Latest news with #Gaijin
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Suhana Khan Enjoys Sushi Night Out In Bandra, Shares Fun Dinner Moments With Friends
Last Updated: Suhana Khan was spotted enjoying Japanese food with cousin Alia Chhiba and friend Manavi Gaur at Gaijin restaurant in Bandra. Suhana Khan, daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and interior designer Gauri Khan, celebrated India's 79th Independence Day in her signature chic style. On Saturday evening, the young actor was spotted stepping out for dinner with her cousin Alia Chhiba and close friend Manavi Gaur at the Japanese restaurant Gaijin in Mumbai's Bandra. The evening outing quickly grabbed attention when Suhana shared glimpses from their dinner date on Instagram Stories. In one collage, Suhana, Alia, and Manavi posed together, twinning in stylish black ensembles. The trio looked effortlessly glam as they smiled for the camera, their playful poses adding to the celebratory vibe of the occasion. Suhana also gave her followers a taste of their dining experience, posting a picture of the table laden with Japanese delicacies, including plates of sushi. To match the mood, she captioned the photo with emojis of sushi, chopsticks, and a heart hand. Alia too joined in on the fun, sharing a candid click of Suhana enjoying her meal—smiling as she held her food—with emojis of sushi, tacos, and hearts. She also offered followers a peek into the warm ambiance of the restaurant with solo shots of herself. Known for her simple yet striking fashion choices, Suhana once again showcased her understated style in the black outfit, keeping the look casual yet elegant. The appearance comes shortly after her recent return from New York, where she attended an event with her rumoured boyfriend and The Archies co-star Agastya Nanda. The 24-year-old actor, who made her much-anticipated debut in Zoya Akhtar's Netflix musical The Archies in November 2023, has quickly become a regular fixture in Mumbai's social scene. From casual outings with friends to being spotted at screenings and events, Suhana is carving a space for herself in the public eye. On the work front, she is now gearing up for her next big project—King, directed by Siddharth Anand, where she will share the screen with her father Shah Rukh Khan. The action-drama is expected to feature a stellar ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, and Jaideep Ahlawat, among others. With her effortless glamour, promising career choices, and a strong social media presence, Suhana Khan continues to keep fans intrigued, both on and off screen. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Suhana Khan feasts on Japanese cuisine as she steps out for dinner with cousin and friend in Mumbai. See pics
Suhana Khan, actor and daughter of Shah Rukh Khan, celebrated the the 79th Independence Day by going out for dinner in Mumbai. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Suhana Khan shared pictures as she, her cousin Alia Chhiba, and their friend Manavi Gaur visited Japanese restaurant Gaijin in the city. Suhana Khan had Japanese cuisine as she welcomed the weekend. Suhana Khan goes out for dinner with her cousin, their friend In a photo collage, Suhana, Manavi and Alia gave different poses as they smiled for the camera. All of them wore matching black outfits. Suhana also posted a picture of their dinner--several plates with Japanese food were kept on a table. She tagged the restaurant and added sushi, chopstick and heart hand emojis. Alia shared a picture of Suhana posing with her food. In the photo, Suhana looked away from the camera as she smiled and held her food with her fingers. She added sushi, taco and heart emojis. Alia also shared her photo as she posed for the camera. She posted pictures giving a view of the restaurant. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Suhana Khan shared pictures. Suhana is often spotted out and about in Mumbai. Suhana is often spotted out and about in Mumbai. She watches movies, hangs out with friends and family in the city, too. Suhana recently returned from New York, where she attended an event with her rumoured boyfriend Agastya Nanda. She is the only daughter of Shah Rukh Khan and his wife, interior designer Gauri Khan. She has two brothers--Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan. About Suhana's career Suhana made her Bollywood debut with Zoya Akhtar's film The Archies, which also starred Agastya, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda. The film was released on Netflix on November 22, 2023. Fans will see Suhana next in Shah Rukh's King, which is being helmed by Siddharth Anand. It reportedly also stars Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Abhay Verma.
