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Uni brings Nikkei Cuisine to Victoria

July 20, 2014 by manjirichitnis 11 Comments

The largest Japanese settlement outside of Japan is in Peru and the unique fusion cuisine that is Japanese Peruvian is called Nikkei. Fiona invited me to accompany this time to discover Nikkei, she is an award-winning freelance writer and marketing consultant who currently writes about travel and London lifestyle for a number of publications and runs her own London lifestyle blog called London Unattached.

So it was a bright summer Monday afternoon that I trooped to Uni (the Japanese word for the sea urchin, a Japanese delicacy) restaurant and sushi bar designed by Andrew Martin, in Belgravia minutes away from the travel hub that is Victoria station.

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I was shown to a cosy table downstairs.

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For starters, I got some steamed edamame with a spicy chilli and garlic sauce (£4.50) and some refreshing green tea served in a typical cast iron heavy pot which I would love to have as part of my growing food prop collection which now occupies every corner or of our tiny rental flat much to the chagrin of my hubby – I guess the last straw was trying to pass off a very heavy cast iron pot as a ‘place to keep his USB drives and hide away the many wires…. hehehee

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I had happily managed to forget my phone at home and therefore Fiona tried in vain to inform me of her delayed train. Blissfully unaware of this I sipped my tea and munched my edamame all the time trying to ignore some stuffy banker-type folks on the table next to me talking shop – how boring…

So when Fiona arrived she managed to move us to a bigger table away from the ‘big boy talk’ as she aptly called it and onto a table where I could dump my bags and lay my camera lens and other paraphernalia – I do not travel light …

To make life easier we chose to have bento boxes for our mains and mine came with the udon noodle and fish cake soup while Fiona had a light Miso soup. I was feeling ravenous by the time the soup arrived and devoured it in a flash! (£24.5 per bento box – comes with soups, salad, sushi, & maki, main dish, side, rice and dessert)

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Nabe Udon  – Noodle and Fishcake Soup with Prawn Tempura.

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Beautifully light Miso Soup

My Bento box had Kaiso Wakame  – seaweed salad, prawn and carrot tempura, main of duck tataki – seared duck breast finely sliced and dressed with mirin and soy, fried rice and sashimi selection. The duck tataki was deliciously morish, I also loved the seaweed salad and the sticky fried rice with the sashimi was very filling.

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Fiona’s bento box came with steamed rice and artichoke sauce, and black cod and was very appetising.

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We washed down our Bento lunch boxes with some chilled sake.

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The very polite manager came and urged us to experiment with some of the Nikkei range from the menu and we were served two stunning dishes.

Tiraditos of Yellowtail with kizami wasabi,Yuzu and fresh mint presented in a creative and stunning display, it was delightfully fresh, sharp in taste with a delicate balance of colour and flavour. (£15.5)

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Wildly beautiful looking salmon tartare tacos with cucumber,tomato,masago and creamy miso were crunchy and melt in your mouth creamy all at one once exploding with a light flavour in every bite – delicious! (£6)

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Stuffed to the gills now I had to walk around click a few pictures and allow for some space to be created in my tummy to fit in some dessert 😉

To my amusement the very attentive young lady on the staff showed us how the colourful lamp shade were made from bottle of campari that could be detached and well glugged , given it was a hot summer afternoon I think it was a great idea that Fiona ordered us some Pisco Sour shots instead ;).Never having tasted these before I downed them in one go much to my own peril, the sake already in my system the shot gave me quite the buzz!

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Thankfully, my cooling Matcha Gelato worked wonders and cooled me down several degrees -phew!

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Fiona managed to stay light with desserts too with a selection of fresh fruit.

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The creation of former Nobu chef Rolando Ongcoy, the menu at UNI offers a good selection of grilled meats ,fish, sushi,sashimi, selection of tempura and maki. The Peruvian influence is prevalent throughout UNI’s menu, ceviche and tiraditos peruano included.

The bar area upstairs also has plenty of seating on high stools and around the bar, perfect for knocking down Peruvian fav’s like the pisco sours or coconut-based Chilli Mojito.

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Victoria being a very office space kind of area is lucky to have Uni in its midst now, with bite-sized healthier meal options, seven-dish bento boxes for short lunch hours are on offer at a price of course. So the big banker boys and girls can have their financial pow-wow meets in the fancy cubicles or basement vaults if you please which can seat about 10 – 12 people, and if the huge ice buckets with bottles of chilled Moet and the power talk we overheard from the table next to us are anything to go by then Uni is already a haunt for these suited and well-heeled office folks!

