Apeksha Kamath, co-founder, Taiki, speaks about serving Pan-Asian cuisine in the city!

Influenced by Japanese and Korean cuisine, Taiki is a modern Asian restaurant located in the heart of the city. It was founded by Krish Nayak and Apeksha Kamath under Vara Food Works, and started operations in December 2018 in Indiranagar in Bangalore, on 100 ft Road. The Pan-Asian menu brings together dishes from Japanese noodle bars, street food from Korea and Thailand and some amazing flavours from other parts of Asia. Besides food, the focus is on creating a great dining experience with cozy ambience and efficient service. The word Taiki is derived from two words – ‘Tai’ (great) and ‘Ki’ (brightness), which perfectly resonates with the setting. The restaurant features modernist Japanese architecture. Though it is housed in a narrow space of 10’x120’, the mirror walls and skylights give a sense of soothing space. The floor plan is minimalistic, warm and cozy. The interiors are a blend of modernism and contemporary features with neutral wall tones and art/light installations that convey class whilst staying current and vibrant. The menu includes varied dishes from Asian countries with a special focus on Korean and Japanese cuisine. The signature dishes include the delicious Fiery Chicken Gimbap, Korean Fried Chicken, scrumptious Thai Curry & Jasmine Rice, Yaki Udon, Prawn Tempura, Jjigae - Korean Stew and many more. Apeksha Kamath is the Co-founder of Taiki Restaurant.  She finished her MBA, Marketing and HR from Alliance Business Academy and did a stint in Doray HR Solution as a Director-Recurrent & Business Development. She not only brings her passion for food but also almost a decade of her professional experience in the HR industry to the new venture. Apeksha Kamath Co-Founder at Taiki She had always wanted to start her own restaurant and with Taiki, is just about starting to realize her dream. Apeksha’s vision is to bring pan Asian cuisines to Namma Bengaluru across multiple locations. Pan-Asian has been the single most dominant food trend in Bangalore for the last few years. The flavours from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia etc. are bold, exotic and different, which appeal to the cosmopolitan Bangalore crowd. Ambience, Taiki Travel and easy accessibility mean that the audience here is exposed to flavours beyond the usual comfort of Indian-Chinese dishes such as chopsuey, chowmein, chilli chicken and manchurian. Baos, Ramen, Japanese Curries, Krapao, Sushi, Khao Suey have become the new go-to foods in Bangalore.   Indians are not totally oblivious to Pan Asian food. Unlike Western food, these are the flavours that we relate to better. A huge variety in Pan Asian cuisine means that it is possible to engineer the menu without having to drastically tweak the originals. Litchi Wonton “Taiki brings together dishes from Japanese noodle bars, street food from Korea and Thailand and some amazing flavours from other parts of Asia. Our street-eats are bold and unique and can cater to a wide range of taste buds. We use the best quality ingredients and super fresh products to make sure that our customers are satisfied and happy”, Apeksha informed.   Besides food, our patrons love the relaxed feel of the restaurant and friendly service. Our ambience has minimalistic overtones with natural light beaming through for most of the day, which makes the setting and dining experience very unique. Prawn Tempura Futomaki Having a restaurant of my own has been a long-standing dream. My years spent in the USA and frequent travels around the world meant that I could try many wonderful cuisines of different styles and cultures.  Over the last few years, my personal favourite has been Pan-Asian food - Japanese & Korean food in particular. Prawn Tempura “For some reason or the other, women restaurant owners have always been a rare breed. This holds true not just for India but the world over. More and more women are now using their entrepreneurial drive to enter the hospitality industry. Support from family has been a key deciding factor in me taking up this opportunity to start a restaurant. Woman entrepreneurs in India are now being recognized and appreciated. It's more of a responsibility than a privilege as there is relatively more of an onus to find the right balance between family and career”, Apeksha quoted. Thai Curry & Jasmine Rice Team building and tapping resources are the keys to running a successful business, she signed off. To know more about such restaurants, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our digital magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.