OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: INDIENNE, CHICAGO

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: INDIENNE, CHICAGO

After our stay at New York, we travelled to Chicago, IL. You will recall that at New York I had the great fortune to dine at three of the finest Indian restaurants,  Chef Vikas Khann's The Bungalow; Chef Raveesh Kapoor's Indian Accent; and Chef Vijayakumar's Semma. 

In Chicago, we dined at another famous restaurant called Indienne. This was inaugurated in 2022 . Shortly after, it was awarded a Michelin star in 2023. It was the first Indian restaurant to get this honour. Chef Sujan Sarkar and his team have ensured they have retained the prestigious status every year since then. Chef Sujan is from Kolkatta but spent over a decade in London honing his skills. He has entrepreneurial ventures in Los Angeles, and San Francisco to his credit. 

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to meet Chef Sujan as he was out of town. He was busy with the inauguration of his New York restaurant situated in Henry Hall, West 38th Street, near 10th Avenue in the  Hudson Yards.

The name "Indienne" comes from Chef Sujan Sarkar's objective of a fusion of Indian flavors and French techniques. We went there with great expectations having signed up for their 9 course Non-Vegetarian Tasting Menu. 

As you know, a "tasting menu" is a multi-course dining experience curated by the chef. The choice of dishes and the sequence in which they are served are pre-determined. Typically, the portions are small but there is great variety. Also, often the best dishes from the chef's kitchen make the cut. 

At the Indienne, the beauty of the tasting menu lies in the chef's reinterpreting traditional Indian dishes with his own innovative choice of ingredients, not to forget the unique styling of the dish.

We started the evening with gin and tonic! But wait, here's the difference. They offered a distinctly Indian edge to the traditional British drink. From the available options, we chose Kokum! It did add to the taste of the drink which came served with a giant size single ice sphere.

Let's see all that went into making up our non-vegetarian tasting menu that evening. 

Dahi Puri (Buckwheat, Green Apple, Tamarind)

Banarasi Tomato (Burrata, Black Rice) :

Hamachi (Avacado, Cucumber, Sol Kadi). I can imagine the dexterity required to individually plate each serving!! 

Egg ( Corn, Green Pea, Caviar, Babka Pao) : 

Lobster Ghee Roast ( Prawn Ela Ada, Sunchoke, Mango):

Lamb Kebab ( Shami, Ribs, Endive, Pickled Jicama):

Chilli Cheese Khulcha: 

Chicken Makhni ( Red Pepper, Fenugreek) served with Black Dairy Dal and Garlic Naan :

Kaju Katli ( Honeycomb, Nougat, Milk Ice Cream).:

 

As we left we were given Treats ( Coffee and Walnuts; Mango & Ginger) 

What do I remember most from this meal? I must say it was the Chicken Makhni and the Garlic Naan, followed by the Lobster Ghee Roast! 

The most attractive plating had to be the Hamachi.

The non-vegetarian tasting menu at Indienne was stylish, sophisticated and  sumptuous!

As a foodie and a food blogger, I came away immensely impressed by the innovation and creativity of the  Chefs at Indienne. 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: INDIAN ACCENT, NEW YORK

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: INDIAN ACCENT, NEW YORK

Our travels in the United States have delayed my posting in the blog- today I share my experience in Indian Accent in New York nearly two weeks ago! 

Some of you may have had the pleasure of dining at The Indian Accent in New Delhi.  Located in the  Lodhi Hotel, this restaurant for fine dining was voted the No. 1 restaurant in India by Condé Nast Traveller. It has featured since 2015 in Asia's 50 Top Restaurants.  This group has restaurants in Mumbai and New York as well. During our recent visit to New York, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to dine at The Indian Accent there. This is an upscale Manhattan restaurant situated in the larger premise of Thompson Central Park by Hyatt at 123, W 56th Street. 

I had the great pleasure of meeting the very talented Head Chef Raveesh Kapoor. He has worked earlier in Indian Accent in New Delhi.  He was kind enough to make time for me. He explained what they seek to do to set them apart from other Indian restaurants. His goal is to create innovative presentations of Indian cuisine using his experience and creativity. 

We started with a refreshing mocktail.

I was extremely impressed by Chef Raveesh's culinary skills. He  used traditional Indian vegetables, ingredients and dishes to transform them almost magically to superbly crafted high cuisine offerings. Quite amazing! 

Here are a few examples that stay in my mind:-

Let's start with the first introduction to innovation. Look how cute is this!! Pumpkin and Coconut Shorba with Blue Cheese Naan! The shorba was as good as it looks -served in a small cute black cup. The mini-naans were delicious. 

This was definitely eye catching! Here is Paapdi Chaat - the humble yet legendary Indian street food- after it gets an upmarket styling! 