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  • Website: Uni
  • Opening Times: is open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday inclusive

*With thanks to Uni for the invitation. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Uni Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Filed Under: Featured Lifestyle, Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: a guide to eating out in London, a Japanese delicacy, Andrew Martin, anticucho sauce, Belgravia, bento boxes, Black Cod, cast iron heavy pot, ceviche, chilled sake, coconut-based Chilli Mojito, creamy miso, crunchy, cucumber, delicious, designed, dessert, dressed with mirin and soy, duck tataki, eating out in London, edamame, flavour, food blog, food blogger, food writer, foodie in London, former Nobu chef Rolando Ongcoy, fresh, fried rice, fusion cuisine, garlic sauce, hubster, husband, Japan, Japanese Peruvian, Kaiso Wakame, kizami wasabi, lifestyle blogger, light Miso soup, main dish, maki, Manjiri Chitnis, Manjiri Kulkarni, masago, Matcha Gelato, melt in your mouth, mint, Nabe Udon, Nikkei, Noodle and Fishcake Soup, Peru, peruano, pisco sours, prawn and carrot tempura, Prawn Tempura, restaurant, reviews from travelsfortaste blog, rice, salad, salmon tartare tacos, sashimi selection, seared duck breast finely sliced, seaweed salad, side, slice of my life, sliceoffme, sliceoffme eats London, sliceoffme recipes, soups, spicy chilli, steamed, steamed rice, sushi, sushi bar, Tiraditos, tomato, travel blogger, travel writer, travelsfortaste, Uni, unique, urchin, usb, Victoria station, Yellowtail, Yuzu

Interview with Pune’s leading Fruit Wine Manufacturer

June 17, 2013 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

It was on a hot summer evening at home in Pune when dad and I had some Strawberry wine while watching the IPL. Baba told me about how he came to procure the wine one evening at a promotion at a Club in Pune. A wine made in Pune and that too made with strawberries, how very interesting…Lucky for me I managed to get in touch with the man behind the business who strives to establish a wine culture in Pune, sink your teeth into the chat we had at his bungalow in the heart of the old part of Pune City, the Peths as they are called.

Mr. Akkalpit Prabhune spared some time from his busy schedule to share his story.

This young entrepreneur who manages a full-time career in IT makes time for channelling his creativity and passion into promoting his fruity wines. He lets is in on how his passion and vision to introduce a culture of wine drinking using local fruits led to the creation of Rhythm Wines.

MJ: What is the difference between fruit wines and regular grape wines, the composition, etc?

AP: Fruit wine is basically wine made from fruits other than grapes. The quality of any wine is determined by the fruit used. Some of the Indian fruits which are suitable for Indian climate and soil which lend a natural aroma & flavor to fruits wines like strawberries, grapes, and kiwis are good candidates to make a fruit wine. Fruit wines are lighter and fruitier as compared to grape wines so consumers new to wines can easily appreciate these wines.

”Wines are palate cleansers. Every Bite is a new bite.’’

MJ: Is the technology for making fruit wines different than that used for grape wines?

AP: There is no difference in the process of making fruit wines and grape wine. So there is not much difference in technology. Generally based on the fruits used the crushing equipment will need to modify but after juicing is done the process is absolutely same as grape wine. The advantage with fruit wines is that they require very less time to mature, within 6 months they can be bottled. This also ensures that the machinery is in use throughout the year.

MJ: Why the name Rhythm Wines? (My personal favourite question!)

AP: Sipping wine listening while listening to music is ideal is it not? It lightens us, sets the mood for a pleasant meal, like a perfect set of musical notes with Rhythm…

MJ: What inspired you to get into this business?

AP: I have travelled a lot and have savoured various amazing wines in the course of my travels and I wanted to create wines using local fruits which would help establish a culture of appreciating fruit wines amongst people used to the local flavours and cuisine. Breaking the elitist view towards wine consumption and expanding the market being part of my mission. After studying the existing scenario of the wine industry and understanding the importance of fruit wines, I started Rhythm winery in Pune City, Maharashtra with My partner, Mr. Gulu Jagtianey, in 2010, and has successfully made wines from pineapple and strawberry. We received a very good response for our wines in many wine festivals and received demands for wines from apples, peaches, and Strawberry. The Strawberry variant has just been launched in Pune and Mumbai markets and received great appreciation. 

”Our mission is to offer the best variety of tropical fruit wines suited perfectly to Indian palate and food. We strongly believe that excellent wines are made only from quality fruits which are best suited to local climatic and soil conditions’’

MJ: Where is the bottling plant located?

AP: Rhythm winery is located outskirts of Pune on way to Khadakwasla, Narhe Gaon; It has an existing capacity of about 25000 liters of wine a year. It is proposed to increase this capacity to 50000 liters soon.

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MJ: Where are the strawberries you use sourced from?

