course, not because we were full, but because we had had enough. Service is average, staff is cordial enough but not attentive enough. If this place had a huge dining area and limited staff and then the staff wasn’t paying that much attention, I would have still let it pass. But this has a comparatively small dining area (less than 8 tables). There was a moment when one of the staff got a dish to our table, a dish we hadn’t ordered. Just as we were about to dig in, one of my friends casually asked its name. It took him a couple of attempts to explain, by which time we realized this is not ours. These things happen, but ideally in a place where there are less than 8 parties (some of the tables were empty at this time), it shouldn’t. The ambience is beautiful. They have utilized light well, having a glass ceiling and wall (half a wall). The décor had some great Japanese elements. I especially liked the small sauce jars that they had lined up under the bar counter. Ratings: On a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being Very bad and 5 being Excellent) Ambience: 4 Service: 3 Menu selections: 4 Food taste & quality: 2 Value for money: 3

Overall, I would give a rating of 3. Would I recommend this place to my friends? Well, before visiting this place, I had spoken to some of my friends about Azukii, that apparently, they have really good Japanese food. I have since called the said friends and told them “Unless you are going for the Okonomiyaki, I wouldn't...

One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in Bengaluru and also my favourite one! Easily the best place for traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi) in Bengaluru.

Ambience: Pretty minimalistic and simple.

Food: This is the best part of this place. We had: Sake (a rice-based alcoholic beverage) Tako (Octopus) Karaage, Pork Chashu Bentou, Chicken Karaage Bentou. The pork in Pork Chashu Bentou was so soft, tender, and juicy. It literally melts in your mouth. The best pork I have had in a long time. The reason it is so tender is that it is cooked for several hours. Chicken Karaage was so crispy and crunchy. The octopus in Tako Karaage was quite chewy though.

Then we ordered several desserts: Dorayaki (azuki bean paste pancakes), Matcha Dorayaki (same as the regular one but with matcha in the pancakes), Daifuku Mochi (a rice cake filled with azuki bean paste as well), Mitarashi Dango (rice balls in a sticky sweet and salty syrup. This one was more savory or salty rather than a dessert), Warabi Mochi (tasted quite bland without the accompaniment it came with), Japanese Cheesecake (light, airy, and soft version).

We couldn't get the Organic Japanese-Style Pudding as it was not available. We didn't have any Sushi, Sashimi, or Ramen here as we have a fairly good idea of them.

Service: The lady who served us was really polite and warm.

Price: A bit expensive but that's the only con. The desserts were not expensive though.

Summary: Although better known for its traditional Japanese sweets, the place offers more than just that (the menu is really vast: more than 35 pages) if you are interested in Japanese cuisine. I will surely visit this place again,...

Was craving for some Japanese food since a long time. Found this wonderful place on Zomato and decided to try it out.

key points to know, the place does not have parking MC I recommend coming by cab.

The restaurant is small and cosy, with some Japanese elements to bring the feel of Japan.

Getting down to business.

We ordered the following Teriyaki chicken. Soba veg. Pork ramen. Saki. Bubble tea. Japanese cheese cake.

The teriyaki chicken is absolutely amazing, I highly recommend this to anyone visiting this restaurant. The chicken was moist and the skin was crispy. You get about 4-5 pieces, I rate it 8/10.

The hot soba noodles were nice, although I feel the noodles were a tad bit undercooked. Nevertheless the broth was very tasty. I rate it 5/10.

The pork ramen, this was the star of the day, I loved the ramen, it was very rich and flavoursome. The pork pieces were slightly small and had more fat to meat ratio.I rate it 9/10.

Tried the sake(cold) very nice rice wine, perfect for the heat. I rate it 6/10.

5.They had only one type of bubble tea, it was okay at best. I rate it 4/10.

For desert we ordered the Japanese cheesecake, unlike the other cheesecake that we get this is an entire cake and which is not very sweet, so you can eat it guilt free. I rate it 6/10.

What I liked and didn’t like about the restaurant.

What I liked : The food is absolutely delicious. Staff are very polite.

What I didn’t like/ what can improve The ambiance can improve more. The wait time for...