The chopsticks are out

Prawn katsu curry

It's 2019. Multinational F&B companies are employing bots to make ordering easier; a newly launched club in Juhu has set up a hydraulic DJ console; and 3D printing has penetrated the food market. In fact recently, NASA used the technique to print a pizza. But these developments are part of a world that comprises a speck in the universe of food. The bigger part i.e. the everyday customer, in India at least, is still part of a group that is collectively suffering from what restaurateurs like to call "the butter chicken syndrome."

Tonkotsu ramen. Pics/Nipin Kokate

Anybody serving anything else is potentially taking a risk. So, to venture into authentic Japanese food back in 2006 must have been quite a gamble. But businessman Aditya Kilachand took the leap of faith a decade ago when he opened Tetsuma in Colaba. All those years ago, he made a trip to Bangalore to poach chef James Biaka, who at the time, was employed at a Japanese conglomerate, which also had a restaurant division called Yamauchisan. Then, Tetsuma shut in 2014 and Biaka migrated to Kofuku, another celebrated Japanese eatery in Bandra. Now, five years later, the owner-chef duo have reunited for Mumbai's latest Asian offering, Happy Thai, yet another culinary destination in Worli's Atria Mall.

Holy basil chicken

On a Friday afternoon, we drop into the restaurant that's done up in shades of beige and green. We are greeted with a glass of bottled coconut water since the bar license is still underway, and quickly nose-dive into a lavish spread, beginning with a spinach salad (Rs 380), a fish carpaccio and a shrimp tempura sushi roll (Rs 650 each). The salad made with baby spinach, parmesan and truffle oil is easy on the palate, while the hamachi carpaccio is robust, thanks to the lively ponzu sauce. The tempura is yummy, too, though we find the garnish of fresh jalapenos unnecessary.

Black cod

In between starters and mains, Biaka joins us. The chef, who trained in Thai cuisine for a month in Phuket, tells us his experience was fun. "In Japanese food, the focus is on fresh ingredients and techniques, but Thai food allows you to play around with a lot of flavours," he shares, as a steward places the black cod (Rs 1,200) on our table. The perfectly cooked fish is elevated with the help of the briny miso marinade. It is ideal for someone who's looking for a filling-but-small meal. The menu features a plethora of vegetarian options, which is understandable given the location. But recipes like the pleasantly light mushroom pot rice (Rs 400), made with a variety of mushrooms and a garlicky and buttery sauce, and the luscious green curry (R400) - comprising a mixture of veggies cooked in a velvety coconut sauce - particularly stand out.

From the non-vegetarian section, we enjoy the spicy minced meat serving called holy basil chicken (R550), but are truly bowled over by a prawn katsu curry (R660) that features diced potato and carrots, like a traditional katsu should and which many restaurants leave out. The gravy is delicate and wholesome, done in a home-style way, and the tonkotsu ramen (R700), too, is a bowl full of flavours with udon noodles like we haven't had in the city before.

Chef Biaka's expertise is apparent in each dish, but the irony is that in a restaurant that's calling itself Happy Thai, the Japanese fare stands out more. We are guessing that has more to do with Biaka's experience in the cuisine, and come away happy nonetheless.

At Happy Thai, Atria Mall, Worli.
Opens June 7, 12 pm to 1 am

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