Elevated Asian fare: JW Marriott’s EAST is worth the 60 km trip to Nandi Hills

This is going to be a rave review.

And why wouldn’t it be, when just the first bite of the yasai tempura transported me back to Kyoto's wisteria-lined, endless labyrinths where I once ran into an obaachan (Japanese for grandmother) who insisted I accompany her home so she could feed me a dish she’d learned from her great, great obaachan.

EAST, a newly-launched Asian cuisine restaurant by JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa, reminded me of her home—simple and minimalistic, but casual and cosy.

You don’t feel like you’re eating out at EAST—instead, an Asian-style living room, replete with an armoire, a hat stand, and comfy sofas, invites you in. But if that still doesn’t feel right and you’re in the mood for something more atmospheric, you can move to an outdoor verandah-like area that overlooks the property’s lake. On a pleasant, sunny day, you can even dine on zashiki-style setups—low tables laid on top of tatami mats, where you essentially sit on cushions on the floor—in the many gardens that connect parts of the restaurant.

This quaint, slice-of-life restaurant is led by MasterChef Saiful Agam, an Indonesian native who first learned how to cook from his chef mother, and specialises in Korean, Cantonese, and Japanese cuisine.

Compared to the breadth of what authentic Korean, Cantonese, and Japanese cuisines offer, EAST’s menu is limited but packs a powerful punch. It has a smattering of elevated iconic dishes that each East Asian country’s cuisine offers, which makes it easy to get familiar with the menu. If you do, however, get overwhelmed, Executive Chef Neeraj Rawoot puts you deftly at ease, offering suggestions based on your likes and dislikes.

While the dishes, in and of themselves, don’t consciously cater to Indian taste sensibilities and strive to remain as authentic as possible, chefs Saiful and Neeraj both say the curation has been done keeping the quintessential Indian diner in mind. Instead of fancy culinary foams and nitrogen-based purees, the focus is on big, bold Asian ingredients, herbs, and spices that instantly transport you to Kyoto’s many hidden izakayas, Bangkok’s crowded street food stalls, or Seoul’s pojangmachas.

EAST launched officially in October this year and is open to visitors, Tuesday to Sunday.

What we ate

Chefs Saiful and Neeraj started us off with a small portion of a plant protein salad that was crunchy, toasty, chewy, and nutty—all in equal measure—and it did not disappoint. Then, a sight to behold: trays of sushis, including my personal favourite—the avocado uramaki.

The avocado and cream cheese pairing can never go wrong, in my opinion, so I might be a little biased. But when I, in my hubris, bit into the wasabi serviced alongside the sushi and was instantly reduced to tears, I realised this was as close to authentic as it gets.

Please excuse the tangent, but this needs to be said: even the best Asian restaurants in India serve extremely weak wasabi. Of course, I’m not expecting farm-fresh wasabi worth $250/kg that is grated right in front of me, but factory-made wasabi just lacks that pungency that makes it so unique.

Not at EAST though. The wasabi rendered me unable to process information for a full three minutes—the brain freeze was truly glorious—and the come-down from that was an entirely different experience.

Next came a flurry of dim sums—the edamame truffle dim sum had that very specific earthy taste of the truffle oil; followed by chicken siumai that felt like an explosion of chicken and broth. The sweetness of the dim sum shells is masterfully balanced by the black pepper sauce and a familiar chilli-onion dip.

The entrees are punctuated thoughtfully by cocktails that come with an Asian spin on classic concoctions, such as a dash of yuzu in a classic whiskey sour, or a smoked lemongrass accent on a gimlet. The balance between the sweet and the spirit is harmonious, however, the Asian elements don’t really shine through and feel a bit on the nose instead of inspired by the theme of the restaurant.

While we did not sample any, I was told the restaurant had an extensive sake and soju menu too, along with iconic Japanese whiskeys such as Yamazaki or the Hibiki, which I’d definitely recommend picking over the cocktails.

The yasai tempura was visually stunning—more like a piece of art than a dish, and tasty in equal measure when you bit into it. And unlike most conventional Indo-Japanese tempura, it was really light and airy, despite being deep-fried.

The chicken yaki udon, albeit tasty, was not very memorable, but the mushroom and tofu spring rolls rounded us out quite nicely.

While I don’t eat seafood, my fellow diners couldn’t help but wax eloquent about the prawn hargow, the spicy salmon roll, and the butter garlic prawns. The seafood is locally sourced, the chefs told us, as are most other ingredients. The property has its own little farm where it grows produce, and you really can taste the freshness of the ingredients.

By the time we got around to desserts, we were beyond well-fed and watered, and aching to call it a day. But Chef Neeraj, who spent several years cooking in Thailand, sold us on Raumitr—a signature jackfruit, corn and water chestnut dessert inspired by tub tim grob.

Let Raumitr be the one dessert you try when you dine at EAST because it was truly an experience from start to finish. The sweetness of the coconut milk and jack fruit is tempered by the salty corn nibblets, while the water chestnut rubies give it a crunchy, bitey texture. The whole dish doesn’t sit too heavy, and the worst part of my day was when it got over.

I’m an Asian cuisine fiend. I particularly enjoy Japanese and Cantonese, having eaten my way through Japan and Hong Kong. And after having dined at most of Bengaluru’s best Asian restaurants, I’d venture to say EAST is definitely among my top five.

Price for two: around Rs 3,500. EAST, JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort Hotel Hotel & Spa, Nandi Hills, Bengaluru. Open for lunch only on weekdays, from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm; dinner, all days from 7:30 pm to 11 pm; closed Mondays.