First Take: Inside Yyaki At Japonico, The World's First Duck Bar

What do you think about duck menus? One is led to believe that more than most people actually do not think about duck menus all that much. Chicken, mutton, lamb, these are the affairs that have mostly dominated the north Indian palette. However, here is a new corner in Gurgaon that will goad you into a duck reassessment. Billed as the world's first Duck Bar, Yyaki, tucked inside Japonico, is a nine-course argument for why one ingredient, handled with obsessive precision, deserves a dedicated counter of its own.

The Idea Behind The World's First Duck Bar

Yyaki is the brainchild of founder Sahil Sambhi and Chef Roberto Blondi, conceived as the most avant-garde expression of Japonico — a hyper-exclusive and hyper-personalised counter dining format that infuses Japanese culinary discipline with live-fire cookery and precise hospitality. Sambhi traces the whole idea back to a fairly simple provocation: "Why has duck, despite being one of the world's most versatile ingredients, never been given the same singular focus as sushi, steak, or omakase?" That question is really the kernel of the menu. To find answers to this question not just for themselves but the good people of their city, he and Chef Roberto embark on spanning the innermost depths, wanting duck to be "not just the hero of one dish, but the entire narrative," with every part of the bird explored "through different techniques, cultures, and textures."

The "how" of this question lies on three pillars. First, the Duck Bar itself — a six-seateer counter built entirely around this one ingredient, walking guests through a tantalising nine-course journey where each course reveals a different cut, texture, taste and technique. Second, a series of bespoke palate resetters crafted by the bar team and weaved in between courses, so the kitchen and bar as an alliance are in constant conversation rather than working in parallel. Third, and perhaps most striking, the Robata — a full-scale working hearth built directly into the counter, burning from the first cover to the last. Nothing is finished over the coals for effect; everything is cooked entirely and unhurriedly over live charcoal in front of your eyes – a meaningfully different and bolder discipline than most restaurants attempt.

Nine Courses, Countless Expressions Of Duck

The obvious question about a duck-only menu, which was put forth to Sambhi, is whether nine courses of the same bird can avoid feeling repetitive. Sambhi has clearly thought this through. "Duck is remarkably complex," he says. "Every cut behaves differently, every cooking method unlocks a new expression, and every course can tell a completely different story. The challenge wasn't finding enough ideas, it was deciding which ones deserved a place." Telling me that they had to leave out a huge chunk of the dishes they’d come up with for the menu is also set to see shuffles across time, this particular editing instinct is exactly what comes through on the menu — it's built as a deliberate arc, "moving from lighter, delicate flavours to deeper, richer expressions while constantly changing technique, texture, temperature, and flavour profile." Ofcourse, the palate resetters between courses are there to cleanse the mouth, however, they're also there to subtly reinforce that sense of progression, so that, as he puts it, "rather than repeating duck, we reveal its many personalities."

Inside The Tasting Menu

The menu itself unfolds like a progressive rock composition. It opens gently with a Duck Parfait Tart, dressed with compressed green apple, pickled onion and hazelnut, before tipping into indulgence with Gold Duck Nuggets, Hollandaise & Caviar — hollandaise, beluga caviar and gold leaf (in case anyone doubted the exclusivity of the whole affair). A classic Chinese semiclear Duck Soup with fresh truffle follows, alongside a Duck Salad built on fermented Chinese cabbage and a Cantonese dressing. Midway through, the menu pauses deliberately — marked by the character 谷 (tani), described as "the valley between the peaks, where we pause before the meal soars again." It's a thoughtful touch, fashioned after the structure of any musical composition, film or a beautiful tragedy, marking the midpoint before the pace quickens for the second and the climactic act.

As indicated, from there it climbs again: Duck Skin Nigiri with fresh wasabi and hoisin, a BBQ Classic Duck Roll smoked on the hibachi, a Duck Breast course with Japonico, and a Duck Leg with chilli garlic fried rice and gochujang sauce. It was the Duck Skin Nigiri for us that ran away with the honours. Dessert brings clarified orange gelatine, duck skin crumble and duck ice cream — a genuinely bold, even experimental, way to close a duck-only menu. Each course is paired with a bespoke cocktail — Ringo Fizz, Himalayan Orchard, Dark Edges, Ume Sour, Patoloma, Nashi Highball, Satsuma Park, Zabonri, Ruby Cream Fizz, Sherry & Smoke and the Shogun Martini — every one built with ingredients that echo or contrast the dish beside it. The meal closes, fittingly, on the character 汁 (shime), "the knot that ties everything together to finish the meal," paired with the Shogun Martini.

Changing The Way We Think About Duck

Part of what Yyaki is quietly doing is eradicating a stereotype. "The biggest misconception is that duck is heavy, predictable, or reserved only for special occasions," Sambhi says. "In reality, it's one of the most expressive proteins a chef can work with. It can be delicate, crisp, smoky, raw, roasted, grilled, or deeply comforting." Through the nine courses, Chef Roberto Blondi, a well travelled chef, sets out to prove exactly that, presenting the bird "through multiple techniques and flavour profiles, each revealing a different side of the ingredient" — treating duck less like a single dish and more, as Sambhi frames it, like "an entire culinary language waiting to be explored."

One of the things that stand out on the front of hyper-personalisation is how the menu is designed to be a physical souvenir with a picture of yours (if you’ve pre-booked), which you can take home rather than a disposable list occupying invaluable space on your table.

About The Restaurant

Yyaki positions itself as a destination within a destination — a hyper-exclusive counter inside Japonico built around a shared obsession between its founder and chef. The philosophy is stated plainly in its own materials: Nine Courses, One Obsession. But if there's a single idea Sambhi wants guests to walk away with, it isn't a dish at all: "I want people to leave believing that true luxury comes from depth, not excess. The Duck Bar isn't about showcasing expensive ingredients; it's about demonstrating what becomes possible when you dedicate yourself to mastering one ingredient completely." Every element, from ingredient provenance to live-fire execution and architectural design, appears to have been considered with that same conviction.

RR Verdict

Yyaki is an ambitious, watertight idea executed with real conviction. Building an entire counter dining format around duck alone is a genuine risk, and the fact that it holds together — through pacing, thoughtful pairings and a properly committed live-fire ethos — speaks well of the kitchen's confidence. True that duck might not be everyone’s cup of tea, however, the high-strung exclusivity and singular focus demand a diner who wants word-perfect immersion over variety. But for those willing to surrender to nine courses of duck, and to see the ingredient, in Sambhi's words, "in an entirely new light," it's a rare, well-considered evening.