A fine stop for sushi

In Japanese, ‘ruka’ means a bright blue flower. The latest swish Japanese eatery in the city has nothing bright or blue going on in its interiors whatsoever. Played in sombre and luxuriant shades of grey, Ruka, nestled in the ground floor of the Ramee Guestline Hotel, Juhu, looks every bit the fine dining destination it promises to be. Sushis and sashimis are the clear headliners on the menu, which also proudly boasts their four-figure pricing. What instantly catches the eye as you step in is the cosy sushi bar bordering a compact open kitchen. As you marvel at the exquisite Japanese food artistry on your plate — Kaiseki is the term for that, we are told — you also get to see the chefs quietly at work, with calm concentration that’s not very characteristic of hotel kitchens. But then, this is a Japanese restaurant that proudly wears its traditions and its eccentricities on its sleeve, under the able guidance of Chef Masado Toida who brings four decades of experience to the table.

We start off with an enjoyable and eye opening sushi and sashimi experience. On the platter were finely cut salmon, tuna, seabass, octopus and red snapper, each piece of fish fashioned around a ball of rice, served with soya sauce and the traditional condiments. The options are exhaustive and vegetarians don’t have to miss out either, because on offer is a sushi platter of papaya, radish and tofu varieties — something beyond commonplace. The precision on the plate is a greater wow factor than the taste, which soon blurs into a fish bliss by the time we arrive at the end of the sushi train. They even have an egg variety too, that takes you by surprise with its sweet aftertaste

We also munched on the Rock Shrimp Tempura while waiting for the main course. Served with lime and chilli mayo they are a fine accompaniment to some innovative cocktails such as the Caviar Bellini and White Elder Gin. The bar menu keeps the exhaustive food menu good company, and if you can stand the pinch in your pocket, you are spoilt for choice. The main course, however, had a bleak start with the spicy teriyaki marinated Chilean sea bass, which seemed a tad undercooked. The sauce however was spot on. Look out for the mushroom pot rice, the flavours so subtle with a dash of the miso truffle butter — a winning dish all the way. Another item we tried was the crispy prawn tempura roll. Wrapped in a fine rice noodle sheet with black fungus, this is one undefeated dish on the menu.

When a luxury Japanese restaurant gets its sushis/sashimis right, it gives its competitors reason to worry. Ruka scores massively on that front, and also gets the simple things right. It’s not always necessary to be radical.

Rating: 3.5 stars Meal for two: Rs 5,000 onwards Ruka, ground floor, Ramee Guestline Hotel, AB Nair Road, Juhu