For decades, the global perception of Japanese cuisine—and certainly its representation across India’s major dining hubs—has been defined by a relatively tight script. Ask the average diner what comes to mind when they think of food from Japan, and the answer almost inevitably lands on delicate nigiri, rolled sushi, steamed edamame, or steaming bowls of rich, slow-simmered ramen. While these staples rightfully earned their place in the culinary hall of fame, they represent only a thin slice of what contemporary Japanese food culture actually looks like on the streets of Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama.

Stepping directly into this gap is Call Me Ten, an acclaimed modern Japanese establishment nestled in the heart of Delhi. Known for pushing boundaries and subverting expectations, the restaurant has launched an ambitious menu shift designed with a clear message: it is time for Indian diners to look beyond the predictable tropes of sushi and ramen and explore the vibrant, cross-pollinated world of modern Japanese comfort food.

Breaking Free from the Sushi-Ramen Paradigm

Japanese culinary traditions are often romanticized as immutable, rooted in centuries of hyper-specific techniques and strict perfectionism. While that craft undoubtedly thrives, modern Japan is equally famous for its voracious appetite for foreign culinary traditions—taking dishes from across the globe, dismantling them, and rebuilding them through a distinctively Japanese lens. This ethos, often reflected in Yoshoku (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine) and dynamic Izakaya (informal pub) culture, is precisely what Call Me Ten aims to highlight.

Rather than remaining anchored to the traditional expectations of an upscale Asian dining room, the team behind Call Me Ten recognized a shift in Delhi’s dining demographic. Today’s diners are traveled, curious, and increasingly bored by identical menus across high-end establishments. By steering the spotlight away from ubiquitous maki rolls and heavy bone-broth noodle soups, Call Me Ten opens up a wider narrative about how modern Japanese chefs actually cook, eat, and innovate today.

The Headline Act: Japanese-Style Pizzettas

If there is one culinary phenomenon that captures Japan’s obsession with elevating foreign classics, it is its legendary pizza scene. Cities like Tokyo are globally renowned for producing some of the finest pizza in the world, marked by delicate dough, precise fermentation, and inventive, umami-rich toppings.

Taking a direct leaf from this contemporary subculture, Call Me Ten introduces Japanese-style pizzettas as a core pillar of its menu expansion. Built on a crisp, light flatbread base, these individual-sized creations blend Italian structural comfort with Japanese flavor profiles.

A standout highlight of this section is the Mushroom & Truffle Pizzetta. Layered with wild earthiness, it features a blend of sauteed mushrooms, rich garlic soy butter, and a delicate drizzle of truffle oil. The garlic soy butter acts as the crucial bridge, cutting through the richness of the cheese while providing an underlying stroke of savouriness that anchors the entire dish in Japanese flavor design. By presenting pizza not as an Italian commodity, but as a legitimate canvas for Japanese culinary expression, the restaurant invites diners to rethink what counts as “authentic” modern Asian fare.

Small Plates with Big Personality

Beyond the flatbreads, Call Me Ten’s food strategy relies heavily on small, shared plates that encourage casual, exploratory dining. The menu borrows from the relaxed, high-energy atmosphere of Tokyo’s late-night eateries, offering dishes that are playful, comforting, and designed to pair seamlessly with drinks.

Creative Starts & Cold Plates

• Edamame Hummus & Chips: Edamame has long been a default starter at Japanese restaurants, usually served steamed and tossed in sea salt. Call Me Ten reimagines the soybean completely by blending it into a velvety hummus, elevated with creamy Hass avocado and subtle truffle notes, served alongside crisp homemade chips for texture.
• Silken Tofu Furai & Avocado: Demonstrating a masterclass in contrasting textures, this dish features pillowy, delicate silken tofu coated and fried to a golden crunch (furai). It is served against a bright avocado salsa, balanced by a tangy soy-jalapeño dressing and toasted sesame seeds that provide a welcome kick of heat.

Warm, Savory Comforts

• Portobello Mushroom Confit: A dish that leans heavily into pure umami, featuring thick, meaty portobello caps slow-cooked in a rich butter confit before being glazed in a sweet, sticky Korean-inspired bulgogi sauce. The result is a smoky, deeply comforting bite that appeals equally to vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners alike.
• Chicken Mince Tamago Yaki: Tamago yaki—the sweet and savory rolled Japanese omelette—is a cornerstone of traditional home cooking and bento boxes. Call Me Ten elevates this humble classic by layering folded, seasoned chicken mince within the soft, velvety layers of egg, creating a hearty, multi-textured small plate that bridges comfort food with refined execution.

Unchanged Icons: The Art of the Cocktail

While the food menu underwent a bold evolution, Call Me Ten made the deliberate decision to keep its signature cocktail menu completely intact. In a modern Izakaya-style concept, the bar is not an afterthought; it is an equal partner to the kitchen.

The beverage program at Call Me Ten has built a devoted following in Delhi precisely because it mirrors the kitchen’s creative philosophy—utilizing Japanese mixology principles, unusual ingredients, and playful presentations without sacrificing balance.

Among the crowd-favorite signatures that remain untouched:

• The Bathtub: Known as much for its quirky, photogenic presentation as its carefully calibrated flavor profile, this drink remains one of the most ordered items in the room, delivering a refreshing, spirit-forward punch with a touch of theatrical flair.
• Mango Sticky Rice: Drawing inspiration from Southeast Asian dessert culture while utilizing precise Japanese spirit infusion techniques, this cocktail converts the beloved flavors of coconut, ripe mango, and sweet rice into a smooth, decadent liquid form.

By pairing an adventurous new food direction with a proven, highly reliable cocktail lineup, the venue achieves a smart balance: offering returning guests the comfort of their favorite drinks while coaxing them into unmapped culinary territory on their plates.

A New Benchmark for Asian Dining in Delhi

Delhi’s food landscape has evolved rapidly over the last decade. Diners no longer measure an Asian restaurant’s quality simply by how fresh its salmon sashimi is or how thick its tonkotsu broth tastes. There is a growing appreciation for context, storytelling, and regional nuance.

Call Me Ten’s decision to move past the safety net of sushi and ramen represents a broader, welcome maturity in the Indian restaurant industry. It acknowledges that Japanese food is not a static museum piece, but a living, evolving global cuisine that thrives on experimentation, fusion, and fun. By offering everything from truffle-laden pizzettas to elevated street-style tofu and inventively stuffed omelettes, Call Me Ten isn’t just serving dinner—it’s giving Delhi a well-overdue lesson in modern Japanese food culture.

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