By Sharmila Chand 

Sleek and stylish, award-winning,  ‘Sakura’ tops the list as India’s first authentic Japanese restaurant  located at The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa on Bangla Sahib Road in Connaught Place, New Delhi.

It features a serene atmosphere, private dining, and a master chef’s menu of sushi, sashimi, and bento boxes. However, the best part is it not only serves Japanese cuisine but also adds a perfect fusion of Pan-Asian taste and tradition to its famed Japanese gastronomic artistry.   

Decor 

The décor at Sakura is understated,  minimalist and elegant.

With its three elegant private dining rooms, the diners have ample choice to relish the exotic cuisine and Asian flavours from Korea,  Indonesia, Mongolia to Thai and more. The stone floor and the color palette on the walls evoke soothing, natural elements that draw inspiration from the earth. The rich fabrics and  wood furniture gives the space a  warm look, and also maintains the balance between tradition and modernity. 

The Menu

The menu not only brings to the diners aromatic flavours and enticing dishes but also provides a completely new dining affair.  Sushi connoisseur and sushi novices are encouraged to dine on their favourite sushi dishes or explore the menu and try something new. Diners love the signature Pan Asian Menu in Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian delicacies like Som Tam, Poh Pia Je, Lumpia, Kung Pao, Yanju and more apart from the authentic Sushi, Sashimi, Tempura, Ramen, Bento Box etc

Here, at Sakura, guests can unravel their own part of the enigma to relish exquisite Pan Asian Menu, lovingly prepared by the Executive Chef & his team.

While every dish in the menu is absolutely outstanding, we asked chef to tell us  signature veg and  non-veg dishes. Amongst the Veg Dishes, the signature ones are – Poh Pia Je: Thai vegetables spring roll; Vegetarian Bento:  Deep-fried tofu, vegetable tempura, nigri, yaki udon, potato salad, miso soup, pickles and ice cream; Okonomiyaki:  Japanese style pizza with the choice of assorted vegetables and noodles topped with mayonnaise and Japanese pizza sauce; 

Silken Tofu:  bean curd with mushrooms and bamboo shoots and  Yaki Soba/ Udon:  Pan Sautéed buckwheat or wheat noodle with assorted vegetables in Japanese sauce.

Signature Non-veg Dishes are  Nabe Yaki Udon         :   Hot wheat noodles served in soy based soup topped with prawn,

Tempura, egg, fried tofu, spinach and chicken ; Geang Ped :   Thai Red curry with choice of chicken or slice fish ;

Oyster lamb   :   Shredded lamb in hot garlic and oyster sauce; Sakura Bento   –              : Appetizers, sashimi, tempura, seabass lemon butter, yaki soba, Vegetable salad, rice, miso soup, pickles and ice cream; and

Sakura Moriawase       : consists of nigri sushi and California roll.

Sweet Endings

 After a hearty meal at Sakura, guests like to indulge in a delectable variety of Japanese ice-creams to conclude the dining experience on a sweet note. Sakura is known for homemade Ice creams like Matcha (green tea), Ogura (red bean), Goma (sesame seed) and Wasabi. These are different and unique flavours, which you will not find anywhere else. We also have Japanese custard. All the fixed meals, Boxes and Set Menus are served with ice creams.

A Seasoned Head Chef 

Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef of Sakura has an extensive experience of 16 plus years. He has learnt the art of perfectly blending unique flavors and aromas of the freshest ingredients in order to make the exquisite Japanese as well as Asian cuisine. Over the years, he has mastered the culinary treats, experimentation and presentation. He says, “My greatest happiness is seeing the joy that my dishes bring to the guests and when they personally thank me by saying that they have never had anything like this before!”

He believes that innovation is the most important thing in a menu. He likes to experiment with dishes and tries to innovate as much as he can. He has gained his valuable experience in cooking after completing his studies from Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow.

Talking about the USP of the restaurant and food, he points out:

“Sakura is proud to being first authentic Japanese restaurant. Food connoisseurs can now also delight into an array of Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian delicacies from the brilliantly presented Asian fare at Sakura. One can come and explore the unmatched dining experience at Sakura. To provide guests with unusual food experiences, Sakura keeps creating unique food festivals in a year, which gives something new and innovative to them. Our cosmopolitan guests who are well travelled or are culinary enthusiasts find authenticity in our menu and is a complete palate pleaser to them.”

By Sharmila Chand, Consulting Editor