It isn’t a trip to the maximum city without a trip to Mizu Izakaya. For the ramen, or sushi, or donburi, or the incredible Shio Kombu mushrooms. It only made sense to start the year with a meal at Mizu, which pleasantly coincided with the unveiling of the new Dai San Menu. The charming manager, Clyde, explains ‘Dai San’ translates to ‘the third’ in Japanese. The third refers to the third rendition of the menu – one that explores the unique third dimension…..or a menu so tasty that you go in for a ravenous third bite.
Co-founders Chef Lakhan Jethani and Vedant Malik artfully tailor classic Japanese dishes to resonate with the local palate; one where they don’t stray too far, just a slight right. The new menu at this contemporary Japanese dining spot is drawing attention to Japanese fermentation and preservation techniques, in the food and cocktail programme.
We start with:
The Hiyashi Wakame, a seaweed salad, is a popular bar snack in Japan. (Photo: Shreya Soni)
The Hiyashi Wakame, a seaweed salad, is a popular bar snack in Japan. This cold salad is refreshing, nutrient-dense and a great sidekick to the cucumber and sea salt mezcal cocktail, Kyuri. The buttery Tuna Tartare is made with the medium-fat ebay of the blue-fin tuna; a signature hit. If you like the texture and chew of mochi, try the Grilled Mochi that comes to the table sizzling with a sweet & spicy soy sauce. Our batch of bocconcini cheese-filled rice cakes didn’t sizzle, literally and figuratively. The Avocado & Asparagus Tempura Uramakai roll is a table hit, with solid reason.
Avantika Malik, head mixologist, suggests the Shazu Sour, a pickled plum and tequila cocktail. Tapping into the trend of tequila and fusing it with their love for pickling ingredients, this sour packs in power.
Two bits to draw attention to are the housemade bread and chilli paste. The paste is a mix of Japanese yuzu, Indian kasturi mirch, ginger, and garlic is what dreams are made of. Smeared on the little pockets of dough is what we can eat for days on end.
We move to:
Clear your schedule and head to Mizu for The Kabocha Tart. (Photo: Shreya Soni)
The real deal. It’s worth cancelling that boring health resolution. Clear your schedule and head to Mizu for The Kabocha Tart. A delicate tart shell with a Hokkaido cheese filling infused with nori and a surprise centre of pumpkin. A savoury-sweet Japanese-inspired tart is what gets our stamps of recommendation.
A sweet ending:
Pair the Strawberry Dojima Roll Cake with a Doppio Espresso, and you’ll send us a thank you card. (Photo: Shreya Soni)
The Strawberry Dojima Roll Cake has a spiked roulade sponge, fresh strawberries, mascarpone chantilly and a gongura compote. Pair this with a doppio espresso, and you’ll send us a thank you card.
The dessert menu also features a multi-layered extensively constructed Japanese Milk Tea Parfait. Scoop in to enjoy 10 elements like boba, pudding, milk tea ice cream, warabi mochi, chestnut paste, and cheese foam. Each bite has a multitude of flavours, textures and a promised second bite.
As I walk away from this sensory overload of a meal, I have become acquainted with new exciting ingredients that I can’t wait to experiment with, I am bubbling with the excitement of discovering new facets of familiar flavours, but one thing remains unchanged, my firm belief in the fact that it isn’t a trip to the maximum city without a trip to Mizu Izakaya.
Where: Mizu Izakaya, Ganga Jamuna Building 14th Road Pali, Khar West, Mumbai 400052
Reservation number: 09372023641
Doors open: 7 days, 12.30pm – 4pm and 6.30pm to midnight
Instagram: Explore here
