If you are a Sushi aficionado, this is where to get your fix

Indians were eating raw fish much before the Japanese started. Traditional regional cuisines in India are a testimony to that. Take for instance, the popular shutki maach (mashed spicy dry fish from Bengal) pickle or unakka meen achaar (Kerala style dry fish pickle). Why do then most Indians often take to disliking preparations of the Japanese dish Sushi?

Food has travelled across places as foodies have migrated from one place to another. It is no doubt that this is how Japanese sushi also developed as recipes of raw fish preparations travelled the length and breadth of the globe. But, one of the major reasons why most take a frequent disliking to sushi is perhaps because of the way it is prepared in most places. Sushi has to be just right, not fall apart, fresh and easy to pick up with chopsticks. A masterpiece in its own right, Guardian 20 travelled around the city to make it easier for you to find the best pick of sushi. 

Breaking away from the luxe stereotype of a Japanese restaurant, Yum Yum Cha is a 42-seater, casual restaurant located in Saket’s buzzing Select Citywalk Mall. An extension of the Yum Yum Tree family, the restaurant  exudes a happy vibe, and offers one of the widest selections of sushi and sashimi in the city: freshly rolled, perfectly balanced, cleverly presented and value for money.

Food has travelled across places as foodies have migrated from one place to another. It is no doubt that this is how Japanese Sushi also developed as recipes of raw fish preparations.

The Fatty Bao, 2nd Floor, Sangam Courtyard, R K Puram

Cost for Two: Rs. 1800 (approx.)

This New-York based Japanese restaurant boasts of hand-made tofu, fresh organic edamame and authentic Japanese produce flown in directly from Japan. Executive Chef Yutaka Saito claims to prepare sushis here using fresh ingredients. Everything here may be dunked in rich sauces, or deep fried, but it’s downright divine. The food manages to create a balance between innovation and comfort, ensuring that the dish is novel, the decor is opulent and the service, top notch.

A quirky Japanese bistro, with a colourful décor, one can feel like one has wandered onto the pages of an anime cartoonist’s sketch pad. The sushi is what will make you go back to the place over and over again. Sushi-making is treated as an art here. The Chef prepares the sushi in front of you, and when you pop the roll in your mouth, it is the fresh and honest flavours that woo you. Their Edamame California Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll and Shrimp Tempura are the hottest picks.

Fuji, Connaught Place

Cost for Two: Rs. 2000 (approx.)

Every piece of sushi here is hands down great, whether its the velvet-smooth salmon or the crunchy spicy tuna. Though a little odd as to why they’d call their Spicy Salmon Roll, their ‘Goa Roll’, the Teriyaki Chicken, their ‘Delhi Roll’, while the Ebi and Crab Stick Roll their ‘Mumbai Roll’, it goes without saying that all their swushi dishes explode with flavour. Uncompromising and unapologetic. It has been a long-time favourite for Japanese-food lovers in the city, and for some – a hidden gem.

 This is a painstaking curated shortlist by Guardian 20, where a Sushi aficionado may want to drop in for a fine dining sushi experience whenever they are in town.