Mumbai Food: What to expect in Dubai's post-modern Indian restaurant

After graduating from Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology College Delhi Himanshu Sainis first job was with Manish Mehrotras Indian Accent in Delhi ranked 30 in Asias 50 Best Restaurants 2017 He later launched Zorawar Kalras Masala Library in MumbaiIn Dubai he introduced a new facet of Indian food with Tregravesind mdash owned by Passion Groups founder and managing director Bhupendra Nath mdash that went beyond the clicheacute of butter chicken Only this week he wrapped up a culinary collaboration with Ossianos chef de cuisine Greacutegoire Berger who was ranked 10 at the Best Chefs Awards last yearPainted in a sleak black south Indian pepper sauce with black rice pancakeAt 31 Saini is a chef maverick This December he will launch the Mumbai outpost of Tregravesind whose Middle Eastern counterpart has been frequented by celebrities including Roger Federer and Brian Lara We visited the original Dubai hotspot to learn more about the cuisinePushing the envelopeOur lift opens on the second floor of Dubais Nassima Royal Hotel and an ocean of blue leads us into Tregravesind Walking past the lounge we wait outside a room that reads Studio Here a 16course miracle is waiting to happen The 20seater space celebrates the journey of Tregravesind in an experimental formSeabuckthorn sorbetWe spot Saini using his forceps and all his focus to place shredded spinach on papdi chat In a corner another chef has scooped desi butter into a bulb All chefs are working individually but in sync with Saini keeping tabs on the flowThe course rolls with amuse bouche a cold chaat in an ice bowl with fossils of coriander leaves Next up a papdi chaat with a dhokla sprinkled with curry leaves and spinach is a multitude of street flavours rolled into one But the dish that makes time stop is prawns in a watermelon rasam It has the smokiness of feta the zing of mustard the tartiness of tamarind and a finish of curry leaves This we insist take the flight to MumbaiThe interiors of Tresind DubaiIts only when you sample the food that you realise Sainis sorcery is in recreating nostalgia and authentic flavours cloaked in modern plating and cooking techniques Every element plays a part making its presence felt at the right moment But his job for now goes beyond simply presenting the cuisine The term progressive modern food has become synonymous with molecular gastronomy A term Saini points out is loosely assumed for theatricsBut there is an intense science to it When I started Tregravesind I wondered what life after the modern era of Indian cuisine would be like Things from our past are useful and can be revived says the corporate chef who changes his menu every three months and is currently dishing out a colonialthemed menu at the Groups funcasual dining space Carnival located in the business hub of DIFC in Dubai People associate molecular gastronomy with gimmicks I am more interested in what goes on in your palate not plateChef Himanshu SainiMidway into a 16courselong menu things can get dull Saini knows too well and dusts the slumber with an allblack dish on an allblack plate A tandoor finished chop painted in a sleak black south Indian pepper sauce Green peas sit on a leektreated black rice pancake For the 11th course he invites us to the platform where a white porcelain slab shaped like the map of India holds an ingredient cup in every stateThe dish simmering in the pan is khichdi in which Saini adds a flavour of every state mdash saffron from Kashmir and green apple from Himachal Pradesh Saini who grew up two blocks away from Moti Mahal in Daryaganj mdash the birth place of butter chicken mdash was influenced by the aromas and tastes of his surrounding Till date you get the best pav bhaji and pani puri in purani Dilli not Mumbai he says breaking into a smile when we remind him about his decision to open in the financial capital Heres where I got my big break I have an emotional attachment with MumbaiCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates