Hard Boiled Wonderland

Murakami may not have won the Nobel Prize for literature, but there’s another reason to celebrate Japanese treats this month.  Final year students from the Institute of Hotel Management  (Dadar) are busy in the kitchen with several Asian imports – the best one is Chef Shinya Saito – and planning  a super fun Japanese street festival called Washoku 4 to be held in Mumbai from October 21 to 24.

While IHM’s students cook up a fest every year, it’s usually a more formal affair, held in their on-campus restaurant space. This year however, the festivities move to the Institute’s open-air terrace, with street-style tempura stalls, sushi on a conveyor belt and other crafty delights.

Miso Happy

A Rs 500 pass buys you entry to the festival and coupons that you can exchange for yum miso soup, sushi platters, tempuras, soba and udon noodles, okonomiyaki or savoury pancakes, spring rolls, curry-rice, green tea tiramisu, red bean pastry and ice cream with apricot sauce and gari (ginger).  Land of the Ricing Sun!

Kimono Dragon

Once you’ve had your fill of Miso and more, you can hang in the chic green tea ceremony area or pick up on origami demonstrations and other interesting Japanese crafts. The seriously enthusiastic can even hit the kimono photo stall. Say “sashimi”!

Getting there: Institute of Hotel Management, Veer Savarkar Marg, Dadar (W), call ahead to book on 9769666942 / 919881141696, Rs 500 per pass.