Donmai

Text: Mohan Krishnan

Bombay is spoilt for choice in Japanese cuisine. From Bandra which has at least six great restaurants led by Izumi, to Otoki in Colaba, and Donmai near Worli.

Donmai is on the ground floor of a swish corporate building, flanked on both sides by high-end dining, pâtisseries, and coffee shops. It has distinct vibes – the afternoon corporate and 'ladies who lunch', the 'happy hour' corporate types, and the dinner crowd. The intriguing décor supports all vibes.

The founder, Ish (she jokes it rhymes with fish) Patil, fell in love with restaurant dining, eating out with her family. Going out for a meal was precious time, a “sanctuary”, especially with her hyper busy dad. She’s always been an anime fan; later she travelled to Japan to visit Rio – her bestie in boarding school. Her love for design and textiles deepened at Parsons, where she studied integrated design.

All these threads came together, after she returned to India, and her dad suggested she pursue his dream of opening a restaurant. Donmai means 'it’s okay' or 'don’t mind'… or as a Millennial might have said “chillax.” The perfect vibe for a Japanese gastrobar. Calm, contemplative by day, a vibrant bar by night. A true izakaya – Japanese tapas bar, with a select list of large plates with rice and protein.

"I have a great love for culture – ours and Japanese, and for storytelling. Japan is all about putting other people first, it’s a caring culture. It shares with India the ethos of mindfulness and spirituality." She found a chef who was in tune, and they started Donmai.
Chef Oishik discovered his love for Japanese cuisine, working at a plush JW Marriott resort in Vietnam. He learned from a master chef, who ran the Japanese kitchen, and honed his fermentation knowledge with Michelin-starred Gaa in Bangkok. Later, he did a course in Japan, at the culinary school in Atami. He learned robata cooking, and how to use the single bevel edge Japanese fish knives, sharpened on only one side to give those precise clean cuts to the fish.

The first time I ate there, I was blown away by the miso-glazed aubergine, with an edamame crema zinged up with a hint of lime. Japanese food is great for vegetarians, because the cuisine treats veggies as exquisite delicacies. The chef told me that 60% of their revenue comes from the vegetarian, and Jain menu (which is quite extensive).

The Braised Pork Belly was beautifully cooked, the base had a rich pool of soy sauce, sake and mirin, and the pink ginger was delicious.

I got the Black Cod in Miso, the glaze was perfect, I felt the cod was just that tad off. I have been assured by regulars that its usually very good.

I went back with friends. The unagi rocked. The sushi hit the spot. The pork belly was as good as ever. The matcha dessert was on point. The Nama chocolate was okay.

The menu has little nuggets of information. 'Japan’s top sushi chefs age tuna 3-4 days, sometimes two weeks, before service. Fish peaks when the amino acids are released, while frozen'. So, the question 'is it fresh' is moot.

'Curry sailed to Japan on British ships, then transformed. Sweeter, thicker, darker, Japanese curry became its own comfort language.' Now I understand why on some Japanese streaming shows, people order curry.

Chef Oishik wants you to try from the veg menu, Nasu Dengaku (miso eggplant), the Tataki Shrooms with pumpkin milk foam, coriander emulsion and crispy leek, and the Karemen (curry ramen).

From the non-veg menu, the Takoyaki (grilled octopus in an orb shape with bonito flakes), Tonkatsu Ramen (in 12-hour pork broth), and Chicken Karaage (Japanese fried chicken with black garlic mayo).

Chef Oishik waxes eloquent about their seasonal menus. Last monsoon, they had a Hot Pot dish that was so popular they had to bring it back for the winter. "Now everyone has a Hot Pot," he says, a bit ruefully. Coming up is a Sakura menu, and new twists for the rainy season.

Ish Patil is emphatic that Donmai is an intent-driven restaurant. "There will always be good storytelling about the cuisine, based on research. The focus is on the entire customer experience, that will make them want to keep coming back."

Ish has manifested her design persona, and created a four-piece series of textile art that make the walls pop. Threads… woven into fabric… showcasing Japanese techniques of dyeing and stitching… culminating in a vivid Mandala encasing a kimono… Ish sees this as a metaphor for the food in Donmai, where ingredients are taken from raw to refined.

Chef Oishik says, "A lot of products we use at Donmai come from Japan. Now there are many Japanese companies offering food products in India to the trade. There is demand for Japanese food, and people know that it’s more than just sushi and sashimi. They love the great vegetarian offerings, and the ramen bowls."

"Japan itself does not import too many ingredients – the country is so diverse, the soup varies across regions, because of the ingredients and the water. We are doing trials with Indian origin alternatives of the imported fish that we use in the menu."

Ish is clear that she wants to do it all. Contribute to the family mission of education, foster cross collaborations between Donmai and their hospitality management institution, create links between her art and the programmes being offered – in her mind the dots are all connected.

"Donmai to me is very personal. I want to offer an omakase table, I want to curate special menus, extending to Poona may be a natural next step. I would love to enter the area of Chinese cuisine." With an attitude of why not, and many strings to her bow, she is the face of the new food-preneur in India.