ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: 022 33126978
Address: Ground Floor, Inspire BKC, G Block, Opposite Asian Heart Hospital, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra India
Time: 12 Noon – 3:30 PM, 7:00 PM – 12 Midnight
Meals for two: Rs. 4,000
Cuisines: Modern Indian
Facilities: Full Bar Available, Valet Parking Available, Indoor Seating, Wifi, Table reservation required
It’s serendipity. Here in Paris, I’m participating in discussions where the world’s greatest chefs are sharing their views on the importance of evolution of cuisines. And right now, I’m taking time off to write this review of Tresind, which is focussed on evolving Indian cuisine and calls it’s cuisine “modernist”. Since 2014, it has been blazing trails in Dubai where it’s set up by Bhupender Nath and spearheaded by the brilliant young chef Himanshu Saini. Tresind landed in Mumbai’s BKC in December 2018. Since then, we’ve dined here unannounced. Twice. Checked out all the different menus.
Tresind, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: Decor
A feeling of pleasant calm. Copper and gold-hued handsome room with a prominent bar. Hushed, understated elegance.
Tresind, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: Food
Many dishes tell delicious stories. Others like Birbal ki Khichdi are tutorials on the regional ingredients of India. Only five and 10 course tasting menus, which keep changing. Some deliciously memorable dishes: Chilled Khandvi Ice-cream does dandia with green chili pickle and crisp fafda. Refreshing chaat ceviche of Amritsari fruit chaat does the bhangra to the tune of the tangy Peruvian leche de tigre.
Doing the nawabi nakhras, the bone marrow nihari and flaky croissant like khari is masterpiece in succulence and contrasting textures.
Bengal’s melt in the mouth kosha mangsho with green pea kachuri and ghoogni is delightful. A visual, gustatory and informative tutorial on India’s regional ingredients: The marble slab map of India (dotted with spices, chutneys, etc. from each state) is wheeled by the chef onto the table. And these ingredients are added one by one to the khichdi. Unique and delicious.
The literal interpretation presentation of ‘Palangtod’ is an audacious but happy marriage of Indian dessert with with orzo pasta.
Kudos to Chef Himanshu Saini, chef Sarfaraz Ahmed in Mumbai and baker-patisseur Rahul Rana.
Minus Points:
The miniscule “snacks” of dabeli, bao bhaji, etc. were too doughy. Some of the mixed marriages are unhappy ones: Lamb Rosemary Vindaloo and Prawn Benedict Hollandaise Sauce are cases in point. A la carte menu deleted. The recently revamped decor of square tables lacks the privacy the round tables had.
My Point:
Tresind in Mumbai serves up elegant, witty, streamlined and plenty delicious modernist Indian fare, with plenty for vegetarians, too. Over the past 10 months, we dined here twice. Unannounced. Checked out it’s a la carte menu (they don’t have that anymore) and it’s ever-changing tasting menus. Several years ago, at an award ceremony, I had presented Tresind with the ‘Dubai’s Best Indian Restaurant’ award. Even so, the Mumbai offspring is clearly better than it’s Dubai parents (Tresind and Tresind studio). Mumbai Tresind’s dishes distil regional flavors with an honesty and present them with an oomph and panache sans gimmickry (except for a dish or two.) Tresind lives up to it’s name. It makes this “Ind” experience “Tres” chic. Tresind, Jai Hind!
