Showcasing ‘Indian food of today’s India’, Chef Manish Mehrotra has finally taken the plunge by launching his own restaurant, Nisaba, which not just offers his signature dishes but also entirely new culinary experiments.
Blue Cheese Naan. Dal Moradabadi. Amaranth Laddoo. Doda Barfi Treacle Chaat…
Today, these are a regular part of the Indian gourmand’s vocabulary. Indeed, given that I had Dal Moradabadi thrice in the past month, including once in a buffet, is a testament to just how influential chef Manish Mehrotra has been in the last two odd decades in reshaping Indian cuisine. “When I introduced Dal Moradabadi in 2013, I was asked, ‘ Who is going to eat moong dal?” he recollects with a chuckle.
Rohit Khattar-led Indian Accent, Chef Mehrotra’s long-term playground, was effectively the magical theatre where all these dishes were unleashed—and then absorbed, devoured, deconstructed, and copied, according to the audience segment. Indeed, outsiders to Delhi who could afford five-figure per head meals, and had headed to Bukhara until then, began paying obeisance to Mehrotra’s miraculous menus. His greatest legacy was transforming what was often seen as Indian ghar ka khana into modern cuisine. While it was the playful, arresting plating that caught immediate attention, the burst of flavour that came with each bite ensured repeated visits to explore the chef’s vast repertoire of delicious delights.
Under Mehrotra’s stewardship, Indian Accent has won top accolades. It has featured on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list since 2015, and recognised as a top destination in the World’s 100 Greatest Places by Time Magazine et al. Numerous chefs, who trained under him, have received global acclaim as well—including Chef Himanshu Saini and Trèsind Studio, which became the first Indian cuisine restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars last year. The Michelin Guide has described the affable chef as being akin to a culinary anthropologist!
Indian Accent would go on to open in New York in 2016 and Mumbai in 2023, by which time Chef Mehrotra’s superstardom was at such a peak that he was the chef on call for presidents and celebrities, and the fanciest of weddings to the most premium of events.
