On the first floor of Park Hyatt, the space across Tre-Forni was long under construction and I wasn’t sure for the longest time what to expect. The curiosity drove me to the point of bombarding my colleague about it until she said, “the hotel’s new Japanese place. Now stop getting excited.” In fact, I got more excited. I’ve been enjoying the growth of Japanese cuisine in the city for a while now and I found Rika worth the wait.

One can thank Maia Design Studio founder Shruti Jaipuria for the sleekly contemporary interiors while Bengaluru-based concept artist Sachin Samson is responsible for two eye-catching masterpieces spread across the front-facing walls.

The menu itself is extensive, each page a rich rendering of careful collaboration and study by the team. Expect a spectrum of delights, each section named as per a theatrical show: Curtain Raiser, ct One, The Half Call, The Protagonist and The Dramatist.

And of course, what’s an establishment like this without simple yet eye-catching presentation, all set upon crockery so pretty, you’d want to put them in your handbag — but please don’t. The presentation isn’t fussy, though, focussing solely on the food and propelling an easily immersive dining experience.

The section in the menu titled Act One encompasses their broad range of sushi (sashimi, nigiri, inari, gunkan, temaki and maki as well as a sharing selection). For get-togethers, the sharing selection boasts an array of picturesque rolls. Each bite promises a burst of flavour and texture and chef Myo Zaw Aung is always ready to regale you with stories on how the eels and salmon are sourced. For the vegetarians out there, the avocado-focussed sushi will melt even the hearts of even the most avid meat-lover.

The sushi spread is filling, but the rest is unmissable, such as the cloudy bao. Dripping with sauce and vegetables nestled among the meat of your choice, this is comfort food at its finest. The black pepper chicken with fluffy rice portions will surely send you off to cloud nine for the dishes’ flavour.

While you’re enjoying the spread, you may be visited by a server with three small jars, containing piping hot chilli mixes from the carolina reaper to the bhut jolokia from the chilli table in the restaurant: a showcase of some impressively diverse and deathly chillies. Don’t miss out on this, trust me.

Need an equally amazing drink to complete the experience? Enter Roxanne Read, a celebrity in the mixology world sporting a purely get-it-done-right attitude about her work. The South African admits she’s been having a ball with the culmination of the drinks menu, working closely with chef Myo to perfect the pairings offered. In fact, her performance background and the correlating naming of the menu sections jive pretty well. “I was in South Africa when the planning was undertaken, but I love how it’s come together so far,” she says, “frankly, it’s been tricky adapting to the availability of ingredients in Hyderabad but I love how the team here has been expertly sourcing a lot of ingredients and bar equipment I require. Plus, my performance background does meld into the way I present and plan the drinks.”

As a whisky-lover, I quite liked the green chilli-infused Tea Time, a concoction of Johnnie Walker Black Label, strong-brewed green tea and shishito green chilli homemade syrup set in a pretty hi-tea crockery with a green chilli biscuit, and the Furui Fashioned emanating a wintry fragrance. For the mocktails, simply ask Roxanne you’re dry for the day and she’ll accommodate that.

Off to a strong start, Rika is sure to hold a place as a gastronomic gem in the city.