Japanese food has a very quaint charm if you ask my opinion. The fresh vegetables, light flavors and seafood is what I crave for and gari and seaweed is my weakness. I love the subtlety of oriental flavors, the herbs and the light sauces and the way vegetables are served, barring the tempura. It sums up the way I look at this cuisine. Yes I don't like tempura as much as others do, and would reach out for sushi, the fresh vegetable salads and rice paper rolls and miso soups more than tempura.
Guppy by Ai is the new Japanese food destination in the city and you would realise it is already abuzz as you spot a few who's who of the city while you dine. But that would be after you have absorbed all the design elements of this place. Many quaint corners with small aroma lamps, fresh Gerberas in cute miniature watering cans, origami patterns on the walls, framed kimonos and beautiful lamps all around.
Some rustic elements, some nature, burst of colours and loads of Japanese figurines, faces and masks, antique knickknacks perched over wooden shelves along with utility cutlery etc. Conversation inspiring, very cozy and very chic.
Sound of flowing water makes you look around and you see a nice red kettle spouting water in a basin, so artistically done, the flow of Chi, the life force. I fell in love with the place. The colors so nature oriented, the sounds so calming. That will be when the place is not full to the brim though, we had to block our ears to a constant loud banter of another guest seated close to us. But that didn't make us miss what great things were there for us.
Good that we had planned this visit with Deeba and her husband (Mr. PAB, as known to her readers), it really turned out to be a cozy dinner.
Chef Vaibhav Bhargava decided to treat us with his selection of menu while we decided our mocktails. Arvind decided to have Southern Elle (Macerated lime, Orange soda and Sprite), Mr. PAB opted for Guppy's Iced green tea. Deeba's favorite is cranberry so she chose Currant affairs (black currant, Cranberry juice and sour mix). I wanted some pineapple and chose Sip Sensation (Strawberry with Pineapple juice, coconut and Grenadine).
Mr. PAB found his green tea insipid, it was green in colour strangely. Arvind liked his drink as it was enough a citrus rush for him, I found mine to be too sweet and thick, Sip Sensation could have been a little lighter and more pineapple and grenadine may be. Deeba also found the Currant affairs to be a bit sweet but good enough.
But the nibble that accompanied our mocktails was incredible. Edemame sea salt chilly garlic was an instant hit. There were mature Edemame legumes and you have to squish the seeds out of it, we loved it from the word go.
Next came the Guppy House Salad, seasonal crunchy vegetables, palm hearts and bamboo shoots dressed in karashi mustard. The toasted sesame on this salad was perfect crunch along with slices of radish and beets.
Chirashi Seafood Salad was an assortment of pickled prawn, tuna, salmon, crab and baby
The vegetarian counterpart was much more interesting. Chilly Lime Dressed Agedashi Tofu was loved by all. Crisp fried silken tofu, dressed in sweet and spicy chilly lime dressing is very flavorful and satisfying. One could make a meal out of it.
The sushi and sashimi platter is definitely a must try at Guppy. You get nice vegetarian options in sushi and I like vegetarian sushi as much as tuna or salmon. The fresh vegetables, the nori, the sticky rice and the toasted sesame make magic together, be it with fish or vegetables.
A Japanese Vegetable Roll which is a yamagobo (vinegared red ginger), asparagus and kimchi dressing, is wonderfully fresh and light.
The dessert was a Warm Carrot Cake with Mascarpone frosting. Good cake which is really soft and the mascarpone is almost melting when it reaches your table. But somehow the cake didn't work for us. I normally don't eat cakes but this one even Arvind didn't like. Now this is a sad situation when a certified sweet tooth denounces a cake.
No the cake is not bad, it just isn't the way we like carrot cakes.
Leaving you with some more pictures of this beautiful place.
The place mat had an origami diagram. More origami on the walls.
And the little corners where you spot interesting conversation pieces strewn like a story.
Next time I am going there in day time. It is a nice place to hang out, have a filling snack or a light meal, some good tea or a mocktail and feel refreshed and energized.
I recommend the place even when you are on a diet as you get so many options to choose from. All good quality ingredients cooked to perfection so even a small meal gives you the utmost satisfaction.
Hubby found the carrot cakes to be samll in proportion, only thing he found fault in that night!!
ReplyDeleteguppy by ai is awesome!!