Delhi's Guppy pops up in Mumbai

After the success of the pop-up of Goan restaurant Thalassa, Olive will now host Japanese restaurant Guppy By Ai from Delhi

Japanese food is a lot more than raw fish and restaurateur AD Singh and chef Vikram Khatri are here to prove just that. "From South Bombay to Bandra, there aren’t many good Japanese restaurants in the city, except Wasabi, which is expensive. I know of many people who drive all the way to Bandra to try Japanese cuisine,” shares Singh, who has worked out the pop-up version of his popular Delhi restaurant, Guppy by Ai at the Mahalaxmi outlet of Olive Bar & Kitchen. He’ll also tell you that Guppy is like the puppy of fishes, it is adorable, hence the name.

Guppy Signature Black Cod

The food has been created by Khatri who has over a decade of experience of working with Japanese restaurants. For the pop-up they will gradually have 100% of the Delhi menu available in the city, and Singh tells us that he will use the pop-up as a testing ground for starting a full-fledged version in Mumbai.

Chilli Lime Dressed Agedashi Tofu.  Pics/Shadab Khan

The exclusive tasting session had won our approval in no time. While devouring sea salt edamame served on a bamboo mat perched on top of a wooden serving plate (Rs 300) and bowl of Miso Soup (Rs 250) with soft pieces of tofu swimming in it, we noticed that the menu had a good mix of vegetarian options.

Guppy Signature Pork Belly

“A lot of vegetarians are put off by Japanese food with the thought of raw fish; I wanted to change that,” says Singh. One such star dish was the Crisp Vegetable Harumaki (Rs 450) — filo rolls baked with vegetable fillings in them. “We wanted to make a healthier option instead of fried spring rolls, which is why we decided on filo,” explains Khatri. Other vegetarian options that we tried was the Chilli Lime Dressed Agedashi Tofu (Rs 400) with lightly fried pieces of delicate tofu, its smooth texture complimenting the sweet and spicy chilli lime dressing.

Minute Steak Tuna Tataki comes served on the bed of leeks and pickled onion

For the non-vegetarians, the Guppy Signature Black Cod (Rs 1,950) and Guppy Signature Pork Belly (Rs 1,050) were runaway hits. “Our Black Cod is a take on the popular dish by chef Nobu and our specialty is that we serve it on a hot stone,” reveals Khatri.

Guppy does variety of sushi and also offers an assorted platter

The slow-braised pork belly, which is chewy yet melts in your mouth, is a must-try. The pop-up will also have a selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails and a variety of sake and an addition of desserts such as Tea San Brulee (Rs 300). Singh hopes to continue the pop-up till December 2014. Going by what we sampled, we hope he decides to set up shop, for good.

Chef Vikram Khatri

From: August 2, 12 pm to 3.30 pm and 7 pm to 1.30 am
At: The Guppy Pop-Up at Olive, Mahalaxmi Racecourse.
Call: 40859595

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