360 degrees
Sushi, South East Asian, pizzas
Intro: The largest restaurant in Khan Market is headed by a popular sushi chef
Atmospherics: Walk up the rather grubby staircase in the middle lane of Khan Market. You will reach the foyer of Town Hall. Inside that is the sushi counter, which itself leads onto the main dining area and a couple of smaller rooms. Upstairs is a plethora of terraces. In a month or so, all the action will be in the terraces; right now, the inside tables are the ones that are sought after. You can tell the size of the restaurant (over 150 seats) from the fact that the managers all have walkie-talkies, the better to 
communicate with the kitchen. In Khan Market, that is certainly a first. Book a table (strongly recommended) and the tent card will have your name on it. And although the restaurant is advertising Chef Augusto Cabrera (formerly of threesixty⁰), in actual fact, there is a very strong team in place in the kitchen, so that even if you visit on Cabrera’s day off as I did, you will be very well looked after.
Table talk: Do order at least one dish from the ‘small plates’ section. I tried the salmon wakame in yuzu miso dressing (Rs 845). The smoked salmon, the seaweed with its trademark hint of iodine and the citrus tang of yuzu were an excellent combination. Chef Cabrera is better known for his signature rolls that form a bridge between Japan and India, so that section is a must-try. Tanuki salmon (Rs 895) features Scottish salmon combined skilfully with jalapeno and tempura flakes. Though I did have my misgivings, the jalapeno had been added with a very light hand so that only a whiff of the flavour came through, together with the crunch of the tempura flakes. The best part about a meal at Town Hall is that you can treat it like a bar with snacks or like a sushi-only counter and still have a good experience with the loud music that is pumped up by about 9 pm. A good bar snack to order is Vietnamese grilled chicken (Rs 345) – the meat is taken from the thigh and is consequently succulent.
Plus and minus: Though there are Indian dishes, burgers and (surprisingly good) pizzas, Town Hall should be proud of its core competence: sushi rolls and pan Asian flavours
Must try: Pomelo Town Hall salad; Quattro formaggi pizza, chicken krapow
Food: 3.50; Service: 3.50; Décor: 3.50
60-61, Khan Market Middle Lane
Tel: 011-43597155, 43597166
Open from 12 noon to 12 midnight
Meal for two: Rs 3,500
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