i have been wanting to try some authentic japanese food for a long time, and kofuku has made that dream come true! let me say one thing right off the bat, there are 4 outlets of this brand in the city, but this one, the one in hill road, bandra is the best amongst them. i'll tell you why. firstly it lets you avail zomato pro benefits, and kofuku is a pretty expensive place so even the 15% comes out to be a substantial amount. and what gives it an edge off the powai outlet, you ask? it's flexible opening hours. so here, you won't be asked to place your last meal orders at 3 pm as the kitchen will be closing, cause this outlet is open from noon right upto midnight! so i personally would travel to this one if it's for lunch, and choose the powai one for dinner.
the ambience is a mix of thematic with modernism embedded in it. if i am not wrong, the entire floor is divided between kofuku and another korean joint, so you are welcomed with some east asian decor in the reception area.
there is the main dining area in the centre, surrounded by sections with japanese style dining sections. by the main area i meant that you'd find the regular table and chair seating in here. there is a small bar area in one corner, which serves some lovely cocktails and drinks with a japanese twist. of course we sat in the japanese themed section. actually we were lucky enough to get the private section. it's really cozy and comfy, with the big window facing west, you could enjoy lovely, golden sunsets if you go in for a late lunch and sit in this area. they have these small cushions for you to sit in vajrasana style, but you can let your tired legs loose and sit normally afterwards. the decor is minimalistic but still bearing japanese influence like wooden compartments, wall art hangings and even a beautiful katana. the table is already set when you get in, complete with chopsticks, its holder and a small (let me add pretty and cute) porcelain bowl for soy sauce. i was super excited just being here! the staff was also very friendly and patiently explained our stuff and solved our queries. let's begin with some drinks to beat the heat. kanpai!!
lager ita - well this might not be the complete name of the cocktail, but that's what it said on the bill. it was a beer based beverage, no surprises there. it was pretty good, and beer lovers like myself would enjoy it for sure.
old glory - the name sounds very 80's type, but do not get fooled by it. this drink is as bubbly and refreshing as it can get! its main ingredient is vodka, but the fruitiness is thanks to some yummy berries which i could not identify, nor remember now. it seemed like grapes but were reddish pink in colour. another recommended beverage to go along with your sushi.
well, speaking of drinks going along with sushi, the best one is of course sake!! but i decided to take it a bit easy, and focus on food this time around, and visit again to try some east asian liquors.
now it's time to dig in some delicious food! itadakimasu!!!
yaki gyoza - ever since i watched dorohedoro (anime) i wanted to try some gyoza. it's essentially a momo, which is neither completely steamed nor completely fried, but somewhere in between - pan fried. these were pretty delicious, especially with their soy sauce, which is again nothing you'd have tried before. not being a momo person, i still enjoyed the gyoza a lot and ended up fighting for the last piece!
shrimp tempura roll - sushi was next on the menu, and this particular dish is a work of art! it's so beautifully presented that you'd just wanna appreciate its elegance and then its taste. i wouldn't call it 100% authentic though, as it was drizzled with some mayo, barbeque sauce and bread crumbs, though the insides were as japanese as it could get. there's also wasabi on the side if you are feeling adventurous. i am not someone who likes spicy food, but wasabi is a different kind of spice altogether. it just takes control of your entire nasal cavity right upto your eyes, if consumed more than a pea-sized amount. it was another unique experience, and i prefer wasabi over other types of spicy food as wasabi doesn't destroy your taste buds and digestive system for a few days! coming to the sushi, it was as yummy as it was insta-worthy. the fried shrimp gave a nice crunch, while i became a fan of their soy sauce.
spicy korean chicken - the name sounds pretty scary, as i would never order any dish which has the word 'spicy' in it, but the description revealed it was a gochuzang based preparation hence it was allowed to come to my table. gochuzang is a korean sauce, which is not red-hot spicy, but tinglingly sweet spicy, which i like! the closest thing i could think of is honey-chilli based preparations. this dish contains pretty decent sized chicken meatballs tossed in gochuzang. again, lovely presentation with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and finely chopped green onions, with cabbage and tomato on the side. this dish is perfect for that friend in your group who isn't really into japanese food, but got dragged in here and wants to eat something 'not japanese'. i'd definitely want to try this again!
we tried gyoza and sushi, even a korean dish, but the dish which comes to mind when you think of japanese is ramen! we tried miso ramen and jampong. the first one is a pretty standard ramen noodle dish, but the second one is a spicy seafood noodle soup with korean origins. these soupy noodles were served in some big, authentic bowls with dragon imprints, so the cutlery at kofuku is also something you'll enjoy eating with and a part of the dining experience. ramen is a very acquired taste, not something you'll fall in love with the first bite. the wheat noodles, soupy broth, meat and veggies all together give you the ramen experience. if there's one dish you must try on your visit to kofuku, it's these japanese noodles.
we were pretty full with our meal, so couldn't try their japanese influenced desserts, but i'll be back for sure!
eating here at kofuku, is an entire japanese experience and pretty sure the best you can get in mumbai! thank you kofuku for the lovely experience, looking forward to try out new japanese delicacies soon!
happy burping!!!