Indian Express
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Inside Mumbai's Japanese food boom: From matcha menus to sushi trains and manga-themed restaurants
From kawaii-themed cafes and ramen bars to sushi counters and omakase menus, Mumbai is in the midst of a Japanese culinary boom. Once reserved for five-star hotels and luxury dining, Japanese cuisine has become more accessible, immersive, and imaginative of late, attracting a broader, younger, and more curious audience than ever before. Take the newly launched Harajuku Tokyo Cafe in BKC, which offers two distinct experiences. A 12-seater bakehouse serves up ready-to-eat savouries, Japanese cheesecake, airy jiggly pancakes, matcha lattes, and boba teas. Right across it, a 72-seater dining room puts hot dishes at the centre, with a bullet train zipping a la carte orders like ramen, sushi, sashimi, udon, and gyoza to diners. While pastel tones and hand-painted illustrations set a playful tone at the bakehouse, the dining area channels the neon-soaked streets of Shibuya with dramatic installations — oversized lanterns, signboards, and striking calligraphy. Just a few kilometres away in Bandra West, Gaijin, which opened in April, takes a moodier turn with deep blue walls, tall planters, and a huge monolith installation. Its outdoor space adds a Tokyo-street feel with graffiti on faux shutters. In BKC again, Supa San leans into pop culture, with anime and manga visuals taking centre stage and ninja-printed cocktail glasses adding flair. And in Colaba, the space once home to the iconic Indigo restaurant reopened this April as Otoki, where staff don kimonos and interiors blend tradition with modern minimalism. The momentum continues in Worli with Donmai, in South Bombay with Wagamama, and other concepts city-wide that reflect a growing appetite for Japanese flavours. 'There has definitely been a growing interest in Japanese cuisine over the past two to three years,' said Lakhan Jethani, executive chef and co-founder of Mizu Izakaya in Bandra. Seijiro Hirohama, managing director of the Kuuraku restaurant chain, echoed the sentiment. 'The idea to bring Kuuraku to India in 2013 began when Japanese expats said they missed proper Japanese food here. That was enough for us to take the plunge,' he said. At the time, Japanese cuisine in India was often lumped under generic 'Oriental' offerings. But Hirohama believed it was only a matter of time before the cuisine found its footing. Kuuraku now operates seven restaurants in India and will launch Robata Kuuraku — a Japanese Grill & Sake concept — at Palladium in Mumbai next month. 'Ten years ago, many Indian guests only knew sushi. I remember a group of eight people ordering one sushi dish to share—it was an adventure for them. But today, we have guests confidently ordering yakitori, gyoza, tempura, and sake. Japanese cuisine is no longer unfamiliar,' he added. Harajuku, which opened its first outpost in Delhi-NCR four years ago and counts Gen Z and Gen Alpha as its biggest audience, is now eyeing 90 outlets across the country over the next three years. 'Creating an approachable, fun experience' 'From a business standpoint, Japanese cuisine is still vastly underpenetrated in India's dining landscape. Unlike other Asian cuisines, Japanese food is often perceived as premium or niche. We have broken that perception by creating a high-quality yet approachable experience that is casual, fun, and inclusive,' said founder Gaurav Kanwar. He added that their ambitious expansion plan is 'rooted in this rising demand — not just from metros but also from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where curiosity about Japan is surging.' Tourism is further accelerating this familiarity. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 1,71,100 Indians visited Japan in the first half of 2025 alone — a jump of 40.4 per cent from the same period last year. 'We are seeing a clear cultural shift as more and more Indians are travelling to Japan — not just for its cities, but to experience its rich culture, traditions, and immersive everyday life. That same curiosity is now fuelling demand for deeper, more authentic experiences back home,' said Udai Pinnali, CEO of Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH). 'Indian diners evolving' Japanese pop culture, especially anime and manga, is also witnessing explosive growth in India. According to a report titled 'A Studio Called India' by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India is American entertainment company Crunchyroll's second-largest anime market, and is expected to drive 60 per cent of global growth in the coming years. 'The cultural appetite here is both literal and metaphorical. Supa San taps into that energy, offering not just food, but an entire world to step into,' added Pinnali. 