If you’ve followed Sahil Sambhi’s restaurants over the years, you’ll know he has a knack for firsts. When Japonico opened on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road in early 2025, it put a 15-foot robata grill at the centre of the restaurant and made a centuries-old Japanese technique the star. Then came Nadoo, which pushed south Indian cuisine beyond the familiar idli-dosa conversation, followed by Let’s Kiss in GK-3, a cocktail bar without a menu—a true omakase.
Sambhi’s latest idea is three live-fire experiences. At Yyaki—a 58-seater within Japonico—he brings together a robata counter, a teppanyaki counter and, perhaps the most unexpected of the three, a six-seater duck bar serving a nine-course tasting menu built entirely around the bird. While the first two offer tasting menus and à la carte options, the duck bar is a counter-only experience where the bird refuses to leave the spotlight.
Honestly, my relationship with duck has been fairly uncomplicated; I enjoy it occasionally. A few Peking duck dinners with pancakes at The China Kitchen in Hyatt Regency and Shang Palace at Shangri-La Eros in Delhi pretty much sum up my orders. It has always been an occasional indulgence.
So, spending two hours eating nothing but duck was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. My obvious question to Sambhi was: why? “Duck is hardly showcased like other meats, even when it has so much potential. Also, we always try to create something that hasn’t been done before,” he says.
Of course, turning a slightly unhinged idea into a nine-course menu was where the real test of creativity began. It could either be a brilliant exercise in imagination or a pure gimmick. Would the dishes start tasting similar after a few courses? Surprisingly, they don’t.
Executive chef Roberto Blondie spent close to four months developing the menu. Duck wasn’t unfamiliar territory for him. He had cooked French preparations like duck à l’orange during his stint at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva. The challenge here was creating nine different expressions with it while keeping the flavours approachable for Indian diners. “After four years in India, I’ve learned that food has to be tangy, spicy, creamy, saucy, or crunchy,” he adds.
Before our meal began, Sambhi and Blondie declared, “This will change your perception of duck.” The menu wasted little time making its case, opening with a duck skin “club sandwich”. It was exactly as playful as it sounds, except there was no bread. Instead, crispy duck skin held together duck breast and leg, gherkins, and a dusting of togarashi. It was crunchy, savoury, and made it clear that this menu wasn’t interested in playing it safe. A savoury duck parfait tart followed, one of Blondie’s more technically challenging courses, because recreating that silky texture without foie gras wasn’t easy. Fresh green apple, pickled onion, and roasted hazelnuts cut through the richness.
