Kofuku, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

Restaurant Name: Kofuku, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai
Phone: +919619782001, +9166955106, +9166955105
Address: 6th Floor, Suburbia Mall, Near Shoppers Stop, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400008 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 04:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,300
Cuisines: Japanese
Facilities: Home Delivery, Valet Parking Available, Indoor Seating, Wifi

Take a look at the accompanying lead photo. This is it. It’s the most apt photo I’ve shot for a restaurant home-delivery review. Not only are the dishes on the table works of Japanese art but there is globally acclaimed art on the walls, too. After all, we are in the home of Jaideep Mehrotra, one of India’s finest inventive contemporary artists, globally renowned for his unique individualistic style and sharp socio-political commentaries. The globe-trotting gourmet family is helping me review the delivery food of the stand-alone, award-winning Japanese restaurant Kofuku.

From Jaideep Mehrotra And Aamir Khan To Brad Lee

A-listers including Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Manushi Chhillar, Mary Kom, Sameera Reddy and Brad Lee have dined at this stand-alone Japanese restaurant perched on top of a mall.

I’d dined at Kofuku after it first opened in 2012. I’d invited Japanese food buff guests — Giamming Toh, the chief of an airline, and Aruna Jehangir, who flew for an airline in its heyday and made sure she visited Japan regularly. We were impressed with the authenticity of the Japanese fare. Giamming Toh gave it full marks. Kofuku was subsequently awarded the prestigious Times Food Award for Noteworthy Newcomer, too.

A Happy Taste Of Art

I ordered in Kofuku home delivery of the dishes chosen by the Mehrotra family. Paid my bill of Rs. 13,277, feasted on the food, the fabulous view from their sea facing penthouse and, of course, the company. Each one a dyed in the drool foodie.

Jaideep cooks with equal panache and passion, uses his creativity to make fabulous cocktails, cooks inventive dishes and experiments with unique flavours. Seema is his manager and handles the Mehrotra home, taxes and investments as well as the creative mood swings of her family members. Both the creative young girls have refined palates, too. Anushka, having graduated with creative writing, is a freelance screenwriter and has written for TV shows, movies and audio dramas. I’m excited to know all about Mallika’s graduation from the Pratt Institute during COVID and her job as an interior designer. The family loves to travel, eat, cook, read about food and watch films about food, and Japanese food is on the top of their list.

Tuna tangos with avocado in the salad and pirouttes in its freshest of glory in the Tuna Tataki. Freshness of ingredients marks all the dishes — be it in the Mehrotra family favourites, Salmon Maki Roll and Cherry Blossom Roll or the Salmon Carpaccio. The Gyoza is plump and moist with pork and the delicious miso ramen. Surprisingly, even the kissed with sweetness Black Cod Miso travels well. Kaisen Don, traditional donburi dish rice bowl, topped with raw seafood passes muster.

I add on vegetarian dishes and I’m happy to report that mixed vegetables in chef ’s special boldly flavoured sauce Kochuzang Sauce, Horenzo Spinach Salad and Zucchini Carpaccio are superb. Kudos to Rinchen Angchuk (whose primary business was importing Japanese ingredients) and his brother Morup Namgyal for setting up Kofuku in Mumbai (Bandra and Powai) and Delhi and keeping up the consistency.

Kofuku Lives Up To Its Name

Kofuku, with its vast something-for-everyone menu, its casual Izakaya dining (Sushi, Sashmi, Sukiyaki, Ramen and more) is happily somewhat moderately priced for high-quality Japanese fare. It was packed with Korean, Japanese and Chinese diners when I’d last dined there in its new Bandra location. Should you decide to dine in (it’s now open for limited dine in as per government guidelines), ask for Sukiyaki and the airy, crunchy tempura (both of which cannot be home delivered and both delicious must-trys) It surely lives up to its name ‘Kofuku’, which translates to ‘happiness’ in English.