largest multi-city sushi business. Now Japanese food is big and will only get bigger. As Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador recently appointed by the Japanese government,my duty is to ensure that the steps for further awareness and appreciation of Japanese food dishes and sushi, grow step by step every single day. What made you want to start bringing Japanese ingredients into India? I have this tendency to do things other people haven’t done, and since I wanted these ingredients myself which weren’t readily available, I did so! Howdid people first react when sushi was first introduced in Indian restaurants? “Ugh, how can you eat raw fish, you must be crazy, we are Indians...!” But they didn’t realize maybe that they are also human beings and that many human beings around the world love eating raw fish! Sushi is a must-have dish now for many Indians. Those who shy away from sushi, I think are the minority. We do Jain sushi, veg sushi, and non-veg sushi, and people just love sushi in India, now. I think it’s truly amazing and such an honor to be in India now and to see Indians reacting positively to sushi! How has the sushi ‘scene’ changed over the years? Is it very different from when it first started out? Sushi is “in”. Some Indian restaurants are putting it on their menu in addition to Chinese and pan-Asian dishes! Do you think all Indian- Japanese restaurants serve authentic sushi? No, I don’t think so. But do all Indian restaurants around the world serve “authentic”? So thereby lies the answer! Do you reckon that Indian sushi consumers’ knowledge of sushi is only limited to a California Roll or a Tempura? Indians are smart innovative and resourceful. Many travels overseas now and experience so many things and expect to eat what they experienced also at home in India. 15 years ago many could not use chopsticks or put too much wasabi with their Kikkoman soy sauce. Now 8 year-olds use chopsticks and ask for a Veg California roll, mum, with extra soy sauce please thank you very much. Many now know what omakase means and others understand the difference between maki sushi and nigiri versus oshi sushi and chirashi sushi. Knowledge also grows and so it will in India. More will demand more options and we restaurateurs must keep up with the latest trends and quality ingredients to continue to make Indian consumers happy. What is your opinion on Indianized Sushi? Good question. I’d say, first,what is your opinion of Indian Chinese? Indians love Indian Chinese. And I think also Indians love Indianized Chinese. So give people what they love! In Japan, we have “wafuu pasta” which literally means Japanized pasta - which the Japanese love and many Italian friends love those dishes, too. So, as long as people love them, why not? Of course, we at Sushi and More, shy away from saying “Tandoori Sushi”, but again if someone is enterprising, and someone would love to buy that, why not? Will the sushi scene in India continue to grow or will it slowly fade away? It is just the beginning.The United States has over 20,000 outlets serving sushi. India has very few a hundred now maybe, this will grow. It’s India’s century, and sushi in India is just beginning. Here we come, India, enjoy the big wave of sushi that will become maybe one day the national food of India?! 32|L U X E B O O K|J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 |L U X E B O O K| 33
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