He rolls up his sleeve as he steps in front of his cooking station and asks for the freshest pick of avocado from the bunch. Chef Sahil Singh, Corporate Chef, Massive Restaurants, has to demonstrate to his Sous-Chef de cuisine and other chefs how to construct the perfect sushi, down to the last detail. “Precision sells. It means value,” he says. His new Sushi menu at Pa Pa Ya comes with 45 varieties and each has been inspired after a rigorous study of what’s selling and what’s not this year.
Singh has seen the demand for sushi advancing considerably in the last year alone at his restaurant. It has become the cosmopolitan face of progressive Japanese in India given its variety and versatility.
Even though one has to shell out prohibitively high prices for it, it seems that sushi is worth every buck spent on it. “There was a time, not too long ago, when people dismissed it as being raw and tasteless. Things have entirely reversed. From the young to the old, everybody is asking for sushi, like they would have dim sums earlier,” says Singh.
From his vast sushi landscape at his restaurant, some of the preparations that call for special mention are the Spicy Avocado Sushi Rolls made from rice paper, served with seasoned creamy avocado, and the Salmon and Scallop Firepit Smoked Ikura comprising salmon and salmon roe wrapped in cucumber slice and flambéd, among others. There are a few sushi hybrids too in the form of Nigakis, an amalgam of Nigiri and Maki.
For the uninitiated, decision making could be perplexing. The menu is extensive and the description with each dish may not be self-explanatory but that’s where Singh steps in. “I have made sure to assist as many tables as I can personally. For the rest, my team will do the needful. The purpose of this menu is not only to showcase a large assortment, but it’s also to familiarise guests with all the wonderful versions that are available out there. After all, you don’t want to miss out on the goodness of preparations like Yasai Nigaki that comes oozing with asparagus, shitake mushrooms, sriracha caviar, bubuare and yuzu mayonnaise, or the Ama Ebi Sashimi, which is thinly sliced shrimp,” he says.
Classics are juxtaposed with the unusual. Take for instance, the layered Sushi Pizza Zucchini Carpaccio in the shape of a pizza. There is a burger variation too. Oh, and the Valentine roll is all mush and blush in its heart shape. Shall we say more?
November 11 onwards
Pa Pa Ya, Select CityWalk