A MASTERCLASS IN TEXTURES
New menu called Chapter 2 is a roller-coaster of flavours and crunch
Dubai’s popular fine dining restaurant Tresind Studio, an offshoot of the main brand, is well versed in turning Indian classics on its head to serve up dishes that are both nostalgic and new at the same time.
They do this again with the latest iteration of their set menu called Chapter 2, which features familiar Indian flavours presented in innovative ways.
The Studio space is located within Tresind in Voco Dubai, and has a chilled out vibe, which might not be expected from a high-end experience. While the main restaurant evokes a sense of luxury and edginess — with blue walls, wooden furniture and clean lines — the Studio is cheerful, bright and welcoming.
The 16-course menu was wellthought out, with dishes that were straight up Indian ‘khaana’, some that borrowed flavours and textures (and failed to hit the mark), and others that made us want more.
Some of the best dishes on the menu drew from the very Indian concept of adding crunch wherever possible. The pani puri balloon had the traditional sweet and sour flavours of the iconic street food fare but repackaged with popping candy for added flair. The morel sandwich was a surprisingly flavourful creation — heady mushroom and truffle flavours captured in a light, crunchy meringue — that made me audibly gasp.
A traditional Kholapuri mutton and coconut soup called pandra rassa got the Tresind Studio treatment that merged the meaty stew with a disk of a crunchy fried snack — a perfect blend of textures that made the otherwise wholesome and but flat dish extra special.
Even the dishes that didn’t pull out all the stops in terms of innovation still shined because of presentation and flavour — the grilled chicken dusted with gold powder was charred just right with a lip-smacking masala paste, lamb chops with a black pepper sauce was tender and full of flavour and the steak served with five curries was a treat for the eyes and the taste buds (even if one or two curries tasted like it had been toned down for a less Indian palette).
The dessert course felt a little disjointed due to the lack of a strong link between the dishes — a deconstructed payasam that lacked punch followed by a Frenchinspired cherry and chocolate cake (which was excellent) made me question why? A sweet touch was the last dessert called honey moon — I won’t give away much, but it was a lovely experience.
One jarring aspect of the meal was the chaotic choice of music, which swung between AC/DC, Abba and Culture Club, and didn’t lend anything to the experience at all. A simpler playlist comprising one genre — and played at an ambient level — would have been music to our ears.
Glitches aside, Tresind Studio knows their food and the Chapter 2 menu puts that on display again. Go for the experience, stay for those classic flavours.