Guess what this is ? An innovative take on Idli Sambar with a Jackfruit Podimas ! Presented like a sandwich. 

Another treat for the eyes- and the palate! As an admirer of food plating, I couldn't take my eyes off Crispy Uttapam with roast onion chutney. Just imagine- our good old Utappam presented as this multi-colour dish.

Picture above is of- if I recall correctly- Dal Kalbelia, made with lentils in a buttery tomato sauce. It's origins are from our Indian State of Rajasthan.

Now look at this! It's a Medu Vada but made with Tofu. Served with Madras gunpowder and sambar cream ! The plating reminds me of a welcoming smiley!! 

Another interesting dish was made with Sweet Potato (Shakarkhandi) garnished with Rajasthani style  crispy okra topped with fresh herbs. 

Picture below is of Potato Kofta, Punjabi Kadhi, Achari Mirch

This superb dish was the Tawa Paneer with Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Curry. Lip smacking!! 

Finally the delectable dessert:  a creative take on a dessert from Tamilnadu: Black Rice Kesari paired with  Coconut Payasam 

Here's a clip I saw in Instagram on Chef Raveesh in On The Clock. 

So signing off with grateful thanks to Chef Raveesh Kapoor, Head Chef at Indian Accent, New York. I promise we will visit again! 

If you happen to be in New York and are looking for some excellent Indian food- served in spectacular style- look no further than Indian Accent! 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : BUNGALOW, NEW YORK

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE : BUNGALOW, NEW YORK 

On May 13, 2026, I was thrilled to tick off one of the top items in my bucket list. My husband, Prem and I were dining at Bungalow, 24, First Avenue, New York! This is a renowned restaurant in which Chef Vikas Khanna - often described as an global ambassador of Indian gastronomy - is a Partner. 

Besides being excited at dining here, we were thankful that we had got a reservation in the first place! Trust me, it is very, very difficult to make a reservation. You have to book 20 days in advance of the day you wish to dine. Guess what? All the slots get grabbed in some insane time like 10 seconds!! The good news is that once you have a reservation and reach Bungalow, you can be assured of a memorable experience. 

We had the privilege of meeting Chef Vikas Khanna, who was recently named in Time mag's 100 Most Influential People of 2026! He makes it a point to greet diners as often as he can. Much to my delight, we spoke of my blog and he remembered my picture. He penned a gracious message in my copy of his book, " Flavours First: An Indian Chef's Journey ".

I reminded him of his praise for the food from our Mangaluru area, where he studied, which he warmly acknowledged. For me, this was the highlight of our conversation. Coming from a Master Chef like him, our Konkani cuisine has got a richly deserved boost in the eyes of the culinary world!! 

We began the dinner with Nilgiri Tandoori Prawns as starters. These jumbo prawns were huge in size  and absolutely delicious! 

For drinks, we went through the list of innovative offerings. I had the Lucky Cheng: clarified green curry infused Gin, Lime, Kewar, and Crispy Green Curry Leaf. Prem chose to have Paan Sour: vodka, Paan chutney, kewar, and dehydrated rose petal dust. 

For the entree, we had the Chicken Amritsari eaten with Butter Tandoori Rotis. The succulent pieces of chicken were richly marinated and served in a thick, creamy sauce made of charred tomato, fenugreek, tandoori spice mix and cashews. 

We decided to have The Mango Three Way for dessert. This was crafted with homemade Mango ice cream, rasberry coulis and candied fruits.

Bungalow has a lovely Indian style decor in keeping with Chef Vikas Khanna's love for his homeland. 

The dinner finally came to an end! We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Bungalow. This memory will stay with us forever. 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AVARTANA AT ITC ROYAL BENGAL, KOLKATA

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AVARTANA AT ITC ROYAL BENGAL, KOLKATA

It was a memorable experience for us to dine at Avartana, the fine dining restaurant at the ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata where we are staying. This is a new chain of restaurants from ITC Hotels and is positioned as " an expression of culinary art featuring re-imagined flavours from the Southern Indian Peninsula crafted with global culinary techniques." 

Believe me, this is not just marketing speak to push a new product range. It is a realistic description of the way the ITC Hotel Chefs have used South Indian ingredients and food forms in innovative and imaginative ways. 

I am not surprised at all to hear that Avartana at ITC Grand Chola at Chennai has made its debut at #30 in Asia's Top #50 Restaurants! Apparently, this chain will over time be found in more and more of ITC's luxury hotels.

We were greeted with a welcome drink of -what else but Rasam. This flavourful rasam was made without  the use of lentils of any kind.

While there are 4 different dining options ranging from 7 to 13 courses of fine dining, we opted for "Maya" the 7 course one- which was a smart decision as it more than met our needs.

