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At Trèsind Studio in Dubai, chef Himanshu Saini and his team have created a restaurant of outstanding refinement, known for its innovative take on modern Indian cuisine, with dishes that are exquisitely plated.
A spin-off from the hugely popular Trèsind in the One&Only Royal Mirage hotel, Trèsind Studio began life in 2018 as an experimental chef’s table-style concept that proved so popular it gained a permanent home in 2022 on the top floor of the Nakheel Mall in The Palm area of the city.
Chef Saini, who does not believe in signature dishes, but rather that his creations are in a state of constant evolution, creates a culinary journey through the geographic diversity of India, representing four different regions: Thar Desert, Deccan Plateau, coastal plains and islands, and northern plains and Himalayan mountains through his India Rising menu.
The 20-table restaurant has been universally acclaimed, winning Best Restaurant in Middle East & Africa 2023 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Saini is a leading light of the Dubai culinary scene and is changing the international perception of modern Indian cuisine.
“I come from an agricultural family in India,” says Saini. “I grew up spending a lot of time around fresh produce, herbs and flowers. This has created an innate inclination towards using locally sourced ingredients, which is organically expressed in our menu at Trèsind Studio. Indian food has so much to offer, with such diversity in the landscape, produce, culture and cuisine. My team and I are passionate about making dishes that we enjoy savouring, dishes that we want to share with our guests.”
See the dishes of the India Rising menu at Trèsind Studio below, with comment from Saini.
Tortellini, Gorgonzola dolce, pandhra rassa (Deccan Plateau)
“'Pandhra rassa’ translates to white stew from the western state of Maharashtra. The stew is made with a stock of lamb and the first press of coconut cooked in a medley of Indian spices. Fresh dough tortellini are filled with Gorgonzola dolce, braised cabbage, bean flower and watercress.
“This dish is served as a second course out of the three from the Deccan Plateau where we highlight all forms of coconut from its flesh to the second press. In the first course we use the flesh, second course we use the first press and in the third course we use the second press.” (Pictured top)
Pickled pepper, buttermilk curry ice cream (Thar Desert)
“This course is about the pickling spices of India. The method of pickling is different compared to the West. There’s always a mixture of spices and oils, predominantly mustard oil that acts as a base for the pickles. Here we use chickpea tempura fried pepper, filled with an emulsion of pickles paired with a buttermilk curry ice cream.”
Oyster pearl, lychee, sea water (pre-dessert from coastal plains)
“We present flavours of the sea in this course. The saline seawater is a combination of light tea, black soy, cucumber, and rice vinegar with some ginger. The lychee gives the texture of an oyster. The vegetal oyster leaf imparts the flavours of an oyster. The pearl is made with sour milk and lemongrass.”
Missi roti, nopales curry, cultured butter (Thar Desert)
“Missi roti is a chickpea flour flatbread. We puff up the bread, filling it with cured nopales cactus curry, and sweet mango pickle inside the puff. Thinly sliced nopales cactus compressed in arugula, some cultured butter, Kiko flower petals, and toasted onion seeds.”
Mustard and miso scallop, ripe banana, potato tartlet (coastal plains)
“The Potato tartlet is filled with scallops, cooked for about 10 seconds and tossed in mustard and miso. Smoked tomato chutney and thin slices of banana glazed in yellow peppers and balsamic pearls give some acidity.”
Ghee roast crab, burnt cinnamon, curry leaf crisp (coastal plains)
“Highlighting a spice mix from Mangalore, ghee roast is a blend of spices and clarified butter. The crab is cooked in the ghee roast spice blend, and before service we bake it on cinnamon bark so it absorbs all the flavors of cinnamon. Curry leaf crisp gives it some crunch.”
Confit duck, ash-roasted artichokes, black lime chutney (Thar Desert)
“The course is inspired by a barbecue technique from the region, called ‘khad ka pind’. It’s a method of cooking meat in an underground sandpit. The entire bird is marinated, wrapped in a dough and cooked in a sandpit. We use confit duck marinated in black lime pickle, homemade hot Sriracha, and water chestnuts. The smoky and earthy flavours are achieved from the ash-roasted artichoke shell the confit duck is filled in with.”
Cacao ghevar, cauliflower crémeux, roasted barley ice-cream (Thar Desert)
“Ghevar is a cookie made from refined flour and clarified butter. It’s paired with crémeux of cauliflower, roasted barley ice cream and sugar floss flavoured with butterscotch.”
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