'Pop culture has helped, of course, but this shift also shows how Indian diners are evolving. People are more curious, more open, and have the spending power to try new things—whether that's omakase, ramen bars, or exploring the nuances of umami,' added Jethani. But while this may feel like a sudden surge, Mumbai's relationship with Japanese food goes back further than most realise. Cultural ties between India and Japan go back centuries — from Buddhism's journey in the 6th century to trade routes launched by the Tata Group in the late 1800s. 'At one time, over 1,000 Japanese nationals lived in South Mumbai. Japanese firms like Mitsubishi and Sumitomo had offices along Dadabhai Naoroji Road. There was even a Japanese Gymkhana near Mantralaya,' noted an official at the Consulate General of Japan in Mumbai. Today, beyond Mumbai, Japanese restaurants are also cropping up across India, especially in industrial hubs like Manesar in Haryana, catering to Japanese expats. Earlier this month, the AJU Ryokan Group—a Japanese hotel chain—even launched a Japanese-only residential mini-township in Gurgaon's Sector 81. Shifting the narrative Mumbai's journey with Japanese cuisine arguably began with Wasabi at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which opened in 2004. Its guest list featured everyone from Ratan Tata and the Ambanis to Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ranbir Kapoor. For a long time, though, Japanese food remained synonymous with luxury. 'It was seen as elitist, something reserved for white tablecloths and special occasions,' Jethani said. 'But that has changed. Restaurants like ours — and many others — have helped shift the narrative. Today, there is a Japanese restaurant opening almost every week. That says everything.' He credits a more relaxed, engaging dining environment for this shift. 'People no longer want to be intimidated. They want authenticity and comfort — and they want to engage with the culture,' he added. At restaurants like Otoki, staff are trained not just in hospitality but also in helping diners navigate the cuisine. 'Our staff is trained to engage with diners, understand their preferences, and gauge whether they are seasoned Japanese food enthusiasts or first-time explorers,' said Anurag Katiar, restaurateur and founder of Otoki. 'Based on that, they guide guests through the menu and suggest suitable dishes. For instance, if someone is apprehensive about raw fish but wishes to give it a try, we might recommend starting with tuna. It is milder and less intimidating, making it easier for them to explore bolder options later.' At Harajuku, guests are offered training chopsticks designed to make the experience easier, and at Gaijin, wooden tongs are available, and the staff is quick to offer assistance if they notice diners struggling with chopsticks.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Gaijin brings Japan to Mumbai with vinyl, truffle and a little rebellion
In Japan, the word gaijin (short for gaikokujin) literally means 'outside person'. While technically a neutral term for foreigners, gaijin carries a sharper edge. It is not just about being from elsewhere; it is about not quite belonging. 'You can live in Tokyo for 20 years, speak fluent Japanese, cook your miso from scratch — and still be a gaijin. The boundary isn't just geographical; it's cultural, emotional, and often invisible,' says Anand Morwani, chef-partner at Gaijin, the new Japanese restaurant in Mumbai's Khar. When it comes to food, this outsider status can be both liberating and fraught. The gaijin gaze is wide-eyed, reverent, sometimes clumsy. And while Anand spent a few months travelling across Japan to learn more about the cuisine, he often asked himself: 'Can I bring this home? Can I make it my own? But what does it mean to cook something that was never really yours to begin with?' Gaijin reimagines Japanese food through an Indian lens — bold flavours, sharp technique, and zero clichés. The space Gaijin draws you in slowly with its deep burgundy Enji-iro walls and a certain stillness that cuts through the chaos of the Mumbai junction it overlooks. Light filters in through fluted panels, bouncing off stone, wood, and brushed brass that nods to temple gongs. The space feel considered: Aizome blue wraps the space in quiet, a seven-tonne Suiseki stone sits like a monk in the middle of the room, and the Ishi-doro lanterns above add a celestial softness. There is a bar that bridges robata fire and cocktail fluidity, a vinyl-listening corner that feels lifted from a Tokyo back alley, and a graffiti alleyway (which is everywhere on Instagram) that lets you slip away for a moment. Designed by Keith Menon of Spiro Spero, it is not trying to be Japan. It is trying to be honest about how we see it, from the outside. The food The menu invites free form grazing: cold plates, small plates (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), nigiri, gunkan, maki, mains, and desserts, each dish a reimagination of something familiar. Some of the highlights from the small plates section includes the pork and clam tostada, which is messy, moody, and moreish. The pork is slow-braised and tender, while the briny clams bring contrast and chew. What sets it apart is the peach kimchi hot sauce and the black garlic and water chestnut emulsion, which tastes like soil and silk. Add the crunch of the tostada and the puffed bubu arare, and you have got something that dances between surf, turf, and surprise. The crispy kataifi scallop is textural goodness. The kataifi — comprising fried vermicelli — crackles dramatically before giving way to a plump, perfectly-seared scallop. The roasted bell pepper adds sweetness, while the rayu beurre blanc and truffle corn purée form a slick, luxurious sauce that edges just short of overkill. If anything, the dish borders on dramatic excess. The bone marrow arrives glistening, its fatty richness cut by a piquant ginger-scallion slaw and pickled radish. Shemiji mushrooms echo the marrow's umami, while the black garlic glaze lends molasses-like depth. Cashew miso adds a nutty, slightly sweet counterpoint that brings it all together. Best enjoyed spooned onto charred bread or straight from the bone. As far as the cold plates go, the Not Beef Carpaccio stands out for its soft and umami-rich flavour, lifted by zingy pickled celery and a punchy ginger-scallion slaw. The bone marrow adds decadence, and the parmesan shiso balsamic glaze takes it somewhere unexpected. The gyoza shell gives that much-needed crunch. The tuna akami versus the chutoro temaki is a playful face-off: the lean, clean Akami brings freshness layered over creamy avocado, tucked into a crisp nori taco that crackles on bite. But it is the chutoro that lingers — rich, buttery, and elevated by a delicate wasabi foam that kicks in just enough heat. Round things off with the crab udon noodles. It soaks up every bit of the buttery crab-laced broth, which lands somewhere between umami-rich and gently sweet. The crab meat is generous, soft, and folded through with restraint — no gimmicks, just good seafood. The desserts here feel more theatrical than necessary. The banoffee, layered with coffee namelaka, lime panna cotta, and miso white chocolate, leans overly rich, despite the clever pecan crunch. The brie cheesecake is an acquired taste. Think cheese on a cracker with a drizzle of truffle-laced honey — clever, but not craveable. The mandarin is the prettiest of the lot, shaped like the real fruit and dotted with edible dew drops, but it prioritises visuals over balance. Impressive on paper, but honestly, I would skip the sweets. The cocktails The cocktail menu reads like a storybook: equal parts illustrated dreamscape and tactile guide, with a distinct outsider's lens. There is a sense of play throughout, each drink layered and thoughtful without ever feeling overworked. The Kombu Breeze is a standout: briny, balanced, and lifted by a spearmint foam that dissolves like sea air. The Sakura Sunset brings tropical ease, while Mt. Fuji offers a more structured sip — floral, clean, and accompanied by a bit of theatre, with ice chipped tableside to reveal a hidden bottle. It also comes with a second refill for the price of one. Some may find the presentation teetering on excess. Still, it is a menu that rewards curiosity, where even the more experimental pours feel grounded in good taste. A meal for two costs ₹4,500 plus taxes.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
World Cocktail Day: Mixology goes high-tech with fancy bar equipment
Razvan Zamfirescu, the beverage head of All In Hospitality that launched HyLo in Mumbai recently, excitedly leads guests to the bar to show off the homogeniser machine, the pièce de résistance and the only one being used in India according to him. The machine is used to pulverise ingredients, and extract flavours from fruits and lemons without cutting into them. 'The machine creates pressure and releases sucrose and oils from lemons instead of breaking the skin to just release acids. My sours are on a whole different level with the lemon juice from the machine, be it pisco sours, whisky sours or mezcal sours," Zamfirescu says. Whether it is to cater to modern innovations or to stay ahead of the curve, mixologists today ensure that their creations are uber cool, on point and flavourful with tools such as rotovap, homogeniser, ultrasonic sous vide, cryofiltration and custom ice blocks. These high-end equipment can be huge investment for bars; the rotovap—short for rotary evaporator—costs between ₹6 lakh and ₹13 lakh depending on its size and country it's sourced from. This is in sharp contrast to just a few thousand rupees spent on regular bar equipment such as shakers and pans that can make most cocktails. Santanu Chanda, beverage lead of Delhi's Home Restaurant & Bar and Bartender Of The Year 2024 at Diageo World Class India cocktail competition, says that most new-age equipment is suited for smaller and more experiential bars. 