Lunar New Year is always a good excuse to slow down and gather everyone around a table. This year, to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse, we headed to KOKO and decided to work our way through their special menu.
We started light with cocktails, to set the tone for a good evening. The Silver blessings was classic gin and tonic with a hint of lavender. You still get that familiar citrusy sharpness, but the floral note softens it just enough. It’s the kind of drink you keep sipping without realising your glass is nearly empty. Hidden Treasures was on the opposite end of the spectrum — rum-based, inspired by mango sticky rice, and slightly creamy. A drink as Southeast Asian inspired as it can get, the flavours were balanced just right.
Sushi felt like the obvious next step. The Galloping jade maki is a vegetarian roll with cottage cheese, seaweed, and peppers. It’s simple and did exactly what it promised — good texture, clean flavours, and properly seasoned rice. Our favourite, though, was easily The golden abundance roll. Eel with pickled Thai chilli and cream cheese, it was unexpected but somehow worked. The smokiness from the eel, the slight heat from the chilli, and that rich soy glaze pulled everything together.
Dim sums followed — because you can’t not order them. The Prosperity dumplings came in delicate wrappers brushed lightly with red edible glitter. Inside, was a perfectly spiced filling of plant protein, baby corn, pok choy, and water chestnut, with a gentle heat and bite.
The Royal trumpet chicken was straightforward — sliced chicken tossed with peppers and mushrooms, well-seasoned and comforting in the way stir-fried dishes usually are.
For mains, the Golden harvest pot turned out to be the dish we kept going back to. Silken tofu in a thick gravy, best enjoyed spooned over the fragrant Sacred longevity rice. It’s simple, filling, and exactly what you want as the main course. Five blessing dessert platter consisted of three mousses — yuzu, strawberry, and chocolate — each with an oozing centre that spills out once you break into it, served along with seasonal fruits and vanilla ice cream. We passed them around, compared favourites, and scraped the bowls clean. We ended the review feeling lucky with good food, easy
conversation, and a new year beginning the way it should.
Rs 3.500 for two.
On till March 15.
At RMZ Nexity, Hitech City.
Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com X: @indulgexpress
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