Karan Johar’s Oju In Gurugram Brings Together Japanese Techniques And Traditions, While Keeping It Playful And Accessible

It’s sleek, it’s sexy, it’s everything you can expect from a Karan Johar blockbuster, except that this is a restaurant in Gurugram. Or, as the filmmaker, storyteller and the man who wears many hats says, Oju isn’t just a restaurant, but “a feeling, a lifestyle and a whole new way of being.” Johar, who is also the co-founder of Neuma in Mumbai, along with Truepalate Hospitality, led by Ankit Tayal, Anshul Goel and Vartik Tihara, announced its new vertical – “Neuma’s newest evening spot” – to people via his social media handle. As expected, it’s got all of Delhi-NCR into a tizzy.

Throw a stone in Gurugram and it will probably land on a Japanese restaurant, and there are plenty of good options too. So, when I looked at KJo’s post, I wondered how different Oju really was. However, one look at the pedigree and I knew this was going to be a notch above the rest. Take Chef Mahmoud Mohamed Awadalla Gaber, or Moh as he’s called, for instance. With his stints at Nobu, Dubai’s Mimi Kakushi, and Kodo Restaurant, he brings the discipline of a Michelin kitchen to plates that are built from scratch and fermented in-house. Brand Chef Nitin Bhardwaj brings his two decades of experience working in kitchens across India, Japan, Ghana, and the UAE, and with stints at iconic Japanese restaurants such as Sakura and Ai, and global projects like Santoku in Ghana. He’s also the recipient of the first runner-up in the World Sushi Cup in Tokyo in 2016.

Even the bar programme is helmed by stalwarts in the field, conceptualised in collaboration with award-winning cocktail collective Countertop and brought to life by Head Mixologist Siya Negi, Mixologist of the Year 2024 and First Runner-Up at World Class 2023. “We’re raising the bar for premium Japanese dining. Right now, there are very few places in the market offering this level of experience to cater to a premium clientele that seeks Michelin-level Japanese food,” Chef Moh explains. Now, those are reasons enough to feel enthused about a dining experience at Oju.

Décor Drama

If minimalism and understated luxury are your style, then you would feel right at home at Oju. Designed by Aayushi Malik, the natural stone, wooden and muted tones complement the art on the walls and the Kyoto-inspired wallpaper. Curated books on shelves lend a sense of intimacy to the subtle drama. I felt cocooned in this intimate world until I looked out through the large glass windows and saw the Metro whizzing past amidst the twinkling city lights, reminding me that I was indeed in Gurugram. Also visible through the glass windows was the alfresco area, a modern zen garden of sorts, at once merging the two spaces.         

Of Textures And Flavours

With such award-winning chefs at the helm of affairs, there’s an apprehension of the food overwhelming you. But all such scepticism was done away with when the dishes started arriving on the table. I had been promised plates that bring in intention and a lot of heart, and the mood was established right at the start. The playful amuse bouche consisted of a creamy edamame hummus sprinkled generously with furikake and served along with charred mochi, nori sheets and gyoza sheets. The play of textures and flavours was also evident in the Hamachi Ponzu Sauce – tiny bits of crunchy nori crackers, sesame truffle goma, shio kombu and yuzu guacamole danced on the palate, elevating the rich and buttery hamachi.

While I can’t really say the same about the chicken gyozas, which felt a tad flat even after the double-textured filling of minced and chunkier pieces of chicken, the bang-on-point chilli garlic wafu sauce served along with it could have made any chef beam with pride. There was sharpness in the details, but also an approachability that made the Hokkaido Scallop with a savoury lime soy butter sing on the palate and the Spicy Mantou Shrimp resonate with familiar flavours elevated to a punchy level.

Although the Mushroom Yaki Soba with Cherry Butter and the Crispy Baby Potatoes Spicy Gochujang balanced tradition with contemporary techniques, the biggest disappointment perhaps was the Eggplant tempura with an overtly sweet Den Miso.

With Chef Nobu making the Black Cod world famous with his unique touch, it seemed like a no-brainer to order the Black Miso Cod. “The Black Miso Cod is one of our highlights. We marinate the fish for three days, a process inspired by the traditional Japanese preparation kasuzuke, where fish and vegetables are marinated in sake lees before being grilled or broiled,” Chef Moh explained. I have not had the good fortune to dine at Nobu, but it would be an understatement to say that the silky, buttery cod with the sweetness from the miso marinade was anything but exceptional.

Play On Notes

If the food at Oju had impressed me, the cocktail programme, which brought Japan and Peru together, took it up a few notches higher. Divided into highballs and signatures, the cocktail menu features quite a few highlights. The crisp and refreshing highball, which is having its moment in the sun in the western world, gets four variations, and the Lima was my go-to for its fresh and tart mouthfeel. From the signatures – the nutty and savoury Nuts About You with vodka and pickled onion brine had me marvelling at the layered creation, while the vodka and chilli oil, ponzu and apple juice infused Ponzu hit me with its punchy and spicy notes.

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict

If Neuma in Mumbai got people talking about its artfully conceptualised space and refined dining, its younger sibling Oju seems poised to pull in the Delhi-NCR crowd with its high energy, unpretentious Japanese food, and cocktails that push the envelope in every way.

Address: Ground Floor, The Anya, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon  

Timing: 7 pm to 12 am

Call for reservations: 8595044646, 8595724646

Meal for two: INR 4000 (without alcohol)