Amidst food drama and billows of steam, ‘Spices', the restaurant at JW Marriott, Mumbai, is bustling with action. The open kitchen is a treat to watch, with chefs opening and closing pots and plating food. The interior isn't exactly understated, but the décor is luxurious with high ceilings and comforting silence. And what makes the experience better is savouring the specialities of the restaurant's new expat chefs from Japan and China. The pan Asian restaurant now boasts a new menu thanks to the introduction of four new chefs within its kitchen fold. Being one of the best fine dining restaurants serving Hakka Chinese and Japanese food, the management's penchant for flying down the finest of Asian chefs is evident in this exclusive gourmet rendezvous.

The spread

There's only one word to describe the Peking duck with plum sauce, and scallions wrapped in a small crepe… sublime! Peking duck takes 45 minutes to cook, and its preparation is a long drawn-out affair. The duck is marinated in spices then dried in a hot oven to leave the skin crisp and the meat tender. The duck is then further cooked to perfection, using several techniques to produce different versions. The best way to enjoy this delicacy is to watch it being carved, right in front of you.

Another dish we tried is a Japanese specialty with dried fish and abalone, cooked in pleasant broth with Chinese mushrooms, which seem to have disappeared off the menus of other restaurants. The smooth, silky feel of dried mushrooms is complemented by the thick Japanese Udong noodles it is served with.

A slice of black cod looks ever so enticing. In all simplicity, placed on a white plate and topped with pickled vegetables, each mouthful is exotic. One can also opt for the tea smoked chicken; the crisp skin is offset by soft flesh, the mild flavour of soya and scallions and stir fried wild mushrooms.

Sushi flavours

Sushi has taken India by storm, and the sushi at Spices is full of freshness and flavour. Each sushi maker unfolds his own style of making it, a technique that takes years to perfect. Sushi making was a means of preserving raw fish, where cleaned fish was pressed between salt and rice and covered with seaweed till the fish underwent stages of fermentation. It wasn't until the 18th century that a chef left out the fermentation process and created the basis of sushi as we now know it.

The Edo style and the Tokyo style are different. Now we also have California rolls which were created in the USA. This includes many vegetarian styles and the use of exotic ingredients like avocado and asparagus.

The Japanese chef at Spices has created some lovely vegetarian versions. The one with finely sliced eggplant over a ball of rice is a mouthful of flavours when dipped in a light sauce with a small hint of wasabi. There was also smoked salmon in sushi, wrapped in rice and encrusted with golden roe, and even a fried sushi option.

Tripping over Teppanyaki

The restaurant boasts of a Teppanyaki station, a concept that originated in Teppan, Japan in 1945. Here one can sit around the hot plate and food is cooked right in front of you on a large iron griddle, heated with gas and not to be confused with a Hibachi grill, where food is cooked over a coal fire. It is in Teppanyaki cuisine that one witnesses true Japanese cooking in full flair and skill. The chefs at Spices have created a whole range of dishes one can experiment with. The combination of the two cuisines, Chinese and Japanese, makes it a popular restaurant among those who love Asian flavours. The price feels right too. At about Rs 1,500 plus taxes per person for a meal, it's an ideal mix of quality ingredients, honest ambience and a gourmet experience.

Where: Spices, JW Marriott, Mumbai

What: Pan Asian cuisine

How much: Rs 1,500 approximately (plus taxes) per person

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