It’s perfectly acceptable to gorge on sushi to the tune of ‘YMCA’, if you’re at Mumbai’s new Japanese dig Ruka that is. Tune out the music, overlook the grey-beige decor, focus on the food and you won’t be disappointed.
We started our meal by munching on crispy popcorn tempura dusted with lime salt. Greed took over when we laid eyes on fried helpings of the carrot and daikon cake. We would’ve easily made a meal of these if the sushi and sashimi platter didn’t have our complete attention – the spicy tuna maki rolls and prawn sushi won votes at the table.
The White Elder Gin – with elderflower syrup, apple juice, cucumber and egg white – had us asking for top ups. Remember Me, a blend of whiskey, watermelon, basil leaf with a twist of lime, was good if not great.
The grilled brined chicken mopped up the teriyaki sauce, and was perfectly succulent. But we saved room for the mushroom hotpot rice, with miso truffle butter and weren’t let down. It was mushy and comforting in the way that only truffle butter can be.
We rounded off the meal with the tropical chawanmushi – coconut custard, passion fruit foam and sesame egg roll – and chocolate-hazelnut fondant. The latter with its mix of dark couverture chocolate, praline and dates, and vanilla rum ice cream was definitely worth the food coma that followed.
A meal for two costs Rs 4,500 without alcohol
Ruka, Ramee Guestline Hotel, AB Nair Road, Juhu, Mumbai. Tel: 022 67159225
