Spanning the sixth floor of Taj City Centre New Town, the latest luxe spot in town is Wykiki, an Asian dine den-cum-lounge space that opens doors today. Spread across an area that spans over 700sqm, the space is divided into an indoor and an outdoor section. The indoor has a glasshouse with seating capacity of 74 while the outdoor beer garden and semi-covered seating on the sides can accommodate 48 guests. The indoor area has a separate menu that offers primarily cuisines like Chinese, Japanese and Thai. It is centred around the idea of a proper sit-down meal rather than bar nibbles. The outdoor garden focuses on more bar food and finger food and serves a variety of South Asian cuisines. Both zones have separate pricing as well. The Telegraph went through a massive sit-down lunch and here’s getting you more on the space and its food.
What: Wykiki
Where: 6th floor, Taj City Centre New Town
Opens: Saturday, September 24
Timings: Weekdays 4pm to midnight, weekends 4pm to 4am
Meal for two: Rs 2,500-plus with alcohol
“Apart from the all-day dine den Shamiana, we needed a special and celebratory feel space in the hotel and Wykiki was the answer to that. The restaurant combines a luxe fine-dine vibe inside with a more relaxed and bar feel outside. The music too will be classic lounge-style, which will upgrade its tempo as the night progresses. The food is fine-dine inside and substantial bar grub outside. The menu is a crisp yet comprehensive one,” said Sourav Ghosal, general manager, Taj City Centre New Town.
Luxe sal green velvet is the focal element inside with its presence on each couch, along with complementary foliage prints on some chairs. Marble tables with geometric patterns and signature green cutlery keep the theme intact. There is a cocktail bar inside as well. The seating is formal, without becoming overbearing.
The glasshouse is also surrounded by rectangular waterbodies that house lotuses and koi fish.
Sip And Bite
Crispy Lotus Root with Sticky Rice and Sweet and Sour Dip: This has Thai lotus root that is imported from Thailand and then a filling of water chestnuts, sesame and bell pepper is added before frying it.
Matcha Cheesecake: Mascarpone and Philadelphia cheese come together to create the creaminess in the cheesecake that is alternated with layers of matcha sponge. The Philadelphia cheese balances out the mascarpone.
Singapore Sling: Part of the sharing cocktail menu, this classic sip from 1915 has gin, pineapple, lemon curacao, and benedictine with grenadine and cherry liqueur.
Prawn Katsu with Wasabi Dip: A Japanese-style butterfly prawn starter that has crumb-fried succulent prawns on a bed of fried glass noodles with Togarashi chilli powder sprinkled on top. The wasabi dip is a creamy yet pungent one.
Prawn Hargao Dumplings with Spicy Mayo: The dumpling shells are made using potato starch and tapioca flour and the fresh prawn filling inside comes together to create a melt-in-the-mouth bite. The dip is a mayo-sriracha combo that completes the flavour profile.
Marshmallow Martini: As the name suggests, this martini brings in a smoky and spicy margarita with tequila, chocolate liqueur and is topped off with marshmallows that are torched and toasted right before service.
Five Spice Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken: The rice packs in the heat from five spices such as aniseed, fennel, star anise, Sichuan pepper corn, cardamom. The chicken balances it out with slight sweetness from the honey in the gravy.
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
