Mumbai Food: Bandra's newest takeaway serves rare Korean and Japanese cuisine

Chicken Korean Army StewWhen we go knocking on their door the duo behind The Omakase Kitchen is taking its first lot of orders Jahan Bloch is busy fielding phone calls while also trying to make the cosy little space look more presentable by stowing away bags filled with supplies and plastic containers Its the two of us doing everything from taking orders to cooking We didnt expect it to be this crazy on the first day itself she laughs as her partner Ronak Nanda peeps out from the kitchen to say helloA quick glance at the menu tells us that this is no regular takeaway It serves Japanese grub but theres no sushi Instead youll find katsu curry and four types of ramen There is also a selection of Korean dishes like mandu dumplings and bibimbap that youd be hardpressed to find elsewhere in the city With dishes that are both unusual and wellpriced its no surprise that the phone has been ringing off the hookMini Matcha MochiSame same but differentWe place our order and decide to chat with Bloch as we wait Nanda who is a Le Cordon Bleu San Francisco graduate stays in the kitchen where despite the volume of orders he efficiently rustles up one dish after another all with a cool head The duo has been running a joint popup venture 425 Omakase since May last year but it was only in November that they thought of launching a delivery kitchen Ronak and I love Japanese and Korean food but there arent too many places in Mumbai serving these cuisines And even if they do either theyre expensive or serve only sushi So we thought lets start something that does the cuisines differently Meanwhile we will continue to host popups on the side says Bloch who is a selftaught pastry chefTonkatsu RamenNice stew meet youWeve ordered an appetiser two mains and two desserts and most of it RIPacircu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Mini Matcha Mochi survives the bumpy drive home First we tuck into the Chicken Mandu Rs 300 These Koreanstyle dumplings are different from the ones youd find at Chinese eateries owing to the use of kimchi in the filling which gives it a spicy kickJapanese CheesecakeThe Tonkatsu Ramen Rs 350 comes with a generous helping of juicy and tender pork belly which is served with ramen noodles made inhouse veggies menma fermented bamboo shoot and a beautifully poached sous vide egg The pork broth for the ramen is packed separately so it travels better We pour it into the bowl that holds the other ingredients and we have our comfort dish for the nightChicken ManduThe Chicken Korean Army Stew Rs 450 meanwhile comes as a pleasant surprise A dish we had never heard of until now it has a fascinating origin Known in its homeland as Budaejjigae it was created using scrounged surplus foods from the US army bases after the Korean War In an attempt to resemble the original ours comes with noodles baked beans fish cakes canned Spam chicken which is recreated inhouse and veggies all to be doused in an aromatic chicken stew The flavours of Korean condiments like gochujang and kimchi shine throughRonak Nanda and Jahan BlochIf you havent tasted it before Japanese Cheesecake Rs 250 takes a little getting used to A few bites in you start to appreciate its flavour and texture which lies somewhere between lightasacloud sponge cake and traditional cheesecakeAlthough the Mini Matcha Mochi Rs 200 for three doesnt make it home intact it is still glorious The soft and chewy rice ball encases a filling of gooey matchainfused white chocolate We couldnt have asked for a sweeter ending