Hachi By Tenya Brings Tokyo To Whitefield With Addictive Tempura, Ramen & More

A few years ago, if you had asked us on a Friday evening to come to Whitefield for a preview, we'd have politely declined. But a lot has changed. When we got the call that Hachi By Tenya was opening its doors and they were doing a preview, we boarded Namma Metro and promptly showed up at the doors of BLR. Brewing Co. Yes, the one with a waterfall inside. And we are glad we did.  

Hachi By Tenya is a collaboration between BLR Brewing Co. and Tenya, a Tokyo-based Japanese restaurant specialising in tempura and don bowls. It's located inside BLR Brewing Co. on the first floor by the corner near the waterfall. The 40-seater space carves itself a niche, so it looks like you are stepping into a different space. A live open kitchen is what catches your eye, where chefs in their kimono chef coats are going about making everything from tempura, ramen, and tamagoyaki to karaage in front of you. There's also a 12-seater chef's counter, and we think it's the best spot in the house, especially if you are solo dining. 

It's Japanese comfort food at its core. We love that Whitefield is getting this because there are hardly any major options when it comes to Japanese-specific food. The food has been curated by Tenya, and in Tokyo, they are known for their tempura. Chef Takahashi, who helms the kitchen here at Hachi, has spent over two decades with Tenya, and he's joined by Chef Nagatsuka, who, while we didn't get to interact with was busy in the kitchen on the pre-opening night we dropped by. 

We started our meal with Dashimaki Tamago, a classic Japanese staple. Served with niku miso and daikon oroshi, we quite enjoyed the rolled omelette. Fluffy, light, layered, and while it can be had just like that, add more flavour and texture by topping it with the niku miso, which is minced chicken that's cooked with miso and other aromatics. Next up came the Chicken Karaage that we were eagerly waiting for. Fried food and we are a match made in heaven. Chef Takahashi explained to us how in Japan, karaage is just eaten as is, but since we are here in India, he's serving it with dips — a spicy chilli sauce and a wasabi mayo dip. The karaage was perfect in every sense — crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned juicy chicken pieces on the inside, and when you bite into it, there's a bit of steam that comes out cause it's made-to-order. We learned to eat it as is, without the condiments. 

We were joined by the Cluster Manager of BLR Brewing Co., Srishti Suman and the chef during our meal, and we were told about how the whole idea of the space was to give that good, authentic Japanese experience. And they do deliver on that 10/10. Especially seeing how the sushi takes the Japanese route without the whole Western style of saucing up everything. We had a tuna sushi that featured soy-marinated tuna slices, and it had subtle, clean flavours. They also do sushi tacos or hand rolls, where you get flavours like tuna, avocado, and prawn tempura that you can enjoy like a taco. 

We wrapped up our meal with one of the better ramen bowls we've had in a while, a simple, no-fuss Shoyu Ramen. The broth is made in-house, and it has such a good depth. It's topped with miso chicken, and it's a big bowl that took us some time to finish. 

We are going back to try the tempura and more of that ramen. Plus, we also want to do a whole Japanese night with our friends who live in Whitefield over some karaage and sake.

Cost For Two: INR 2,000

Ratings: 5/5 on Google

Timings: 12 Noon to 4 PM and 7 PM to 11:30 PM

Social Handle: @hachi.ind