Continuing on our journey to try the numerous restaurants in Bombay which offer cuisines of the Orient, our search led us to the fabled Kofuku in Bandra West. Now you must be thinking “all these Eastern restaurants in Bandra West, what gives?” and surprisingly, this Japanese restaurant is right next to its Korean sibling, Heng Bok, which we had covered earlier.

Kofuku means “Happiness” in Japanese and that’s the vibe you get from the moment you enter. The brightly lit place looks inviting and the light wooden tables and chairs make you feel instantly welcome and comfortable. They also raised tables which gives a very immersive experience of eating Japanese cuisine.

We are still new to the flavours of the Orient (rather, the far Orient) and still learning about Japanese cuisine. We stick to food like tempura, teriyaki, and ramen because somehow they feel closer to home to our palate as we are more accustomed to Chinese cuisine. Dishes like sashimi and sushi, which are raw preparations, are a bit of an acquired taste and we are slowly dipping our beaks into them, with much trepidation.

We did try the sashimi and sushi in Kofuku, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, and it was pretty good. The Rainbow Roll, which is a sashimi roll, was very colourful and palatable and is authentic Japanese sashimi that is sans any sauces or spices. For that reason, Kofuku also has a Hollywood Roll, which is a more adventurous sushi roll.

We also had the squid tempura which was delicious as well Age-Dashi Tofu which is delicately fried tofu in dashi soup. We tried the Shoyu ramen along with some chicken gyoza (fried dumplings) and a Niku Yasai Itame which is a stir fry with soya sauce. These are all “safe” and tasty options and allow us to explore the other side of Japanese cuisine which is not Sushi.

Kofuku is a nice place to chill and enjoy an evening of Japanese cuisine with friends or family. It has a good vibe and has a lot of noise which makes the ambiance lively and fun. The pocket pinch is about 4500 for two people (including alcohol) but I think we over-ordered a fair bit and it should be about 3500. Do check it and let us know what you think!