'Rotovap is best used for smaller 20-25 cover bars, where you can do a tasting menu of the distillates or batch cocktails. Centrifuge makes sense if cost and time are no barriers, but otherwise you can clarify cocktails using milk, cream and agar agar just the same. Sometimes bar owners want to play with these fancy gadgets, but bartenders must know whether it's really required or not," he says. Also read: Pisco: The fascinating story of Peru's national drink At Bumipura in Mumbai's Lower Parel, founder MingYang Chai casually lights up a glass chiller to instantly freeze a cocktail glass before serving the drink in it. A few steps away, Late Checkout* uses a 45-inch Yama Cold Drip Tower used in Slow Roast, a signature cocktail that mixes clarified 16-hour Vietnamese cold brew coffee made using the machine alongside vodka. HyLo also uses an ultrasound sous vide machine that identifies the ingredients inside the bag, and uses sound waves to step up the infusion process. 'Something that takes two to three hours can be done in 30 minutes with the machine. It is also used to clean expensive jewellery," Zamfirescu adds. Take the newly-opened Japanese restaurant Gaijin in Mumbai, where the showstopper is the Mount Fuji cocktail. The cocktail arrives ensconced in a block of ice that is broken to reveal the bottle that pours two drinks. The ice has been specially curated and 3D printed for the cocktail. The vermouth in the cocktail goes through a cryofiltration process at minus 40 degrees celsius in which the liquid is removed and replaced with chrysanthemum hydrosol. The hydrosol itself is made with a special water distiller that is used to extract flavours from various ingredients. 'It took us almost four months and a lot of investment to research and get this cocktail done between the 3D ice moulds, cryofiltration and the hydrosol," says Nischal Suman, beverage head at Gaijin. Bar manager Manoj Singh Rawat's lab at Mehico in Kolkata includes a Brix scale to measure sugar content in cocktails, centrifuge to clarify fruit juices, rotovap for distilling perfume essence to spray over the glass, and ingredients such as hibiscus, muskmelon and tamarind to use in non-alcoholic drinks. For Izamel Sunset, the rotovap is used to infuse and create jasmine and strawberry waters that are mixed with Bacardi white rum, Aperol, and balanced with citric and malic acids. Rawat's latest bar programme in Delhi called Latoya features the Inca cocktail. This drink features three types of bell peppers that are pureed and clarified using the centrifuge, whereas the rotovap is used to blend jalapenos with water, and the sous vide is used to pair pisco and tomatillo that is further balanced with acids and mezcal. 'Depending on the theme, whether you want to do modern cocktails or twists on classics, you can figure out what new-age equipment you need. I wanted customers to know more about pisco so I am using techniques to add flavour to the spirit and make it more accessible," he says. Chanda acknowledges that bartenders must know how to utilise modern equipment, saying that Home was the first bar in Delhi with its own dedicated lab with rotovap and other modern tools. 'Asian bars, especially in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are ahead of us because almost every bar has their own lab. If we have to raise our profile in the international bar community, we must know how to use them at our disposal." Along with Pass Code Hospitality and beverage education platform Tulleeho, he launched a bar academy called Klarify in December to teach bartenders how to master advanced cocktail techniques and equipment. On the other hand, Zamfirescu says that the new machines are the best example of proof of consistency.'Once you add the right ingredients, the drink will always be the same, even if a junior bartender makes it. These machines maximise our time and the different textures allow us to further improve quality and consistency." Chanda says that he used to believe in tech a lot, but has changed his mind recently. 'I am still curious about new technology, but fancy machines don't make great bars. That comes from giving guests great service and cocktails made with a human touch." Also read: How cocktails are named Priyanko Sarkar is a Mumbai-based writer covering the F&B industry.
