Restaurant Review: Shizusan, Viman Nagar, Pune

Hey from EL The Cook!

We review the newest Asian Bistro in town, Shizusan, located in Phoenix Mall, Viman Nagar, Pune. 

A tongue-twister of sorts, the restaurant, portrays the adventure of a fictional character, Shizusan (you might find a miniature version of him loitering on your table!) as he travels across the South East-Asian countries, like Veitnam, Malaysia, China and Japan. Shizusan highlights his diverse experiences with street foods and offers signature delights, ranging from Sushi, Baos, and Thai curries.

With a hip-menu styled by Chef Paul Kinny of Palladium Hotel, Mumbai, Shizusan puts up a considerable variety of cuisines.  

We had mixed feelings about this place..honestly we are turned off by restaurants located in a mall, because of large crowds and high foot-falls. But some restaurants manage to surprise you..

SWEET CORN AND ASPARAGUS SOUP

A warm soup is what we first ordered, a pretty looking steaming bowl was served quickly. The flavors of corn and asparagus are mild; there is nothing spectacular about the soup at all. 

Our first impression of the first dish, not great..

RAINBOW MAKI

A friend of ours recommended this next one! And it looks spectacular. The Rainbow Maki(maki is short for makizushi, the kind of sushi which is wrapped with a sushi mat or makisu). Clearly a star with plating, Rainbow Maki is a beautiful looking dish!

Created with a blend of salmon, tuna and avocado as visual layers and crab-stick(imitation crab), cucumber and tobiko (fish roe) within the rice and garnished with a side of wasabi and gari (pink ginger).. The Rainbow Maki is as indulgent as you can go with Maki!

Down to taste, the tuna tastes good, and they have done substantially well with the toro(the most valued fatty cut of meat from the tuna) presentation. The salmon provides an oilier feel to the palette, however is well balanced by the crab-stick stuffing. The avocado portion offers freshness and a lovely earthy flavor to the plate. With the nori (seaweed leaves) wrapped on the inside of the maki, this is a great example of uramaki or "inside out sushi"

If you are a sushi fan, this one is definitely recommended to experience a variety of flavors on the palette and a great way to begin a meal! 

DYNAMITE SHRIMP

As one plate of sushi is never enough, we tried, Shizusan's, Dynamite Shrimp Maki. Dynamite shrimp is named after the crunchy prawn in tempura batter which is stuffed in the maki roll.

Shizusan, serves up some delectable, crusty tempura shrimp with a beautiful uramaki roll, topped with creamy Sriracha mayo on each bite of the sushi roll.

 They also add 2 separate pieces with prawn tails intact for that extra crunch, a lovely touch of theater!

MY PBJ BAO

Bao or Baozi are steamed buns with various fillings available as street food across China and Indonesia. These are served in a bamboo steamer on a banana leaf.

Shizusan does perfect justice to this street food delight, with their pulled pork and jalapeno bao (PBJ) which is spectacularly cooked! 
The bao bread is feather light and so soft you could sleep on it at night as a pillow, if it wasn't so delicious! 
The slow cooked pork is full of that sticky, tangy barbecue flavor, and a spicy jalapeno slaw adds an unforgettable crunch. We would've like a little less fat on the pork belly though..








Shizusan, offers a contemporary take on South East Asian cuisine. With its colorful menu and bistro feel, it has set a new standard of a casual cafe style South Asian restaurant.

Undeniably, Shizusan, takes an approach to street food everyone loves, and presents  it well on the plate. With a friendly staff who constantly are asking for feedback, they get better with every serve.

On the down side, a mall ambiance as soon as you step out does dampen the thoughts of a great meal. 

Shizusan, a fictional character taking you on a journey through South East Asia ticks the right boxes on service and sheer variety in terms of its cuisine!

A fabulous place to visit with family or friends if your a seafood buff or in love with South East Asian street food!