I’m not one to explore new things. But hey, it’s getting kinda embarrassing to say ‘No’ to every ‘have you tried this?’ question.
Food for me, is a difference between a good day and bad day. So you must appreciate my bravery when I say I tried Japanese cuisine for the first time. It was good, just not Studio Ghibli good.
The restaurant is called Kuuraku which translates to ‘eating with enjoyment’ and I must say, it did live up to it’s name. Speaking about the aesthetic of the place itself, you definitely don’t feel like you’re in India anymore. Everything from the lighting and seating is so authentic looking. It’s dimly lit and oddly comforting. You also have separate rooms which you can opt for if you want some privacy. The servers there wear Kimonos which is quite eye pleasing. I’m not sure if they are from Japan or the north-east but they pass off. I tried to Thank them in Japanese (Arigato to Jim Halpert from the Office where he mocks Dwight and his Karate skills) but I don’t think they understood. Atleast, not everyone did. The chefs there are from India. The service was really nice. They are constantly checking on you and someone always stands at the door when you enter and when you leave.
Coming to food, it was pretty decent. We first tried Tempura prawns which were crispy but bland. A couple of chicken starters, very good. Katsu curry is something that I keep seeing Japanese and Korean folks have often but it was the biggest disappointment. It was sticky rice and really sweet curry with no vegetables. Veg dumplings again, very bland but overall the same taste as usual dumplings. I could understand why Ramen is considered a comfort food. It has to be one of my favorites. Warm, adequately spicy and soupy. It did remind me of that one scene from Ponyo and gave me joy. I missed having Sushi because we got skeptical. And then of course we had to finish off with Tiramisu which was a lot sweeter than I had hoped.
My biggest culture shocks were one – how little a quantity of food is consumed. There is a saucer sized plate in which you keep your food and call it a day. And two – condiments are very important. You need all those soy sauces, chili sauces etc. because the actual food is not filled with a lot of flavor. And don’t even get me started on how they effortlessly eat with chop sticks. Maybe practice would help but I got impatient. It can be a little expensive for food that doesn’t really fill you but you can go just for fun with friends or family.
Overall though, introducing yourself to new cultures is such an enlightening experience and nothing does it better than food. It makes you get out of your head a little. You start to forget your worries and get lost in these little eccentricities of life outside yours. A part of this also makes you realize that as different as we can get with our way of speaking or dressing, when you hold a bowl of warm ramen as your hear rain pattering outside, food is home everywhere.
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