Kaméi’s The Great Wall Offers An Asian Take On The Picante

With the deluge of Asian restaurants mushrooming in Delhi-NCR, it’s safe to assume the cuisine is a hot favourite. However, most places offer the same old tried-and-tested food and drinks.

Kaméi in the national capital’s newest hotspot, Eldeco Centre, is a breath of fresh air. A fine-dining concept from the House of Fio, it attempts to spotlight the flavours of East Asia through high-quality produce and heritage recipes, imbued with generous amounts of storytelling. In the food menu conceptualised by chef Aditya Moitra, China, Japan, and Thailand get the lion’s share, with Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia and Burma coming a close second. 

The bar programme by mixologist Ankur Adhana is all about Asian-inspired drinks with a hint of familiarity. The new cocktail menu, Kaméi’s Odyssey, traces the life journey of the sea turtle (Kaméi translates to sea turtle in Japanese and Chinese) through six cocktails–The Hatch, The Great Wall, The Spirited Climb, Trekking the Grassland, Swimming the Currents, and the Final Stretch. 

The Star Cocktail 

Every cocktail programme in Delhi-NCR offers its own take on the Picante–a tequila-based drink elevated with a kick of spice. While most overdo it (almost making you choke), others struggle with getting the balance right. At Kaméi, the vodka-based The Great Wall is a refreshing alternative to the ever-popular Picante (you could switch to tequila if that’s your spirit of choice). The drink depicts the second chapter of the sea turtle’s life. After the turtle hatchling emerges out of its shell, it is exposed to sweet and spicy experiences of life. This concoction brings together the citrusy Yuzu with tart balsamic and pungent jalapenos, tieing it beautifully with celery and green apples. The rim is lined with kimchi salt and the garnish is a wasabi crisp, almost making you feel you’re eating your cocktail! 

The zesty-sweet flavour profile balanced with the right amount of spice made it my potion for the night. However, I feel they could have done away with the wasabi crisp–it didn’t add much to the drink. 

What’s More? 

The new cocktail menu may be small but it packs a punch with its potent offerings. Some other libations I enjoyed were The Hatch, Swimming the Currents and The Final Stretch.  The Hatch is a savoury blend of white rum, white cacao and house made tomato soda. The cocktail highlights the concept of neuromixology, where a few flavours are combined to derive something new. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it’d taste like raw banana. The garnish is a half white chocolate shell (depicting the hatched egg) filled with Thai sacha inchi nuts. Yet again, the garnish seemed unnecessary. 

The tequila-based Swimming the Currents was another favourite. I generally do not like cocktails with sweet notes, since most restaurants and bars tend to go overboard with syrups. This one was different – it had the intense flavour of litchi, which paired seamlessly with the floral flavour profile of lavender liqueur. The fruitiness of guava and the tropical hint of lemongrass took it to the next level. It was subtly sweet, sharp and kept my spirits high! 

Suprisingly, I enjoyed the dessert cocktail, The Final Stretch that had an interesting combination of strawberry, vodka and matcha. While there were several sweet elements including condensed milk and butterscotch gelato, no ingredient felt overpowering. The Spirited Climb, a tequila-based drink with a splash of Chardonnay, a hint of thyme and sensho pepper reduction and smoky notes of cedar wood, was a bit too tart for my liking. In the case of Trekking the Grassland, I would give it full marks for experimentation. While the house made melon liqueur and green chartreuse felt like a natural fit, the basil foam didn’t belong here in my opinion. 

What to eat?

The food menu at Kaméi has a mix of classic traditional dishes and modern experimental creations. Some of their cold plates like the Coconut Sea Bass Ceviche with a deeply flavourful coriander coconut leche de tigre and Chilli Tuna Tartare with crispy rice cakes are fan favourites. There are also hot plates like classic dimsums, stir-fry options along with grilled dishes to choose from. On the other hand, the large plates include curries, dishes from the wok and some signatures like the Filipino-inspired Adobo Curry and the Sichuan Seabass Wok. These can be paired with Kaméi Fried Rice or Yaki Udon for a complete meal.

Vibe Check

The live-edged tables, curved walls and the lighting pay homage to the fluidity of the Asian waters. The space is a confluence of inspired Japanese minimalism, earthy materials, and striking silhouettes, juxtaposed with a stroke of luxury. The sophisticated and sexy ambience at Kaméi particularly comes alive at night!