KooX in Chennai rolls out a Japanese festival with salmon tataki, crab sushi and shio yaki corn on the cob!  

Executive chef Umesh Singh tells us that the concept is inspired by Otawara’s popular spring festival, Yatai Matsuri, known for its colourful festivities and tasty eats from wooden street carts
Salmon tataki
Salmon tataki

Corn on the COB, Japanese style is not something one gets a taste of everyday. And our first bite slathered with yuzu butter and green chilli for heat elevates it for us from a quick streetside snack to a gourmet sensation. We’re enjoying a breezy afternoon on the rooftop at KooX, getting a taste of the restaurant and bar’s first festival of the year, Yatai Oiwai (which literally translates to food cart celebration). Executive chef Umesh Singh tells us that the concept is inspired by Otawara’s popular spring festival, Yatai Matsuri, known for its colourful festivities and flavours abounding off wooden street carts dishing up servings of grills, gyoza and of course... sushi. And when it comes to the latter, chef Umesh is on a roll. We are quickly plied with sushi stuffed with soft shell crab and avocado, topped with clusters of orange tobiko pearls (fish eggs), Unagi Rolls with eel and a dollop of wasabi mayo and for vegetarians, a Ume Kyuri Roll with cucumber and plum paste (mild and sweet, with a  salty kick once dipped in the accompanying soya sauce).

<em>Ume kyuri roll</em>
Ume kyuri roll
<em>Journey to Japan</em>
Journey to Japan



Yuzu need to try this
We wash this down with a sip of one of the six accompanying cocktails on the festival menu. Coincidentally, the one we are served, Journey to Japan, also features cucumber as one of its core ingredients. Looking straight out of a spa catalogue, this is equal parts Instagram-worthy and refreshing with a mix of fresh mint, yuzu and a hint of absinthe.

From the Big Plates, the Lamb Loin in a rukkuro jalapeno sauce laced with saké and Tenderloin T-Bone served with a spicy togarashi sauce both compete for favourites. The T-Bone which is oh-so-succulent  emerges the winner. The secret, we find out from chef Umesh, is that the meat is tenderised overnight with a mix of kiwi, onion and Thai red chilly. “You don’t taste the kiwi but it makes a big difference,” he lets on. We don’t doubt it.

<em>Truffle Cream Lobster</em>
Truffle Cream Lobster


Lobster & cream
The jelly-like Cepes Mushroom in a shichimi sauce definitely has us curious, although the texture is not for everyone; if you’re not open to experimentation, the Salmon Tataki or Teriyaki Silken Tofu are safer bets. But the plate that has our heart is the Truffle Cream Lobster. It looks and tastes much like a work of art. Plated in the shell, expect tender chunks of meat beneath a bed of luscious cream prepped with garlic, truffle oil and butter. This plate offers a generous portion size, but a few bites in and you might not want to share. Dive in at the risk of becoming‚ shellfish.

January 21 to February 5. For lunch and dinner. Meal for two with beverages, INR 4,000 ++
 

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