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.