kofuku

i have been wanting to try some authenticjapanesefood 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 withjapanesestyle 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 ajapanesetwist. of course we sat in thejapanesethemed 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 bearingjapaneseinfluence 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 asjapaneseas 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 intojapanesefood, 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 ofjapaneseis 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 thesejapanesenoodles.

we were pretty full with our meal, so couldn't try theirjapaneseinfluenced desserts, but i'll be back for sure!

eating here at kofuku, is an entirejapaneseexperience and pretty sure the best you can get in mumbai! thank you kofuku for the lovely experience, looking forward to try out newjapanesedelicacies soon!

happy burping!!!

my favouritejapaneserestaurant! especially the sushi and ramen

easily one of the more authenticjapanesecuisine restaurants in mumbai and the best packaging.

will definitely be ordering again and going to dine in at some point.

if you’re visiting the country for a few weeks, you want to try the best food it offers.

that is precisely why we went to kofuku. quite pricey, but i wanted really goodjapanesefood in town and this place shows up almost immediately on zomato with its stellar ratings.

but for what?

we sent a plate of sushi back because there was hair in it and ignored it as a genuine mistake.

then the okonomiyaki comes out. another hair??? now i’m questioning this place.

they were prompt to replace the dish, but the new one was dripping of oil to a point that i felt sick finishing it.japanesefood is knows to be light and breezy, so this definitely missed the mark.

then when the bill comes in, i’m expecting the food with hair taken off the check. nupe, apparently i’m also paying for the terrible experience along with service charge.

the only saving grace for this dine-out experience were the cocktails - which i’m now starting to think we pretty average.

a delightfuljapaneseexperience! it’s so difficult to find goodjapanesecuisine in mumbai and this one takes the cake! please try sushi platter and miso ramen. even the don buri with tempura prawn is too good.

kofuku is the worst food counter at jio world drive, bkc mumbai.
we place the order at 6 17.pm and was served at 6.45 pm (after 30 mins) after several reminders and the quality of the food was horrible and tasteless worst than medicated steam water. when we informed the chef about it, he smiled away and just nod his head which was so frustrating. there is zero taste and quality control, the junior cooks inside the kitchen are no at all serious about the quality and taste. it would be better to buy a 100/- maggi from the supermarket and make it on your own at home. kofuku calling itself ajapaneserestaurant is the biggest joke of all time and should be randomly inspected by experts and not wait for horrible customer reviews.

saturday lunch and had a very high expectations due to zomato rating and all but it was pretty average. ambience was ok ok, food was average and service was decent. let me talk about food -
1. shrimp tempura roll - 3/5. have had far far better sushi at other asian restaurants in the city. this was average though listed as one of the most popular dishes.
2. chicken pan fried dumplings - 2.5/5. again average. the presentation was bad, half dumplings were upside down. taste wise it was decent but they don't give you chilli oil or chilli gralic sauce with it. only soya sauce. so pretty flat for me.
3. chicken katsu curry - 2/5. it tasted as if i am having kfc food in double the price. not much flavor.
4. kiwi apple delight - 2.5/5. this was ok ok. apple taste was nuch stronger than kiwi.
5. orange-ki cocktail - 3/5. this was decent. bit strong but i liked it.

overall, if you are at linking road shopping and want to quickly grab somejapaneselunch, you can go here but i won't go back here for lunch or dinner dates specially.

i think kofuku is one of the restaurants which serves the bestjapanesefood you could get in mumbai. the ambience is really traditional and japanese. its personally one of my favourite and i have been visiting this place for ages.i had a couple of dishes:
miso soup 5/5

teppanyaki fried rice 5/5

haemultang 4/5- the hot pot could have been better with tofu and some more seafood like mussels, etc.

salmon nigiri 4/5- the wasabi was a bit watery, could have been better

overall experience 5/5

i went to kofuku a few days ago. from the time you enter you're taken care of. right from quickly seating you down to help pick and choose what you should order to asking you about any allergies everything is taken into consideration before they take down your final order.
for the amount of customization offered they seem to be able preparer the food and serve it hot really fast.
has a exceptional time here and it's a must visit forjapanesefood beginners to lovers.

since i'm a weeb i was searching for a originaljapaneserestaurant where i can have some miso soup ramen. and this is a great one we also tried sushi for first time now i'm a sushi fan. gonna visit this place once per month atleast with my family or friends. thank you manager aditi for making sure we were having a good time. "arigato gozaimasu"

the food at kofuku was pretty good. the tuna sashimi was not bad & the tonkotsu ramen was among the nicer ones i’ve had in india but nowhere close to the quality i am used to based on my many years living in singapore & having visited japan on 2 occasions. i enjoyed their california maki but was disappointed by their pork tonkatsu due to several condiments & the signature thinly cut iceberg lettuce being served in a way that made for a portion size i was displeased with. the cutlet itself felt chewy in parts.their ambiance is reminiscent of the manyjapaneseestablishments i’ve visited in the past & the service staff seemed attentive & well trained. if this is the best mumbai has to offer, we’re on the right path & perhaps oncejapanesecuisine becomes more popular - we’ll have more variety & excitement to look out for in this space.

the food was great. the ambience was a great feeler of authenticjapaneseculture. our server kamlesh was quite hospitable.

sonam served me takuan tonight.
it’s best combination forjapanesefood.
i preferjapanesepickles, such as takuan, asazuke, than with kimchi.

had been planning to visit this place for a month and finally did yesterday. we tried the miso ramen and california roll. both tasted delicious. they have authenticjapaneseseating and the staff is great too.

so kofuku has been an old favorite. ordered after a while.
below is my rating for what we ordered and why:
tuna sushi maki & salmon sushi maki - 5+

lately the sushi being served by mostjapaneserestaurants in india have turned into a whole mix of different ingredients and mayo etc etc. with hardly any tuna or salmon in it.
in my trip to japan … most sushi bars served a simple sushi - rolled to perfection with the main filling being the main filling and not cluttered with other things.
kofuku sushi was just that. a wholesome bite of tuna and salmon in the sushi
one could taste the freshness of the fish.
so good.

meat teppan yaki fried rice - 4+
it was good and flavorful with generous amount of meat in it.

veg yaki udon noodles - 2.5
an over cooked slobbery dish with nothing going for it. it was sloppy and wettish and over cooked.

kofuku chefs special pork curry - 1

horrible. it was pork fat and skin floating in red colored oil with zero flavour.
it was almost as if, instead of throwing away the pork skin and grease left over from other dishes, the chef and collected it all in a container and sent to us. terrible. they should take it off the menu.

only saving grace was the sushi and to an extent the friend rice.

wake up kofuku!!!