Harima has been around for a while and the couple of times I was there before, wasn't too impressed. The fare was definitely authentic but the menu options were fairly limited.

The menu has been totally revamped and it is frankly quite a task to figure out what to order. A portion of the restaurant has been extended outdoors and it looks like they have Karaoke nights. There are now a variety of sushi, teriyaki, Nabe, sashimi and a plethora of appetizers. The food is definitely on the expensive side and very akin to a 5 star restaurant in terms of cost.

We ordered a butter garlic prawn dumplings to start off with along with sliced beef tongue that was marinated to perfection.  The dumplings were extremely soft and delicious and an able foil for the slightly tangy beef tongue.

Wanting to try something new, we decided on the Nabe which a Japanese hot pot type preparation. Served in a clay pot, Nabe comes in different varieties. The method of preparation is very similar irrespective of the type of Nabemono though they fall into two broad categories, one with a thick stock and one with a thin stock.

The Nabe we got was called Shabu Shabu which is essentially thinly sliced beef with vegetables in a hot water broth. First they bring a gas stove. A large pot is placed on the stove with hot water in it. Once the water starts boiling, different raw vegetables go into the water. There was spinach, mushrooms, green cabbage, carrots and tofu followed by the raw sliced beef.

A few minutes later, we were served the broth with the meat and vegetables and it went very well with sticky white rice.  Dipping sauces included a sesame dip and a ponzu (citrus based) sauce. All contributed to a an extremely healthy and tasty meal and we were quite stuffed at the end of it.

I definitely want to go back and try out more of the offerings at Harima as the authentic Japanese cuisine here is quite addictive and probably is the only non 5-star Japanese restaurant in Bangalore. A big thumbs up and if you’re near Residency Road, Harima is worth a visit!