Tag Archives: best restaurant

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Rooted in the Earth, Served on a Plate !!!

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When the World’s 23rd Best Restaurant, Latin America’s 6th Best, the recipient of the 2025 American Express One to Watch Award, and a restaurant ranked #68 on Asia’s 50 Best come together, it is not just a dinner, it becomes a moment. An evening that leaves you truly spellbound.

Chef Rodolfo, Chef Johnson, and their incredible teams came together to showcase what it truly means to stay rooted. As the world moves forward at a relentless pace, they gently remind us that progress does not mean forgetting where we come from. Nature continues to give us,quietly, generously, just like a mother does. Mother Nature offers abundance through ingredients that are native, seasonal, and deeply connected to who we are. All we need to do is slow down, look around, and treat these ingredients with respect, to nourish not just our bodies, but our souls and minds.

If there is one profound takeaway from this dinner, it is a reaffirmation of purpose. To continue doing what we do, to preserve recipes, honour ingredients, and work closely with what each season offers. To rediscover ingredients that may once have been overlooked or undervalued, yet hold immense power in shaping our health, culture, and identity.

Chef Rodolfo spoke with such deep passion about the produce of Chile, ingredients that were once dismissed, forgotten, or taken for granted. Through his relentless commitment, he has not only revived these ingredients but has also carried them onto the global stage, helping position Chile as a powerful food destination. Listening to him speak was a reminder of how one chef’s belief can change the way a country eats and is seen.

Chef Johnson, on the other hand, creates his quiet magic using produce largely grown and cultivated at Farmlore. His plates reflect elegance, restraint, and finesse, allowing the ingredient to lead, never overpowering its natural story.

One of the most moving highlights of the evening was learning that Team Boragó travelled with nearly 120 kilos of luggage, filled with produce, cookery and even cutlery. Such extraordinary attention to detail speaks volumes about their respect for food, process, and experience.

This dining experience was far more than a meal. It was a spectacular celebration of ingredients and a powerful reminder to love and respect everything edible around us. I see these chefs as quiet warriors, fighting through food to preserve biodiversity, heritage, and authenticity.

To Kaushik and Swati, thank you for being the most gracious and thoughtful hosts.

Udiksh, thank you for pairing the evening with beautiful wines and serving them with that ever-infectious smile.

Avinash and the entire Farmlore team, thank you for your warm, heartfelt hospitality.

Chef Rodolfo and Chef Johnson, my deepest respect for what you do. We need more chefs like you. Your passion for every single ingredient was impossible to miss. I truly hope you continue to discover, revive, and work with many more local ingredients across the world.

And to Chef Chris Howard and Chef Benja Correa, thank you.

This evening will stay with me for a very long time.

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A Love Letter From India To Japan 🥢

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My question to Chef Adwait was, “What really runs in your mind when you create this kind of food?”
He looked at me blankly, and that’s when I realised, creation is something that comes naturally to some people, like him.

Chef Adwait has taken elements from both Indian and Japanese ingredients and techniques to create these unique dishes for our palate.

We began with Nimbu Kombu Paani, which I would call a welcome drink that was eaten rather than sipped. Made with Kagzi Nimbu from southern India and kombu (a type of seaweed with a subtle umami flavours), it set the tone beautifully.

Khasi Chicken Horenso, black sesame Khasi chicken with Japanese spinach (Horenso)  was topped with chicken feet fat. The nutty flavour of Black sesame blended perfectly with the chicken and spinach.

Ganne ka Ras, Sencha Somen. I could never have imagined having noodles (somen) with ganne ka ras (sugarcane juice). The scallop perfectly complemented the entire composition and it was a smooth summer slurp.

Aam Papad Tuna, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of sushi wrapped in aam papad! Only Chef Adwait could pull that off so brilliantly. I loved how the roll melted in the mouth,  the tuna and mango slow-danced together in perfect harmony.

Now to a dish that’s very close to my heart and DNA,  Mangalore Buns, Filter Coffee Butter, and Banana Bonito. I need to share this experience with my family back home in Mangalore. Adding filter coffee butter to this dish was like a Mangalorean living in Chennai, a mix of nostalgia and comfort. This was my absolute favourite dish of the entire meal and I know it’s not easy to achieve that perfect Mangalore bun texture.

Corn Raab Soba with Naga Smoked Pork, corn raab, also known as makai ka raab from Rajasthan, was served with Naga smoked pork on a bed of soba noodles, finished with a drizzle of nolen gur from West Bengal. So many flavours came together to create this heartwarming dish.

Aslam-san, Chef Adwait’s take on Aslam Butter Chicken, gives a Japanese twist to a Delhi favourite, paying homage to the city that loves this dish.

And then came the Sel Roti x Mochi Donut — a small, unassuming dessert that ended up being our favourite. We thought we were done with sweets, but before we knew it, we couldn’t stop eating. Every bite screamed, “I want more,” and we polished it off in no time!

This is what happens when you dine with an open mind and heart.

We sipped on some incredible in-house kombucha between courses,  since we skipped cocktails and I’m glad we did. The jasmine, green tea and chamomile flavours were refreshing; my personal favourite was the chamomile, while the others leaned towards jasmine.

INJA is a place to experience unimaginable Indian and Japanese flavours, a space where Chef Adwait’s creativity goes beyond imagination.

Special mention to the warmest hospitality by Panchali.