I think it was Jane Fonda who said, ‘Chinese food is like s** - a couple of hours later you feel hungry again,” which probably inspired George Miller to riposte, ‘The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later, you’re hungry again.’ Japanese food, on the other hand, is light, flavourful and the best chefs are masters at capturing the elusive “umami” flavor. Last week I dined at Kazé, the opulent rooftop restaurant on Lavelle Road that serves modern Pan Asian cuisine and fusion cocktails with an all new Izakaya menu. A king’s ransom has been spent on the interiors with a huge open air dining area lavishly appointed in marble and glass with a black and gold theme. The restaurant boasts one of the best views of the city skyline and offers a wide selection of signature fusion dishes. Inspired by the traditional drinking establishments in Japan, Kazé has launched a new Izakaya menu combining traditional Japanese teppanyaki with South American influences: the love child of chimmichuri and yakitori.
This includes their take on sashimi and sakana, the Japanese phrase for snacks or appetizers which pair well with drinks. We started with the crispy lotus stem, dehydrated lotus stem wok tossed in a smoky, honey-chilli sauce which was flavourful and zesty. We then sampled the Naso no Miso Yaki, grilled aubergine in a brown miso sauce with toasted sesame, which hit the spot. The Wakame and lollo rosso salad made with seaweed, carrot and greens with straw mushrooms were ever so slightly soggy which was disappointing because the primary requirement of a salad is that it should be crunchy. The baby squid rings served with shichimi roasted garlic chili were slightly overdone; when cooking squid, timing is everything and these had been left too long in the wok. The man of the match was the Buta Shioyaki, Grilled Belgian Pork & spring onion with sea salt served on skewers: impeccably seasoned, grilled to perfection with the right blend of fat and meat, this dish was finger licking good.
After a short break, we tried a portion of the sake flavoured Hamachi Ebi served with ponzu dressing, good soya infused with a healthy dollop of fresh lime. The jalapeño octopus was flawless, though the hot mango salsa which accompanied it was a bit of a mismatch. The dimsum of prawn and pork infused with black truffle oil was excellent, rich and densely flavoured.
If you’re not that keen on seafood, you could try the Tori Teba Yaki - grilled chicken wings with spiced salt. Those with a taste for the exotic could have the Oyster Filo with Salmon Roe- a crisply fried oyster with toban-djan salsa and salmon caviar sauce. Purists looking for traditional Japanese food may be slightly shell-shocked by the menu but judging by the full tables, the regulars seem to be lapping it up.
If you are looking for a true and simple Japanese experience, the Bento Box is a popular choice: served in a lacquered lunchbox, this is a complete meal and typically includes rice, meat or fish, and pickled vegetables, offered in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
The owner, Ms Sakshi Sagaraju was inspired by a recent trip to Japan to create the Izakaya menu which she feels captures the very essence of Japanese cuisine. How and why is it different from the regular menu?
“The Izakaya Menu with its Japanese grill and South American influences, consists of a delectable array of dishes that suit every palate. It includes popular bite-size dishes that are perfect accompaniments with your drink. Unlike the regular menu where you order, eat and leave, this allows you to spend a leisurely intimate evening with friends and loved ones at Kazé while you savour each bite of the tapas-style teppanyaki and sip on Sake or the specially crafted cocktails. Try the 3 Minutes in Thyme, a speciality of the house made with Tanqueray gin, sake, chamomile flowers, bergamot, fresh thyme and a pleasant ginger-ginseng blend served in a huge glass surrounded by shaved ice.
— Ajit Saldanha is a long time foodie
