It’s that time of the year again—cherry blossoms are blooming across the globe and social media is flooded with photos. Since catching a quick flight to Tokyo to see the sight for ourselves is out of the question this year, Kampai is here to help us usher in spring (or rejoice in what is left of it in Delhi) with its new hanami menu.
Avantika Sinha Bahl
Hanami, or the Japanese custom of ‘flower viewing’, is an annual celebration of the sakura blossoms which cover cities with a delicate veil of pink this time of the year. Keeping that aesthetic intact, Kampai’s special springtime menu is predominantly pink—from all five of its rose-tinted cocktails to the blush pink mijinko-crusted ebi tempura and agedashi tofu and the raspberry and mulberry cheesecake. The interiors of the restaurant are also in tune with the theme, decked up in hues of the cherry blossom.
“Hanami is a special time in Japan and a symbol of new beginnings,” says founder Avantika Sinha Bahl, explaining that the menu has been curated in a way which can translate the qualities of the sakura season into food and drinks. With summery salads, light sushi rolls and rice bowls, and fruity cocktails, the menu is a welcome escape from the temperature outside, which is already crossing 35 degrees Celsius on most days.
A good start is the cured tomato and seaweed salad, which is a refreshing balance of flavours and textures—the salty seaweed offset by the sweetness of grapes and mulberry, rounded by the cured tomatoes and ume plum dressing, with the green apple and cucumber adding a crunch. The tangy salmon tataki with capers is also a great option for a hot day. The salmon futomaki and grilled eel and avocado sushi roll are delicious. Pescetarians would also enjoy the special selection of donburi bowls with fresh fish and pickled ginger. If the heat is too much of a bother, the chilled soba with a tsuyu dipping sauce can be quite satisfying too. All of the food is very easy on the palate, but some of it does require a certain familiarity with the smell of seafood—but you would already know that before stepping into a Japanese restaurant.
The sakura-inspired cocktail menu complements the food well. The Hanami G&T is light and floral and the citrusy Leisure Sheet is perfect for a summer afternoon. “The cocktails are all made with in-house infusions and liqueurs using different ingredients,” shares Avantika. Her picks are the special Sakura Martini and Geisha prepared with the special Kampai hanami liqueur which taste bold, fresh and sweet.
For dessert, the menu offers a slice of raspberry and mulberry cheesecake, whose creamy texture and rich buttery taste is slightly at odds with everything which comes before it, but would be a treat for those who like to end their meals on a syrupy sweet note.
Besides the ingredients used and the flavours of the food and drinks, the hanami menu evokes the essence of the season through its colours and plating too, soothing the eye and the hearts of those who cannot experience spring in Japan. The special menu is available throughout the month of April at Kampai which is located in the national capital’s Aerocity.