Kofuku Japanese - my second visit here. Nothing has changed; just a couple of key dishes have been given a bit of Indian touch to it. The most common dish "SUSHI" has MAYO all over which is a biggest surprise when it comes to KOFUKU. Ambiance/Vibe has always been good. Packed on a weekday. Nice to see that. Not going much into details - let's start with what we had:
Sake - Fermented Rice (common in Japan) a bit high on alcohol. Got a good kick. Whiskey basked alcohol had the spiciness from jalapeño. Bartender made the drink good. (Can't recollect the name)
Gyoza (Chicken) had a lovely texture - pan fried with minced chicken and subtle spices. Layer is not thin as the Dim Sums but this is how a Gyoza has to be. Overall a nice starter served with 2 dips which were spicy and had a soy base.
Crispy Chicken Salad - Shredded Chicken with crispy Wonton, rice noodles (made it look good and crunchy) a bit of wasabi dressing (missed the punch) cherry tomatoes red cabbage. Overall this was refreshing. Leaves were fresh. Could have been better had the dressing been a bit strong.
Oh my God Sushi (Known for sushi) but disappointed when one sees MAYO and the taste goes for a toss. However good it may have been the overdressed mayo was a letdown. A big Miss for me.
Crispy Creamy Tempura - Battered Fried prawns (missed the crunchiness) a bit of a letdown. Spicy mayo looked good but end result the dish was a big soggy. When it comes to Tempura you expect to be crunchy. Had the balance of spices correct.
Zucchini Carpaccio - Vegetarian and this was a killer of a dish. Thinly sliced zucchini drizzled with soy and yuzu sauce. (Got the punch required) a bit of tangy and savoury as well. Presented nicely. Thinly sliced onion/Sesame/tomato and garnish of cilantro. Perfect. No flaw. Full marks.
Spring Onion Pancakes - This was always on the cards. A typical Korean preparation. Looks more like a Flatbread cut into pieces. Its main ingredient is scallions. In America it's known as scallion pancakes. Also has a bit of carrots. Overall a tad sweet but balances well with the dips. It's either a hit or a miss as the taste is concerned. I loved it.
Chicken Teriyaki - Basically grilled Chicken (soft/Juicy/tender) served on a skewer. Had a good glaze and sheen. Boneless. Teriyaki is a cooking technique in Japan in which food is grilled with a glaze of soy, Minn and sugar. Tasted good. Ginger/garlic/honey/soy/brown sugar is the main ingredients which make the sauce. Overall this was a good dish.
Sashimi - It was Sake (salmon) raw salmon dressed over rice noodles. Simple yet a perfect cut. This is Japanese all about. A bit of soy and you are set. Do try if you like raw fish.
KAKUNI PORK - the dish of the day. Nagasaki style stew pork belly. Tender with a lovely texture. Also known as Buta no Kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly) Classic Japanese dish. Tender/Juicy packed with umami. Slow cooked. Simmered with Soy sauce/Mirin/sugar a bit of garlic and ginger. This small piece was outstanding.
Missed out on the rice and dessert but heard they were good.
Overall - a couple of dishes were hit for me. When the chef created dishes were he gave authentic Japanese touch they were clear winners. 40% of the dishes on the menu are vegetarians. Go for Kofuku. Only handful good Japanese restaurants in Mumbai and this is...
Read moreKofuku.
Kofuku was not just lunch, but an experience indeed.
From the minute I dined to the minute I exited the door, It was absolute pleasure.
So as you enter, there is a proper Japanese setup, The tables are well designed with flat pillows. Tables have plates and chopsticks, wet napkin, sauces. The right way to dine was removing your footwear and starting with some sparkling water.
The menu is so well curated. The cuisine served is Japanese. I had never been to an "Only Japanese" restaurant earlier so this was the first Experience of Japanese dining and i'm so happy about it. I guess I started off with the best one in the city.
Kofuku has 2 outlets. 1 in Bandra and 1 in Juhu. I visited the one in Bandra.
