Getting high on Japanese food and whisky
Two hours, four courses of delectable
Japanese food, whisky cocktails and smooth whiskys at the elegantly simple Edo
in ITC Gardenia. What’s not
to like about that?
Chilean sea bass |
Whimsically titled Japan Debate on a Plate, diners are
offered two sets of menus – a traditional set by resident masterchef Sensei Kikuta San and a contemporary take on
Japanese food by Masterchef Vikramjit Roy from Pan Asian, ITC Grand Chola,
Chennai.
Both menus have veg and
non-veg options for each course. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to stick
to one menu for the entire meal but can switch back and forth between the
courses. And then there’s the pairing of Johnnie Walker whisky with each course.
Priced at Rs 4000 plus taxes
the feast is on till Sunday for dinner.
Salmon with melon confit - science experiment? |
Sashimi and nigiri sushi |
The
presentation is elegant, whimsical and even a bit overwhelming at times, like
the salmon with confit melon with miso cheese, bubuarare and corn mash.
Mouthful as that sounds, it came to the table in a long, narrow plate like a
science experiement complete with ink-dropper. Or the edamame soup which burst
on the tongue with its accompaniment of truffle foam. A slew of sashimi and
nigiri sushi lay on a thick bed of ice crystals, with fresh and clean flavours.
Simple and elegant, black cod with sweet miso was endearing with its flavours
while the Chilean sea bass did the same with its complexity.
Accompanying these were a seaweed based cocktail that was mild, but a melon-coloured one was deliciously deceptive as the wasabi it was laced with left a spicy high in aftermath. Among the others, the Platinum was so smooth, I could understand why its fans go in raptures.
Both desserts, Johnnie Walker XR 21 poached pear and dora yaki with matcha ice cream, were good but a surprise platter of ice cream and 60 per cent single origin chocolate brought about a sinfully indulgent end to the meal.