Kimikai Umami House has opened its doors in One Horizon, Gurgaon, introducing a new kind of restaurant concept where every dish, drink, and design element plays a part in telling a larger story about Asia’s culinary heritage and trade traditions. The venue — launched in April 2026 — reflects a broader shift in India’s premium …
Kimikai Umami House has opened its doors in One Horizon, Gurgaon, introducing a new kind of restaurant concept where every dish, drink, and design element plays a part in telling a larger story about Asia’s culinary heritage and trade traditions. The venue — launched in April 2026 — reflects a broader shift in India’s premium dining scene toward immersive narratives and multi-sensory experiences rather than just food service.
Instead of presenting a simple pan-Asian menu, the restaurant’s concept is built around the imagined journey of a fictional spice trader who travels across countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and India, collecting flavours and stories that now shape the space’s cuisine and ambience.
The interiors at Kimikai create an atmosphere that echoes historic Asian trading houses, with warm wood finishes, layered textures, sculptural shelving, and curated artefacts that guide diners through a thematic experience. As guests move deeper into the restaurant, the lighting, seating, and spatial design shift from open communal areas to more intimate nooks, reinforcing the idea of a journey unfolding in chapters.
This concept isn’t limited to décor. The culinary programme — led by chefs with cross-regional expertise — centres on umami, a foundational flavour principle across many Asian cuisines. Techniques such as fermentation, smoking, broths, and layered seasoning ensure that dishes carry depth and texture while retaining clarity and balance.
The bar at Kimikai, developed in collaboration with Pass Code Hospitality, expands the narrative into beverages. Cocktails draw inspiration from Asian trade routes, incorporating ingredients like banana, pandan, yuzu, jaggery, and kewra to create drinks that feel as carefully crafted as the food itself.
This holistic integration of food, drink, design, and storytelling positions Kimikai not just as a place to eat, but as a destination — particularly for corporate travellers, Delhi weekend visitors, and international professionals frequenting Gurgaon’s growing hotel and business corridors.
Gurgaon has increasingly moved beyond being seen as merely an extension of Delhi’s dining scene. With launches like Kimikai Umami House, the city is carving out its own identity with experience-led restaurants that push beyond traditional cuisines and tap into narrative and design concepts.
Rather than simply serving food, Kimikai seeks to make every meal feel like an adventure through Asia’s rich culinary heritage — a dining experience that blends legacy, creativity, and immersive storytelling under one roof.