APPETISERS
YAKI TORI CHICKEN
This was my safebet. I was already losing on a lot of yummies since I'm not a seafood person. This was really good to begin with.
ROCK CORN TEMPURA
I really liked the crunchiness here of tempura and the sweet spicy sauce making it even more better. PAN FRIED CHICKEN DUMPLINGS
Perfectly done dumplings steamed and then pan fried to golden brown. The chicken stuffing was minced and flavoursome and well cooked.
TEMPURA FISH
My friend tried this and really liked it.
VEG SUSHI
This is the steal. What an amazing sushi ! Absolutely loved the curation and so aesthetically plated with different colors.
MAINS
SALMON MISO YAKI
Couldn't try this but it looked amazing. How I wish I could be on an only "seafood and not seefood" diet.
JAPANESE CHICKEN RICE
So this was Japanese rice, small grain tossed in oil and stirred with veggies and chicken. It's a dry fried rice.
DRINKS
SAKE
Sake is a Japanese drink that is made by fermenting rice. It is often referred to as a wine but is brewed quite differently. The taste, aroma and quality of sake are dependent on the fermentation process. The amount of rice that is milled is one of the crucial factors that determine the type of sake that is produced. The more the milled sake rice, the more delicate and clear the flavor of the drink. We tried cold as well as hot Sake.
GREEN TEA To digest all this food we also had some green tea.
DESSERTS
GREENTEA ICE CREAM
THE BEST Pure authentic taste of green tea and nor too subtle, nor too loud but perfect. It's a must try.
Highly recommend this ice cream. It is amazeballs.
MOCHI ICE CREAM
Absolutely loved the presentation of this.
Pounded sticky rice with an icecream filling ( Vanilla & Mango)
For an authentic Japanese cuisine and ding experience I would really recommend this place...
Read moreAuthentic Japanese food at it’s best!!!
Location - 6th Floor, Suburbia Mall, Next To Shoppers Stop, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai
Kofuku was always on my mind and finally got a chance to visit this place.
I had heard lot about this place and of course I had to visit. Lately, Mumbai is coming up with lot’s of restaurants having Japanese food but Kofuku Japanese is totally authentic, hence my expectation was definitely high.
I was never a big fan of Japanese but the way it is being made in restaurants like Kofuku, anybody will fall for these amazing high quality flavors.
And the décor is also perfectly matching to the authentic style which Japanese restaurant should have. I love their private kind of Japanese style seating as well, extremely comfortable and superb for group of 4 or 6.
If anyone loves Japanese food, I would definitely recommend Kofuku, it’s a MUST VISIT!!!
Being Tuesday, the restaurant was buzzing.
The Food… The Ambience … and The Service – Everything is just excellent.
Mr. Pavitra was always around to make sure everything is going fine.
And our server Kapil was very good in his knowledge about each and every dish, one of the best server.
I also loved all his suggestions.
Here is what all we had, MY FAVORITES have been mentioned -
SOUPS
Kimchi Chigae Vegetables – MY FAVORITE
Miso Shiru Non Veg – MY FAVORITE
DRINKS
Wasabita
Ume Blossom – MY FAVORITE
Pomegranate Lemonade – MY FAVORITE
Orange Basil Mojito – MY FAVORITE
APPETIZERS
Oh My God Sushi – MY FAVORITE
This one is a MUST ORDER for non vegetarians, it’s literally Oh My God, what a sushi!!!
Super Crunchy Roll – MY FAVORITE
This one was veg and we love their Sushis, no doubt.
Grilled Asparagus – MY FAVORITE
Yaki Tori Chicken
MAINS
Japanese Curry Rice Veg – MY FAVORITE
This bowl is best for people who also want to get some Indian gravy flavor with sticky rice, loved it.
Yaki Udon Veg Noodles
DESSERTS
Crème Brulee – MY FAVORITE
I liked it but the didn’t like the icecream served with it.
Mochi Ice Crème – MY FAVORITE
Must Must Must order, one of the best ice cream. Very unique with rice coating and comes in 2 flavors.
Overall, I truly loved the experience.
See you...
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