Asian cuisine is enjoying its moment in the Mumbai sun. Armed with a greater awareness of international food through travel, social media, and most importantly, because of the exposure to varied cuisines, right here in the city, diners are now open to looking beyond tried-and-tested dishes. It corroborates with the slew of Asian openings and zany pop-ups being hosted at different eateries.

"People want to try Japanese fare that goes beyond sushi, tapenyaki and ramen," Karan Bane tells us as he launches a month-long Japanese promotion at his restaurant, Seefah. The chef, who trained for four years in the Asian cuisine during his stint at a five-star, says the inspiration came from his travels to the country in March last year for the sakura (cherry blossom) season.