Popular Delhi-based Japanese gourmet destination, Guppy, is in the city for a month-long pop-up at Fatty Bao

The visiting menu promises specials from the original menu at Guppy, bringing the most-loved dishes to Bengaluru
Hokkaido Miso Ramen
Hokkaido Miso Ramen

Guppy, the super famous Japanese restaurant in Delhi has always been a sore point for Bengaluru-based food aficionados. We’ve always wondered why the Olive Group never deemed our city worthy of this much-appreciated and celebrated gourmand destination. It was therefore no surprise when we jumped in joy and did many-a-kawaii things when we heard that Guppy was at Fatty Bao for a month-long pop-up!

Sweet Potato<em> Teriyaki </em>
Sweet Potato Teriyaki 

We were more than enthusiastic as we sat down to sample the whole menu, yes, you read that right — the whole menu — last week. The décor of Fatty Bao only enlivened the already exciting evening and our meal began in no time with small plates of Sweet Potato Teriyaki and Vegetable Harumaki Rolls as our starters. This was a bold move, serving only vegetarian starters — but the char-grilled sweet potato bites tossed in sesame teriyaki sauce followed by oven-baked vegetables in filo-spring rolls served with a yuzu-miso saunce — were a refreshing take on Nihongo cuisine that is almost otherwise only represented by sushi and tempura.  

Guppy Signature Pork Belly
Guppy Signature Pork Belly

This was quickly followed by plates of the Guppy Signature Pork Belly, Tiger Prawns Tempura (not surprised) and Wok-Fried Soft Shell Crab. A non-vegetarian overload, we were so blown away by the slow-braised pork belly glazed with soy-honey, that we even forgot to pair it with the accompanying mustard-miso sauce, frankly which wasn’t too bad an idea, as the pork was juicy enough on its own. This is one of the most delicious avatars of pork belly we’ve ever come across and the crispy, sweet and savoury notes, with subtle undertones of bitter, made this meal one to remember. The crispy fried battered prawns stood out simply for the almost-perfect crunchiness of the batter, while the chilly crab dry wok-fried didn’t really disappoint either.

Grilled <em>Tofu</em> Steak with Asparagus
Grilled Tofu Steak with Asparagus

It was now time for sushi (not surprised again) and the two options were an Avocado Tempura Roll and a Spicy Tuna Roll. Both beautifully constructed, we felt the avocado was cooked by the heat of the rice and hence turned into a mushy mess spoiling the mouth-feel we were looking forward to. The inside-out roll with tuna, jalapeno and cucumber, however, had us reaching for more and how! This was followed by a Grilled Tofu Steak with Asparagus — the only disappointment of the night — and the Guppy Signature Black Cod. While both these plates were flavoured beautifully, and the textures were indulgent to say the least, an over-charring and over-glazing left unwanted bitter notes in both dishes that would have otherwise been perfect.

We ended the gourmand indulgence with the Mushroom Takikome Rice and the Hokkaido Miso Ramen — both of which were everything we were expecting — and we only wish the ramen was served earlier as its subtle flavours were unappreciated at the end of such an elaborate meal.

Meal for two: INR 3,500 onwards. At Fatty Bao, Lavelle Road. On till June 15.

romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal

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