The new winter menu at Guppy is something that is thoroughly and completely food for the soul. The food warms your heart up, and not just your stomach. The flavours are so intense in places and so simple in the others. The ingredients - no compromise in this regard. Flawlessly fresh ingredients that speak for themselves, dishes that make you go wow, and execution of a menu that is so perfect for Delhi winters makes you a very happy customer at Guppy.
With very nice vibrant lively interiors, the restaurant is divided into two parts. One part is more formal and well-lit than the other, separated by a beautiful outdoor seating in the middle. Very chic interiors.
Our meal started with an amuse bouche, Danshaku Furikake, that consisted of thin crispy fried potato (Danshaku potato spiral) topped with chopped vegetables and furikake (a dry Japanese seasoning consisting of salt, pepper, sesame and other ingredients that vary from recipe to recipe). Served with a warm tomato based drink that was similar to a soup, and was lovely with a hint of jasmine in it. Really flavourful and a really well balanced amuse bouche.
Chicken Suimono inspired by Dobin Mushi, a Japanese seafood broth, was a chicken clear soup served in a teapot. The root vegetables and the chicken dumpling in this were full of flavour, but the simple soup took the cake away. Lovely!
Tofu and Water Chestnut was an appetizer that also consisted of jalapeno and black bean. Very fresh and very different, the black bean in this one is responsible for all the magic!
Snow Peas, Bean, Corn kernels and Kikurage Mushroom Salad - A salad that was all about the 'crunch'. Not underseasoned or overseasoned with the sesame dressing, the salad gave all the due credit to the humble ingredients mentioned in its name. Very fresh with those vibrant looking ingredients!
One of the high points of this meal was Beetroot and Plump Avocado Tartar. The presentation of the dish was so impeccable that I felt bad digging into it and ruining the piece of art. The softness and velvety texture of the avocado tartar, the sweetness from the beetroot and the kickass citrus dressing - I cannot begin to describe how extraordinary this amalgamation of flavours was!
Crispy Soft Shell Crab was a soft shell crab tempura with prawn crackers to munch on. The appetizer didn't have even a single drop of oil more than what was required, the crab was beautiful inside the tempura, and the coating was not at all too thick. The tempura outshone any other tempura I've had before. The prawn crackers were no less than the tempura. It's like me going into a food coma while writing this as well. Exceptional stuff served with some equally sensational wasabi mayo!
Maki Rolls and Black Rice California Rolls was what I tried in their sushi. Guppy does one of the most incredible sushi in Delhi and there's no debate about this. Their sushi is to die for, no matter what you pick out from the menu. However, the California Roll with Black Rice seems to be people's favorite. You go to Guppy at any time of the day and you will see this sushi on at least 3-4 tables. Something you definitely should try, right?
Nasu Dengaku inspired Grilled Aubergine - The dish looked extremely appealing, even though it was aubergine, and so I decided to dig in in spite of my mind telling me not to do so. The dish is prepared by mixing aubergine pulp and onion cooked in Gochujang miso (Gochujang, a savoury and fermented Korean condiment made using Korean chilli pepper powder, miso, rice vinegar, Japanese sake and other delicious ingredients). The mixture stuffed in an aubergine shell and cooked in a garlic panko, with a sensational smoky flavor to it, the dish is very different from the usual Japanese vegetarian stuff that restaurants serve.
Chashu Ramen Shoyu was a dish comprising of egg noodles in a pork broth, very soupy and very hot, so so so delicious with that gorgeous egg and that perfect yolk to slice into, the dish is what you call perfect for the winter season. Comfort food at its best. Just for the extra information: the broth is cooked for 72 hours to get you that superb taste. And how much time do we take to gobble down this painstakingly long dish to prepare? Minutes.
Mushroom Takikome Rice - Sticky rice with mushrooms, and little bit of DIY for you. Condiments that you can add to spice up your serving - a little chilli powder and herbs, and a little chilli paste that wasn't exactly 'chilli', but sure lifts the flavor for a person like me who loves the spice quotient upped a bit. My second most favorite main course dish on their winter menu, the first one being Chicken Katsu Curry Rice, the Takikome Rice will just blow your mind away! Coming from a non vegetarian who was hogging on all the meat, this veg main course is out-of-this-world kind of delicious! A must must try for all.
Now coming to my most favorite dish of their winter menu, the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice. There is nothing as comforting and as superlative as a beautifully prepared curry. But what makes this particular curry stand out, apart from its flavours and spices, is the gorgeous crispy panko fried chicken that is so full of yumminess! Nothing can do justice to how good the curry and rice were. You have to go and try it for yourself to see how good Japanese mains can actually taste. The chicken doesn't come dipped in the gravy, but seated comfortably on a bed of steamed rice, so as to not go soggy before it even reaches the table. The deal is to dip it in the gravy right before you dunk in. Very nice execution!
Their desserts are so tastefully done that it becomes really hard for you to choose off the menu. So I'll do you a favour and tell you- DO NOT miss their Blueberry Crepes and Seasonal Fruit Flambé. It's no less than a treat for your eyes, firstly, and then a treat for your taste buds, followed by a treat for your heart. The comforting filling in your crepes, the yummy luscious fruits with brandy on your plate, the berry sauce that you dip into before taking each bite, and a whole biteful of crepe, fruit and berry sauce together to maybe give you a glimpse of what heaven feels like? The dessert excelled at all fronts!
Red Velvet Cake - A lot of places in Delhi sell this now, and a lotttt of them mess it up so bad. Someone doesn't get the cream cheese right and someone makes it too dry, someone puts too much artificial color into it and someone makes it too sweet. Guppy doesn't go wrong at any of these parameters. Treat yourself with a red velvet here and you will not regret it.
Their drinks are lovely! I tried 2 cocktails, both with quirky twists, and they did them both right.
I will not be able to comment on the service as this was an invite for bloggers and the service tends to be extra special at such events, but the servers knew their stuff well, they were pretty well-informed about the menu too.
The pricing of Guppy is sure on the higher side but the ingredients and taste that they offer is also quite unparalleled. I would say the same for their offerings and variety too now, after seeing the dishes they incorporated into their winter menu. A menu very tastefully thought out and executed, dishes that really do win your heart.
For all those of you who haven't tried out Guppy till now, you're missing out on a great deal of superlative food! I've already been there once after this review, and I'm planning my next visit very soon as well. Go and explore the other side of Japanese cuisine, the side that is still hidden beneath sushi. :)
Address: 28, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New DelhiTimings:
Lunch: 12-3:30 PM
Dinner: 7PM-1AM
Connect with me on:
Twitter: @sahibagursahane
Instagram: @thetastingfork
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetastingfork
