CT Review: I Blindly Trusted The Chef At Nasi and Mee For My First Omakase Experience In Bengaluru

Nasi and Mee’s newest outlet at Manyata Business Park beckons you to “trust the chef” with its newest offering: a 7-course Omakase. A personalised Japanese dining experience, Omakase, in Japanese, literally translates to “I’ll leave it up to you”. And that’s exactly what I did at my first Omakase. Left it up to the able chefs at Nasi and Mee to take me on an experiential journey of handcrafted Japanese delicacies.

Nasi and Mee Launches 7-Course Omakase Experience

Every time I crave Japanese, I know perfectly well what the evening entails. Combing through exhaustive menus of sushi, nigiri and ramen, only to wish I have a pocket and appetite, large enough to try them all. Walking into Nasi and Mee’s new tropical-themed outlet, fashioned around the jungles of Borneo, I was overly relaxed. Perhaps, it was the quirky orangutans flaunting shades with ramen bowls in hand, that left me anticipating the surprises that lay ahead.

At the intimate yet gorgeous six-seater sushi bar, a pre-fixed, 7-course Omakase dining experience waited for me and my dad. The meal was curated around 3Fs- Fresh, Fire and Fiery. Fresh for the gifts from the sea. Fire for the grills. And Fiery for the heat of the chilli and jalapenos.

Culinary Magic Unfolds At The Live Sushi Bar

Chef Jerin kickstarted our 7-course indulgence with Carpaccio. A plate of beetroot-cured salmon, regular salmon carpaccio and hamachi (yellow tail) in mandarin dressing with a drizzle of basil oil was presented to us. It was a great start to the meal. The incredibly fresh fish coupled with the punchiness of the mandarin, left me asking for more.

This was followed by the Tempura course featuring prawn and Thai asparagus. Let me tell you, the prawn tempura was perfection! The batter was so crisp that I wouldn’t be surprised if the diner seated at the end of the sushi bar heard me crunching. I asked Chef Jerin the secret behind the batter, he generously revealed it to be ice.

And that was definitely one of the biggest takeaways from my Omakase experience. The chance to watch the chefs create culinary magic right in front of you while revealing stories behind the creations is unmissable! Wielding knives, blow torches and tweezers, the chefs’ skills were on full display, leaving me in awe.

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A Tale Of Nigiri & Ramen

At one corner of the sushi bar, a team of chefs put together a magnificent sushi boat for a group of eager diners. And in front of me, Chef Jerin curated a plate of yakitori, part of Kushiyaki, the third course. The glazed and torched skewered chicken with leeks lifted my culinary spirits.

The Nigiri and Nori Taco courses are what most diners would wait for with bated breath. The soy-glazed salmon, hamachi and aburi unagi were indulgences at their best, while the Nori Taco, eaten with hands, reminded me of the good ol’ pani puri. Without wasting a second, you need to hold the taco with your hand and pop it in your mouth in one go.

I preferred the Cream Cheese Salmon over the Spicy Tuna as I found the nori sheet to be quite chewy. By the time we reached our 6th course, I was already stuffed. But trust the aroma and presentation of the Shoyu Chicken Ramen to leave me salivating.

The ramen noodles are prepared in-house and so is the broth, brewing for hours. Needless to say, delicious, was an understatement. The chicken was succulent, though I found it to be too mellow for my taste buds.

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Japanese Tea & Creme Brulee To End The Omakase Experience

For a nippy Sunday afternoon, the meal was elevated by copious cups of Hojicha Tea, an add-on I’d definitely recommend. The earthen pot the tea was brewed in, lent the beverage a distinct smoky taste. It was soothing and paired well with the meal.

The last and my favourite course was the dessert of the day — a Creme Brûlée. Sugared and blow-torched in front of me, the Japanese ginger-lime-mandarin custard was a zesty infusion. Light on the palate, the Creme Brûlée was a defining conclusion to the meal which started and ended with mandarin.

Omakase is beyond food, is my understanding from my lunch at Nasi and Mee. It’s the trust you’ve placed in your chef to take you on an experiential journey of flavours and stories. While I left the restaurant with the lingering taste of mandarin, the stories about Japanese cuisine are souvenirs I hold dear.

Where: Unit 10, Ground Floor, NXT Tower 2 Building Embassy Manyata Business Park, Hebbal, Nagavara, Bengaluru
When: 12 pm to 11 pm
Cost: ₹1,895 onwards per person for a 7-course Omakase experience (Book in advance)

Cover Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy