India, March 9 -- I asked Aishwarya, the owner of Zanzi by Dramz at Mehrauli, for the meaning of the word 'Zanzi'. She smilingly replied that it means 'unique'. Zanzi by Dramz offers a unique take on a Japanese restaurant. The interior features a deliberately tattered and distressed look on the walls, portraits of English emperors, large chandeliers, loung-ish sofas that may be a bit uncomfortable, and camera-style lamps, setting it apart from other Japanese restaurants I have visited.

On the food front, there are some distinctive elements as well. For example, we were served an amuse-bouche that included Kaiso (sea weed) Tofu, Tsukemono (Pickled veggies), and Udon Noodles. While the individual ingredients were tasty, as a dish, it did n...