AP: Strawberry comes from a world-famous region of Panchgani in Maharashtra. Strawberry varieties we use for wine manufacturing, a blend of ‘kamaroza’ and ‘sweet Charlie’.

MJ: How do you ensure uniformity in the quality of fruits used? As most of the grape wineries have their own grape farms.

AP: We also have contract farming for our fruits. We use specific varieties of strawberries and pineapples.

MJ: Who is the master brewer that you work with?

AP: His name is Dominique Revard and he is a Canadian fruit wine expert who lends his years of experience and expertise to our business.

MJ: Grape wines have just managed to find a foothold in India. Do you think the Indian Consumers will give the same preference to fruit wines as with Grape wines? What is the scope these wines have in India?

AP: It’s easier for local flavours to be appreciated by people, hence we believe that consumers will find it easier to appreciate wines made using strawberries and pineapples as they would be able to identify easily with these fruits vis-avis posh varieties of grapes. Besides Indian Cuisine is high on flavour, spices and our light-bodied, fruity wines pair well with Indian food.

MJ: How did you gauge the commercial viability of manufacturing fruit wines?

AP: It is a new concept, hence before manufacturing wines from any fruit, many variants are created and tested at all stages of wines. Rhythm winery has done extensive R&D on different fruits and then ventured into pineapple and strawberry. Generally, fruit wines are not manufactured on a very large scale but wineries with a capacity of 30,000 to 50,000 liters can be viable. A huge amount of marketing efforts are required since the concept is new.

MJ: Which different fruits have the Indian wine producers experimented with for making wine? Mention your take on the usage of Kiwi fruit for producing wine.

AP: Pineapple and Strawberry are currently produced by us at Rhythm winery. Lychee wine is manufactured by Lucca winery in Haryana. Dapoli Krishi Vidyapeeth,(Stateof Maharashtra, India) have worked on Kokum and Mango wines. Apple, Kiwi wines are produced in North and Eastern India.

MJ: How do you deal with competition?

AP: Suprisingly, Fruit wines are not being sold commercially by too many players in the wine market. We welcome competition; it always helps expand the market!

MJ: What is the current installed capacity for fruit wines in the market?

AP: Presently there are very few players in fruit wines. Rhythm winery is definitely the leading player in the Fruit Wine Market. In all, 300,000 to 500,000 liters of fruit wine is made annually.

MJ: How will fruit wines benefit fruit growers/wine producers/consumers?

AP: Presently due to average storage conditions huge amount of fruits are wasted. As per Food ministry, more than 70 % of fruits are wasted! Therefore, for those that grow strawberries, pineapples and kiwi supplying to fruit wine manufacturers like us will open up an excellent avenue for business in the processed foods and drink industry and offer more options than producing only jams, jellies, and preserves. Wine producers can plan production seasonally and can make the best use of their production capacity. Since fruit wines are easier and lighter to drink, introducing new consumers to wines will be easier to achieve.

MJ: How do you promote your fruit wines?

AP: By participating in wine festivals and trade fairs. Directly advertising wines is prohibited by Indian Excise Laws.

MJ: What expansion plans do you have outside of Maharashtra State?

AP: There is a 300 % import duty for goods sold between states in India, the Indian Grape Processing Board – I.G.P.B has also been appealing to reduce these taxes and improve trade opportunities.

MJ: After strawberry and pineapple wines what’s next?

AP: Kiwi Wine is next on the list. In order to support farmers who produce these crops and to aid local entrepreneurs who boost the local economy the government is keen to support ventures like ours. Kiwi is the fruit that we are currently experimenting with and the Himachal Pradesh Government has chosen our company to come up with viable fruit wines, we hope to soon offer them a few samples and finalise on one, they would supply us with the fruit which we will use to create and bottle our new kiwi variant.

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MJ: Is there any export potential?

AP: Indian fruit wines if marketed properly will have a great scope in foreign countries, as these wines will have specific characters and fruits with an Indian origin.

MJ: Where else in the world are fruit wines made/consumed/popular?

AP: Apple wines is been made for centuries and very famous in the UK, France, and North America. Canada and Australia are leaders in fruit wines and have successfully marketed their wines internationally. Some states in the USA like Florida, Texas are famous for their local fruit wines. Presently fruit wines have about 3 to 5% of market share in the overall wine market.

MJ: What is the shelf life of fruit wines?

AP: Ideally 2 years from bottling.

MJ: What are Differences in aging process and storage of the fruit wines vis-avis Grape Wines?

AP: Ageing of up to a year is sufficient. Storage principles are similar to other wines.

MJ: What is the advantage of using screw caps vs cork screws?

AP: Cork screws are used to create complex bouquets. Fruit wines can get tainted with poor quality corks.

