Payel Majumdar Upreti
It is not news that Delhi has some great Asian joints, thanks in part to its refined food culture, and to the regular influx of guests, both from the West and East, both business and leisure, that the city caters to. This season has seen some stellar presentations when it comes to Asian restaurants, and Taido is up there on the list.
Located on the ninth floor of Le Meridien Gurugram, it is ideal for a quiet chat and catch-up, or a celebration, if you please, for which I headed to the restaurant.
Taido has been conceived as a pan-Asian restaurant that is Japanese-leaning in terms of dishes and menu. The restaurant’s décor easily translates between day and night, while the big windows overlooking the city invites guests to ponder across the cityscape over a drink, the Asian inspired interiors, specifically lighting and wallpapers create cosy backdrops for interesting conversations. The bright pink ceiling adds warmth to the whole space, the presence of bamboo in places reinforces the Asian-ness of the setting.
What’s in the sauce
Japanese cuisine has been reinvented and reinterpreted, depending on which part of Asia you go to, from Malaysia to Hong Kong to Singapore. Taido takes notes of its modern interpretations, resulting in a far-from-boring menu. We began our meal with a Thai pomelo salad, and duck scallion pancakes, crab sushis on the side. The pomelo salad was perfectly made, with crisp cashews, fried garlic flakes and sweet fried onion offsetting the pomelo salad. Caramelised crisp duck added oomph. Other stellar salads on the menu include Togarashi Burrata with edamame and shiso miso dressing, and charred prawn and mango salad, with mizuna, lotus shavings and mango granita.
The Deconstructed Crispy Pancakes were part of the section on the menu called Taido Play, a section where guests can have fun with the food on offer. The duck was one of the best I have had so far in Delhi, the pancakes thin and perfectly made. There was a bit of a DIY fun element to it, involving carving the duck legs, and rolling the thin pancakes into rolls.
For mains, we chose truffle edamame fried rice, with burnt thai chilli garlic fish, both classics and comfort flavours if you’ve had a cocktail one too many, or are craving spicy food.
Desserts are often a weak point as far as Asian food is concerned, however, Taido didn’t disappoint with its inventive sweets. Taido mochi ice cream had a sweet yet chewy texture, flavoured with mango, and had a creamy centre. Shaped like little yellow mangoes, it was touch-and-go with every bite. The hazelnut dark chocolate tart was the perfect foil to this tropical dessert, the sesame wafer and hazelnut ganache adding a depth of flavour in the dessert. Overall, Taido deserves a visit (or several) to explore his fun and extensive menu, and alluring interiors.
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