A visit to Edo was long due for, and a meet up hosted at ITC Gardenia by Simonti made this happen. One not so lazy Saturday afternoon saw a bunch of us to experience their newly launched Corporate Luncheon. Edo is inspired by the ancient name of the city Tokyo, here Japanese food isn’t just about sushis, or tempuras. It is about an experience that spans from the time you walk in, to every dish meticulously handcrafted and rituals adapted from the traditional meals. Thus the Edo Sashimi Platter, the Robatayaki experience are highly recommended here. While Edo is known for its spectacular and authentic Japanese experience, this express lunch is a way to savor authentic Japanese delicacies served either from a set menu or an a-la carte offering in a speedy meal. Served in an Obento concept, this is perfect for a working lunch or a quick break, or even a meeting.

And a bloggers’ table at ITC Gardenia is usually a class apart. Personalized menus, a set table, enough options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, always a consideration for personal preferences – it is way more than just a meet up. Our meal started with a Sake Bomb line up – a count down, bang on the table, shot of sake in a beer glass drunk up all together!!! Quite a fun and tipsy start to the meal!

Last Saturday, we reached Edo to find Chef Kamlesh overseeing the Obentos. The set menus are served in these Obento trays, a classier version of the bento boxes, and have an assortment of various courses. The meal had salmon, yellow tail, sea bass and crab sticks served – everything was deliciously fresh, some even imported, and never preserved. The Sushi and Sashimi portions were neatly arranged – I loved those. The two types of Sashimi were shimmering and delicately sliced – salmon and yellow fish, perfectly delicious and simple. The vegetarian variant of Sushi was also quite interesting, the avocado sushi maki, while the salmon variant was simple and balanced. We got several repeats of the sushis, and the consistency in preparation and quality is admirable and noteworthy at the same time.

I am not a big fan of tempuras but the ebi and yasai tempuras were crunchy on the outside, and soft and meaty inside; and had a butter paper thoughtfully put under! Miso soup in a cute little tea pot kept warm, hence the delicious broth was very appetizing. The crab sticks were a favorite around the table – topped with flying fish caviar, oh we couldn’t get enough of those! The Chawanmunshi takes some getting used to – steamed egg custard is perhaps an acquired taste. The custard had a strong flavor, baked with prawns and chicken in it. A protein laden dish this was. The grilled sea bass and chicken on skewers were part of the Robatayaki – slow cooked over charcoal. The chicken was lightly spiced, topped with soy, nice. The sea bass lightly grilled was beautifully sublime and fleshy on the inside – the best in the meal.

The matcha ice cream was creamy and delicious, and is also one of the popular choices of desserts at Edo. We loved the nice and invigorating flavor.

Summary

We quite liked the experience of a sit down and served lunch from a prix fixe menu. The portion sizes were good. And enough variations in the courses ensured the food is interesting and curious, while not being too time consuming. The This exquisite express lunch menu is available Monday through Saturday. Veg obento is priced at INR 2000++, while non-veg obento is priced at INR 2250++.

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