Small bites, big flavours

Irony is something thatrsquos rarely lost on us And so it comes rushing to us as soon as we step into the contemporary chic interiors of a new Oriental tapas bar in a refurbished fivestar that is now The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake The hotel facing the picturesque waterbody was rebranded earlier this year and so we are at its new restaurant Mayouchi the monthold eveningsonly for now space to savour its menu Its small platedominated bar foodcentric menu is conceptualised by the hotelrsquos executive chef Gautam Mehrishi who infuses a healthy dose of European tapas culture into an Oriental selection one where Japanese cuisine shines the brightest in terms of the number of dishes The intent we learn was to create a culture of bar food that incorporates classic modern Oriental culinary innovations that are unpretentiousSoft shell kani tempuraInkeeping with the ethos of a tapas bar the seating is centred around it at the front of the space As a contrast the main 40seater lakefacing dining area is populated by low marble tables and quirky design elements Like the surprisingly comfortablefordining rocking chairs and an open kitchen facing the chefrsquos table Mayouchi goes easy on clicheacuted Oriental deacutecor representations barring the modern interpretations of Oriental fans and pictorial menu cards Quite a few dishes differ from their visual depictions on the menu which we are informed are stock photographs So the five thick slices of yellow tail and jalapentildeo sashimi Rs 1495 morph into gossamerthin fannedout translucent slices of fish in the version served to us But we are glad with this discrepancyKohi zeriThe freshness of the fish the piquancy of the sliced jalapentildeos and the light soyenhanced umami of the sauce anointing it make for a cracker We chase this with the signature kiiro cocktail Rs 800 thatrsquos a medley of tequila fresh lemon and pineapple syrup this is accompanied by hints of chilli from the spiced fennel salt used to rim the coupeacute glass it is served inYellow tail and jalapentildeo sashimiOur small platesrsquo sojourn continues with a few of our favourite Japanese izakaya mainstays mdash like the crispy tori karage Rs 1050 that thankfully eschews dry white chicken breast meat for its succulent darker thigh counterpart The sublime soft shell kani crab tempura Rs 625 and the seasonal vegetables tempura Rs 575 of batterfried capsicum baby corn and onion rings make all our deepfried food fantasies come true Next is a sampling of the shira meh Rs 800 cocktail This is an Asian riff on the Moscow mule it is bursting with flavour from the gin lime elderflower and cucumber parts as well as the spicy fresh ginger kickPicsSameer MarkandeDisappointment rears its ugly head as we dig our chopsticks into the buta bara kimuchi Rs 1195 While conceptually interesting the kimchiwrapped pork belly slices again different from its menu picture are overpowered by the sour notes of the cabbage kimchi that eclipses the fatty savouriness of the protein The lsquocandyadjacentrsquo chilli honey lotus stem Rs 995 is another letdown with its onetone sugariness that masks every other flavour Our sole sushi pick the vegetarian creamy yet crunchy and aptly named crunch maki roll Rs 995 succeeds in buoying our spirits However the accompanying blob of wasabi paste misses that sinustickling pungency we so love and expectAlthough the menu at Mayouchi isnrsquot a traditional one mdash populated with appetisers soups mains and such mdash we consider the French cut lamb cutlets with katsu sauce Rs 1195 our de facto main course dish Stripped bare of overpowering flavours the intensely meaty taste of the lamb shines is complimented by the Japanesestyle katsu curry sauce purple cauliflower florets grilled white asparagus spears jasmine rice and a comforting dollop of edamame mashThe two desserts are as different as they come The baked wasabi cream cheesecake Rs 625 is an unctuous mascarpone cheesebased one that gives us the wasabi hit wersquod been craving for all evening Served in a ceramic cacao beanshaped bowl the kohi zeri Rs 595 is a silky blend of espresso and reduced milk thatrsquos topped off with coffee jelly cubes making for an interesting reinterpretation of the similarly flavoured traditional Japanese dessertTime 530 pm to 130 amAt Mayouchi The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake near Chinmayanand Ashram PowaiCall 9582035648