Upcoming SoBo restaurant merges Japanese cooking style with Thai, Malay flavours

The lyrical, crackling sound of mango wood burning in a massive, three-tiered grill welcomes us into Izaya -- Farrokh Khambata's latest offering, with indoor and air-conditioned outdoor seating, which stands between his other outfits, Amadeus and Café At The NCPA (both are undergoing revamps). The space spells class, with plush seating, in muted tones of grey and pink, and cute sake flasks dotting a polished wooden countertop. However, its pièce de résistance is the Japanese robatayaki grill, which derives its name from an old-style slow-grilling method used by north Japanese fisherfolk.

Sa khoo. Pics/Atul Kamble

In synchronised fashion, cooks slow-grill crustaceans, meats and vegetables across levels of the grill, depending on the heat required, and infuse them with Thai and Malay flavours. This live gig can be viewed from across the room at what's said to be the city's first robata Thai dining experience.

Amphawa scallops

Glass dumplings, anyone?
The first dish is the sa khoo (prices yet to be fixed) or Thai-style dumplings, which come sizzling on a hot plate, topped with a Sichuan-style dip and roasted garlic pods. The light-as-air dumplings are packed with flavours. Their glass-like, silken smooth skins encase an assortment of fillings -- prawn and Thai chives, mixed greens with white sesame, and fragrant chicken. "The dumplings are made using an old royal palace recipe, where you spread the batter on a fabric covering a pot of boiling water," shares Khambata, whose team learnt the technique during a month-long R&D trip across Thailand. We move to the juicy baby back tender aburi pork ribs, with a hint of Thai coffee, brushed with an Asian barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection.

Float with scallops
The restaurant also offers a special, limited edition four-day menu, The Yokka Kan (Thursdays to Sundays), which will feature seasonal tastes and produce. From this list, the Amphawa sweet water scallops transport us to a scenic morning spent in one of Thailand's floating markets. We savour the oh-so-soft scallops that sit in a robata-grilled shell and come topped with a spicy, coriander-laced sauce they call fat boys' secret sauce -- another discovery from the trip. "We returned with 300 kg of ingredients, mainly sauces and a variety of chillies," reveals Khambata.

The Japanese robatayaki grill

Among the mains, we relish the mildly spicy, kaffir lime-flecked vegetarian Chiang Mai-style tofu with white edamame with rice. Though stuffed, we can't resist the Thai-inspired desserts -- the bread and butter pudding with molten caramel and pandan-flavoured crème anglaise; the modest tim krob transformed into a decadent panna cotta, and the delicate Thai guava chilli ice cream that soothes our frayed nerves, like a Thai massage. A satiating trip, this.

Farrokh Khambata

Opens on November 20, 7.30 pm onwards
At Gate No 2, NCPA, Nariman Point. Call 67230111