If you are looking for a good Japanese meal, Gurugram is an excellent place, with many good eateries that cater to the sizeable Japanese expat community. The latest entrant to this vibrant food scene is Hyatt Regency Gurugram's latest F&B outlet, SHIN'YA, a Japanese izakaya-style eatery.
Izakayas are casual drinking houses in Japan where you can head out for a tipple with friends after work and grab some small plates while you are at it. The 46-seater SHIN'YA, however, is far fancier than your regular izakaya. In addition to the standard Sake, Shochu, and beer, SHIN'YA also has a great selection of cocktails with Japanese flavours.
On the day I visited the 46-seater eatery, the experts at the mixology counter were working their magic, and I started the evening with a Wasabi negroni. The sweet vermouth, Tequila and Campari concoction, fat-washed with Wasabi oil, was quite the firecracker. It was just the thing to pair with a bowl of Edamame sprinkled with sea salt.
The fun of going to an izakaya is experimenting with a variety of small plates, and the menu by Chef Adi Melaz at SHIN'YA didn't disappoint. There were juicy portions of Ebi Dango, seared dumpling with a special gyoza sauce, and crunchy Tempura, the crowd favourite, in Yasai (seasonal vegetables) and Ebi (prawn) variations, served with grated daikon ginger, Shichimi Togarashi seasoning and tentsuyu dipping sauce.
After the Negroni, it was time to sample the Aojiru—a refreshing mix of Tequila, clarified fresh celery and green apple juice. The fresh flavours were an excellent foil to the decadence of Tonbara Kushi Katsu, deep-fried pork belly, and the satisfyingly chewy Yjingo Manal Bokkum, Korean-style sauteed cuttlefish in garlic butter and soy sauce.
Shinya is the Japanese word for "midnight," but the izakaya stays open well past the witching hour till 3.30 am. So, the revelry had just begun when I opted for my third cocktail, the Matcha fennel fizz—Gin, fresh fennel and matcha tea.
From Chef Adi's recommendations, the Wafu Asparagus, delicious white asparagus in a sesame wafu sauce, and the Gindara Saikyo Yaki, sweet miso-glazed black cod, hajikame (pickled ginger sprouts), and umeboshi (fruit preserve), are not to be missed. The cod was flaky and flavourful, just what you need to round off a stellar meal.
SHIN'YA has a good selection of sushi and sashimi; the best bet is to try the Chef's selection of nigiri sushi and sashimi.
Japanese desserts are a class apart, and the three options at SHIN'YA are all worth a try: Matcha Roulade, a green tea sponge roll with vanilla ice cream, berries, and icing sugar; Kakigori, shaved ice, condensed milk, syrup, berries, and green tea ice cream; and Goma Dofu, a sesame-based pudding.
Address: Hyatt Regency, NH48, Sector 83, New Delhi, Gurugram, Haryana 122004
Meal for Two: INR 6000+Taxes
Timing: 6 pm to 3:30 am