Matsuri — Restaurant in Bengaluru

To be honest, I was not a big fan of Japanese food before visiting Shiro, and more recently Matsuri @ The Chancery Hotel . To me Japanese Food is all about Sashimi [thinly sliced raw fish] and Sushi [slices of raw fish mixed with, laid over or wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed]. Firstly I am not a big fan of fish (even though I was brought up in coastal part of India), and secondly the thought of eating raw fish is something that I will never come to terms with. My idea of Japanese Food had been very narrow apart from enjoying the heat and flavour that a good old wasabi does. Kudos to Matsuri, I discovered some wonderful, unique taste which was very different from the usual South East Asian Cuisine.

First I must mention the decor, which was very minimalist, very posh and almost artsy and thankfully no Chinese lanterns. I really loved the empty Sake bottles which welcomed us when we open the beautiful wide door.

Moving on to the food, we started off with the Chef's Sushi Platter, Crumb Fried Chicken (Tori no Karaage) and a Grilled Salmon in Teriyaki (a sweet soy) sauce. The take on my first Sushi experience was not all that worse as I had imagined. I could taste the freshness of the fish, which was excellent, and not as I had imagined. I did not savour it much as I did the Crumb Fried Chicken. But I must honestly admit that I am NOW open to the idea of eating raw fish, as long as it is accompanied by thin slivers of Japanese ginger and wasabi. The crumb fried chicken was excellent, like what you get in a typical American Style Fast Food place, but what made the difference was the cabbage salad with a generous dressing of miso and the soy sauce accompaniment. This Grilled Salmon is something that I felt was not upto my taste, primarily because it was not as fresh as the fish served as a part of the Sushi.

For mains we had the Rice Bowl Meal (Donburi) and the Japanese Udon Noodles. We went ahead with Oyako Don, which is essentially Rice topped with stewed Chicken and sweetened egg drop. The Donburi was served with a spinach salad and a portion of Miso Soup. Miso is fermented soybean paste and is not everybody's favourite. But for someone who has had a good Miso before, I did not enjoy this one because of a very different aftertaste that lingered on my palate. The Salad was fresh and nice and the Rice with the stewed Chicken were complimenting each other well. Overall it was a wonderful meal, if I forget to mention the Miso Soup. The other main that we chose was the Japanese Udon noodles stir fried with chicken and veggies.  This dish would impress the fans of Indian Chinese cuisine, however I felt a flavour hit, primarily because of how fresh the noodles were. Quick Summary - A very formal Service, Deliciously Fresh Food, Authentic Japanese Flavours, and thanks Matsuri for changing my narrow view and leading me to an amazing journey to Japanese Cuisine which was authentic and...

In a city filled with a sea of “pan-Asian” restaurants, this place sticks to its Japanese roots. Tucked inside what feels like the basement of the Chancery Hotel on Lavelle Road, down an uninviting set of stairs, lies the rather cozy and minimalistic restaurant- Matsuri. There are clean lines, warm lighting, and a sushi bar with patrons actually sitting at it quietly conversing with the chef.

According to Google the place is frequented by Japanese expats. While my manners prevented me from asking other diners if this was in fact the case, I did hear Japanese being spoken by more than a few tables. Excited to look over the menu, my husband and I tried to figure out how many months it had been since we’d had “proper” Japanese food.

While the menu did not offer anything avant garde, it certainly did not disappoint with its pages of the staples we’ve come to love- udon, sushi, ramen, yakisoba, tempura, and even okonomiyaki. Starting with drinks we discovered the server wasn’t well versed in sake, luckily a quick trip to the chef in the kitchen remedied that and we were set up with a semi-dry to christen the meal. Sadly, we were told they offer no Japanese beer. None. Our reunion with Sapporo will have to come at another time.

Naturally we ordered a little and a lot, or a little bit of everything. Being India, there were many more vegetarian options than we were accustomed to seeing while living in the States. For our appetizers we had agedashi tofu, as well as mixed vegetable tempura and the long awaited okonomiyaki or savory pancake. The tempura was crisp and delicate, perfect with the slightly sweet dipping sauce. Although the liquid the agedashi tofu was served in tasted similar, the texture and taste of the tofu was completely different. Likewise the okonomiyaki had all the right flavors- sweet, sour, and tons of umami.

After this we moved on to mains where we split a veg sushi roll and goma salad udon. At first glance the sushi roll could be called basic, but that was exactly what we were after. Well seasoned sushi rice, cooked perfectly to complement the crispy veggies. The udon dish was the only one we hadn’t had elsewhere in the past. The menu description said it was “cold soupless udon served with a sesame dressing.” When brought to the table we had a bit of a laugh because we realized where the “salad” part of the name came from- the noodles and sauce were mixed with iceberg lettuce and grated carrots. We soldiered on however, and were shocked by how delicious the salad was with the sesame sauce bringing everything together. It was a refreshing end to the meal.

At this point we were stuffed, so honestly I don't remember much about dessert other than being touched by the complimentary dish they brought out for my birthday. We told all our friends about the meal for days afterward. The only negative was the distinct lack of...

Matsuri provided an authentic and memorable culinary experience with its vast choice of dishes, impeccable service and beautiful flavours. Special thanks to Rinku for helping us navigate the complex menu and suggesting the best dishes to try out in each category. We tried the sushi box which had salmon, Hamachi, tuna, mackerel and eel sushi and Maki rolls. Tasted like a delicious dream, especially the buttery soft salmon Maki. This was followed by Pork Gyoza and Miso Ramen, both of which I have had before but never quite like this. The Ramen broth was so rich and so unique in both flavour and texture that I was almost sad when it was over.

All this beautiful food was paired with cold sake - again, a unique drink was served, potent with rich notes of honey but not overpowering enough to take over the taste of the other dishes. Even the tiny appetizer plates - Japanese omelette and fried tofu were a treat.

Lastly, even though we did not have a sliver of space left in our stomach, the restaurant surprised us with dessert on the house - their specialty Macha cake with kidney bean paste as filling. Now I am not a huge fan of the Macha flavour but my husband loved it so I take it this was as good as the main course and starters. I personally really enjoyed the sweet and earthy flavours of the red bean paste.

The ambience, despite being a fancy fine dining spot, felt strangely homely. It was a weekday so the place was relatively empty save a couple of groups of Japanese men having a lazy night out. It felt quiet and cosy and rather contributed to creating an authentic dining experience. All in all, Matsuri deserves the five stars I...