Townhall Gurgaon - Marryam H Reshii

Atmospherics: Unlike the Khan Market branch that sprawls across several levels, this one is far more compact and is arranged on a single floor, around a central bar. Seating is on sofas and comfortable dining chairs around tables of six and eight – the precise configuration that is most sought after in the Khan Market outlet. Almost all the tables are near a window, so there’s plenty of natural light. No matter what time of the day you visit, you’ll find the restaurant pleasantly full: obviously, they have studied their market carefully. Chef Augusto Cabrera has designed the sushi menu here, so expect nouvelle sushi, calibrated to our collective palate: eye-catching ingredients and enough spiciness for it to register, yet not enough for it to be a travesty. Service is professional and seamless and regular guests seem to get royal treatment. Also, because of the bias towards South East Asia on the menu, Townhall has become a second home to the Korean community.

Table talk: There are no fewer than 60 different sushis on the menu, so that you can visit Townhall a dozen times and never repeat your order. My Tsukiji maki (Rs 1195) consisted of akami (lean tuna) with a coating of black rice, a hint of tempura flakes for crispness and finely diced spring onion as garnish. As usual with Chef Augusto, there was a hint of spice because of the togarashi: he has worked in the NCR for a decade and knows customer preference intimately. Kokana maki (Rs 2200) is an eye-popping signature: minced tuna belly, wrapped over with rice, where the whole thing is smoked gently and topped with gold and silver leaf. It has to be said that both these rolls have been conceptualized by Chef Augusto: they have no trace of tradition in them. The Belgian barbecue spareribs (Rs 1195) is a meaty, filling portion with tender meat rubbed with a robust, flavourful marinade that has an element of spiciness in it. A bit sweet, tangy, salty and spicy, it is a must-order here. The scallop and prawn with coconut gravy may have its inspiration from Thailand, but it doesn’t claim to be authentic.

Plus and minus: nothing is strictly authentic: it’s the way it is supposed to be.