MJ: What is the advantage of using screw caps vs cork screws?

MJ: If one has to buy your wines in Pune and Mumbai where are they retailing?

AP: In Pune, our wines retail with reputable retailers like Dorabjees, Ozone, and are on the menu at restaurants at Liquid Hut Restaurant, Barbecue Nation, Oasis, P.Y.C Gymkhana.

In Mumbai, we have just started out and are making our fruit wines available in areas like Bandra, Andheri, and South Mumbai.

MJ: Any benefits linked to the consumption of fruit wines as Red Wine consumption is linked to several health benefits.

AP: Amongst the known Health benefits of pineapple and strawberry wines some are:

  1. Pineapple contains bromelain and beta–carotene which improves digestion, lowers the risk of macular degeneration, improves the quality of vision.
  2. Strawberries are packed with Vitamins & Antioxidants which help increases immunity to bad cholesterol and are thus beneficial towards maintaining a healthier heart.

It was early evening by then, the slanting sun rays streaming into the terrace room converted into a study, were playing peek-a-boo with the few dozen mangoes which are lying face down on the floor to ripen.

There was a pause as I sipped on my tea and made doodles on my notepad. My very polite host looked around and handed me a bottle of Pineapple Wine, I politely declined but he was rather persistent. On my way home, making a mental note to stop procrastinating and I promised myself to start doing all the things that I have filed away in the recesses of mind as well ‘’to be done some time, in the future’’. After all, hasn’t this passionate entrepreneur proved that if you have a Dream you must act on it… Yes, dreams really do come true… that bottle in my cloth satchel clinking against my bunch keys was proof.

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Check out the Rhythm Wines website:http://rhythmwinery.com/, Connect with them on their Facebook page

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Andheri, Antioxidants, apple wine, apples, Australia, bandra, Barbecue Nation, beta carotene, Bottling Plant, bromelain, Canadian fruit wine expert, corkscrew, culture, Dapoli Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dorabjees, drink, England, entrepreneur, flavour, foood and wine, France, fruit wines, grapes, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, improve digestion, India, Indian cuisine, Indian Grape Processing Board, Interview, IPL cricket, IT, Khadakvasla, Khadakwasla, Kiwi wine, kokum, Kokum wine, Liquid Hut Restaurant, Lucca winery, Lychee, macular degeneration, maharashtra, mango, Mango Wine, music, Narhe Gaon, North America. Canada, North and Eastern India, Oasis, Ozone, P.Y.C Gymkhana, palate cleanser, peaches, pear wine, peth, Pineapple, pineapple wine, Pune, Rhythm Wines, South Mumbai, Strawberry, strawberry wine, sun rays, U.K, United Kingdom, vision, Vitamins, wine producers

Oh India I miss your COLOURS SIGHTS SOUNDS and smells ..well almost all of them;)

February 6, 2012 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

One of the things I miss most about my life in India is the COLOUR, the colours of daily clothing for example worn by women even in the most modern of cities as it collides with the Sauvé greys and blacks of the suits that walk around. I sorely miss wearing Indian clothes and my favourite glass bangles. Moreover the whole thing where we have colour as part of our home decor is also something I really miss. I have taken a vow that each time I visit India next I shall surely buy some key pieces for placing in my flat to give it a distinctive Indian flavour, the more vibrant colourful and hard to get the object the higher will be its place of importance in my heart and home .

There are these times I miss all that I did like the zillion times I would walk into FAB INDIA with A OR P or just saunter in by myself and ogle at the lovely fabrics and the salivate over the chunky jewellery I especially love their short kurtis (tunics) and silver earrings . I love FAB INDIA clothes and mix matching them with different pieces to wear.

Long back this close pal of mine, S, told me about this blog called Rang Decor , it’s a splash of very beautiful photographs of extremely well done up homes and also awesome places , the most recent post about Kutch and how art is literally everywhere sitting silently amongst very obvious harsh weather and stark poverty is quite a lovely post to SEE , read ,feel and think !

http://rangdecor.blogspot.com/

Such are the ways I amuse myself when I feel the “I miss INDIA” Nostalgia pangs coming along .This is followed by a session of listening to old Bollywood songs on you tube , browsing through photographs of close family and friends for the millionth time and then looking outside to see an almost empty street save for the occasional bus that zips past and some cars . How I miss the sights and sounds of Bombay and Pune. I progress to making a cup of hot tea for myself and start listening to some golden oldies from the Kishore Kumar era ! Sighhh Lifeee …..

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: beautiful, blogspot, Bollywood, Bombay, bus, colour, FabIndia, flavour, India, KishoreKumar, kutch, miss, Mumbai, nostalgia, old, oldies, Pune, rfang decor, sight, silver, smell, songs, sound, tea

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