My aim here is not to describe each and every dish as that would spoil the culinary experience for you. I would rather you enjoy it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I am instead sharing a few dishes that really stayed in my mind.

The picture above is of  Coriander Chicken served with mini-appams. The mini appams really looked so cute and were delicious. The chicken coriander was outstanding- a dish we will remember for very long! 

Another dish that took us totally by surprise for its innovative presentation and taste was the Fermented Chilli Prawn served with a base of idli! 

One would expect a gourmet meal such as this to end with a bang! And it surely did! The dessert - Pumpkin and Candied Ginger, made with Jaggery and Sesame Ice Cream  - was excellent too.

Since it was out wedding anniversary, we were treated to a special extra dessert of pedas and chocolate - in which the principal ingredient was South India's famous Pal Khova! 

Behind every successful restaurant is a team of people who work hard to give us a perfect dining experience. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Aditya of Avartana in ITC Royal Bengal. He is one of the modern day young chefs who dare to think big . After our dining experience, I am convinced that very soon ITC Hotels'  fledgling Avartana chain of fine dining restaurants will go to great places. 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LAZY BEAR, SAN FRANCISCO

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: THE LAZY BEAR, SAN FRANCISCO

How would you describe a memorable dining experience? To start with, I would imagine it would be different from the ordinary; it would be special; and yes, it would live up to its reputation, making you promise to return some day. This is exactly what happened to us when we dined at The Lazy Bear on 19th Street in San Francisco! 

I think I would use "Creativity" to best describe the atmosphere, food, and lasting memory of The Lazy Bear. The creativity starts with the location itself. If you did not know where it was you are likely to walk right past as it has no signage of any sort at the door! I guess this fine dining place is pitched as being there for those who know where it is, if you get what I mean. 

The name too comes out of the creativity of its Founder Chef David Barzelay. He was training to be a lawyer when he took up his first passion of cooking when he was laid off from his job in 2009. He started cooking for friends in his apartment and it became so popular that he opened a restaurant in an illicit warehouse! The Lazy Bear moved to its present location in 2014. I was amused to hear the restaurant got its name from an anagram of Barzelay! 

The way you book a table here too is really innovative. You can't just call and book a table. You need to buy tickets as you would for a show.!!  In our case, our son had booked the tickets for us so it was his treat! You will find all the information you need in the the  website of The Lazy Bear. And yes, it has a rating of Two Stars by Michelin!

Coming now to our visit. A striking feature was the little red Lazy Bear "Field Guide" - a booklet given to you to make small notes/observations- if you wished. It details the different courses that you will be served during the Taster Menu and has a wine suggestion that would be most apt to have with that dish. It has a selection of anagrams and has space for you to make up your own!! 

Let's talk about the food! First up was the aromatic Forager's Tisane. I came to know that tisanes are water- based infusions of herbs, flowers, leaves, and spices. In terms of taste, I guess the closest I could think off was like sipping a very mildly flavoured tea -though of course this has no tea in it.

The folks who serve each course also speak about the dish and the ingredients that go into it. We couldn't always follow as they rattled off what they had to say at great speed! 

The second course in this multi-course fine dining experience was the Whipped Scrambled Eggs.

The presentation of this delicious dish was very innovative and beautiful. We enjoyed this with the suggested accompanying Billecart Salmon Brut Sous Bois Champagne from Mareuil-sur-Ay in France.

The Seafood Tower has to be one the top dishes I have ever tried anywhere. This had three components: the Virginia Oyster, Grilled Scallops and a Dungeness Crab Dip. Like the dishes before, the presentation was very creative and the dish tasted heavenly!!

The next course had Arrowhead Cabbage  made with Broccoli, Brussels Krout and Allium Pancake which was excellent.

Then followed Cauliflower- California White Sturgeon Caviar served with wild greens and Bodega Bay Black Cod served with sea lettuce and spring greens. 

Both these dishes were delicious and as always very attractively presented. I was most impressed with their exhibition of the art of presenting their offerings.  

Then came a Lazy Bear Cultured Butter- a pretzel roll

The next course was Chicken and Dumplings followed by Grilled Lion's Mane- green and white asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce and Sorrel with Coconut and Lime.

All good things must come an end- as did our dinner. We closed with the dessert - Honey Cakes made with Yeasted Cream, Chamomile Creme Anglaise, which were outstanding.

Along with the dessert we were served Gummy Bear Treats of Strawberry and Elderflower as also Macaron- a preserved Meyer Lemon Tart.

Not just that! On the way out, we were given some goodies for breakfast the next day- banana bread and cold coffee! 

So how was the dining experience overall? I would say it was excellent! The Lazy Bear is highly recommended. I realise that a visit here will set you back a fair amount - but it is special and so worth it!