Kimono Club - Marryam H Reshii

Atmospherics: Whether you enter by the outside staircase that leads from the driveway or from the central lobby, down the stairs or the lift, the Kimono Club is a work of art: a backlit bar on one side and a dramatic wine library on the other end of an impressively proportioned space, over 100 feet long, with outside seating as well. The lighting is no short of a work of art, with the overhead globes changing colour gradually through the day. The red velvet sofas glow with an almost incandescent light and the whole effect is one of opulence and luxury. The luxe interiors are the work of Freddy Birdy Interiors. Fortunately, the food is the star of the show here, with combinations that only seasoned Chef Vikramjit Roy

could have conceptualized. The menu consists of slightly high-priced Chef’s Signature Oyster and Raw Bar and Signature Seafood which you won’t find anywhere else (until plagiarists get into the act, that is). The rest of the menu is sushi, poultry and other components of a regular Chinese or Japanese meal.

Table talk: The menu has been ‘engineered’ by a genius who has ensured that you can eat as well or as simply as your wallet and the occasion will allow. Oysters, seared duck liver and teriyaki sauce (Rs 1995) is an elegant starter featuring oysters on their shell paired with intensely flavoured duck liver and sweet-savoury teriyaki sauce in what must rank as one of the most sublime pairings in any restaurant in the capital. Tamari glazed seabass with seasonal vegetables (Rs 1995) is another showpiece dish, albeit one with ingredients that do not challenge your tastebuds: the tamari was pleasantly salty and sharp and complemented the fish beautifully while the evenly chopped vegetables were cooked so that they retained a pleasant crunch. Hot and sour chicken liver salad (Rs 495) was a cold salad, garnished with mint, coriander and lime. Lamb brain on sourdough with black garlic (Rs

585) was strictly for aficionados of brain; a surprising but welcome addition to an oriental menu in such exalted surroundings. Avocado carpaccio with plum tomato ice (Rs 525) was a light starter that depended on texture and temperature for its success, but the corn tempura (Rs 545) was the easy-to-eat surprise of the day.

Must try: Hunan braised snapper with dan dan sauce; burrata with roasted sesame; grilled prawns with Sichuan glaze