Tresind Studio | Chapter 2
Trèsind has begun to feel like my second home now. Every single time I visit the restaurant, it gives me the feels of coming back to something familiar, something that I know won’t ever disappoint. That’s how warm the hospitality at Trèsind is. And not to mention the food, which makes it two of the main reasons why I keep going back to this place, again and again, and again. The most exclusive and intimate dining experience in D-Town – Trèsind Studio – has come up with a brand new Chapter 2 of their 16-course degustation menu which centers around French classical with an Indian twist.
Specially curated by the very very talented Chef Himanshu Saini, this menu brings about dishes that feature a classic foundation but are enhanced with modern tweaks, in his signature Trèsind style. Building up on rich French flavors with a midas touch of Indian spices, 16 different courses line up in this gastronomical extravaganza to ultimately create a progressive Indo-French menu that’s not only filled with spectacular taste, but also stays relevant to the culinary evolution.
Retaining some of the bestsellers from Chapter 1, while giving a few others a face lift, and still keeping the experimentation alive with the rest, Chapter 2 is yet another discovery from the brilliant chefs that make an integral part of the Trèsind kitchen. And you are sure to love the food even more amidst the company of the newest member in the studio – their gramophone – that plays a mix of classical and trendy music. Tip: You can bring along your own vinyl if you like or take your pick from their collection.
Read on to find out more about the gems we uncovered in this edition of our visit to Trèsind.
The French classical menu begins with a Hors d’oeuvre course of a pani puri balloon. Served on a vinyl record with guitar accent spoons to pay homage to their gramophone, this version of the ever-evolving chaat comes with Australian finger lime and popping candy. The brilliance of experimenting with pani puri never fails, and we are already in love with how this chapter is shaping up. Following the pani puri course is a bread appetizer, made with very little bread. An interpretation of a sandwich, this petite portion features a mushroom meringue top instead of bread followed by morel, truffle, lettuce, and a thin layer of crisp bread. Aptly titled morel sandwich, this one beautifully combines two of my favorites – mushrooms and truffles – into a bite sized bomb. Himanshu tells us how time sensitive this dish is, and asks us to eat it quick promising he’ll get us another one for a picture. I obviously eat the one that’s being photographed later. The next one in this series of small dishes is the chaat tart which is quite different from what we had seen in Chapter 1. A cold version of the famous Dahi Kebab is served in a tiny cornetto, made with dehydrated potatoes and filled to the brim with yogurt mousse, ginger strands, tempered mustard and a lot of herbs. We love how the prominence of each and every flavor stands out so well in this dish. The last one in this series is missi roti. A retainer from Chapter 1, the roti gets a spicy twist with chili butter as its accompaniment. The butter is so beautifully infused with pickled green chili, I almost find it difficult to stop myself from eating it all alone. Himanshu explains how they tried replacing the missi roti with so many other elements, but in the end it was only this that worked perfect. Again I complain to him on how I’d like a couple more missi rotis, while jokingly asking him to pack the butter for us to-go!
Himanshu tells us how time sensitive this dish is, and asks us to eat it quick promising he’ll get us another one for a picture.
We move on to the Potage course with a very special Linda the sheep who holds the Maharashtrian inspired soup pandra rassa. Made with lamb stock and coconut milk, this broth is soothingly poured over a potato rosti and lamb roast enhanced with curry leaf oil and lamb floss. Himanshu asks us to mix up everything so we can enjoy all the different elements in every spoonful. Our Poisson course presents a lovely interpretation of the Hokkaido scallop. Drenched in French mustard which is fermented overnight to turn it into kasundi, the sesame accented scallop melts in the mouth. I almost forget about the neutralizing potato crisp on the side, and allow myself to dive right in, in the silky texture and intense flavor of the mustard scallop. If you have known me, you know how I always steer clear of scallops, but Trèsind is probably one of the very very few places where I keep all my reservations for food outside the door and step in with a clean slate, ready to devour anything and everything that’s put in front of me. And there’s none other than Chef Himanshu Saini to thank for that. To add a little variety to our palate, we are also asked to try the vegetarian counterpart of the fish starter with the Mais course. Roasted baby corn covered in a rich red marinade is served alongside a cloud of corn butter. The butter is so foamy, it feels almost weightless and we lick it off our plates in no time. My favorite part in this dish are the crunchy frozen dried corn kernels which I remind myself will make a great homemade snack while binge-watching Netflix.
Trèsind is probably one of the very very few places where I keep all my reservations for food outside the door and step in with a clean slate, ready to devour anything and everything that’s put in front of me. And there’s none other than Chef Himanshu Saini to thank for that.
We move on to the Entree course with Himanshu’s Indianized version of French roast chicken. He specifically asks us to eat this with our hands, and well, who are we to say no to that! A beauty in every possible way, this juicy piece of cotton like chicken is marinated with dried pomegranate and mango powder, dusted with a generous sprinkle of edible gold, and served with a creamy avocado kachumber. Himanshu gives us an interesting inside scoop of how this dish was conceptualized just a couple of days before launch. While they had settled in for a butter chicken souffle, they realized the logistics wouldn’t really work unless every table was on the same course at the same time, which is why they decided to give it a miss and create this roast chicken instead. He also stresses on how their menu keeps on changing with minute improvisations playing out on every single dish, every single evening. As our talks progress, we are brought another Roast course that’s an exact replication from Chapter 1. A favorite among many patrons, the black pepper lamb chop stays put in this menu and comes all dressed up in rich spicy marinade with a side of potato filled dosa and some dried moringa, coconut and onion flakes on the side. Like most other dishes, this juicy piece of lamb too is cleaned off as quickly as it arrives. We come to a conclusion that Trèsind definitely knows how to do their meats really well. Be it the Indian steakhouse (and the endless selection of meats it presented) that we experienced not more than 2 months ago, or the multiple variations of lamb chops, beef medallions and chicken kebabs we’ve tried at different editions of Trèsind and Carnival by Trèsind seasons, if there’s something that remains unchanged, it is their level of meaty perfection.
With this we are done with starters and our palates are given a quick refresher in the form of this Sorbet course. A dollop of tangy raw mango sorbet is placed over a raw mango chutney and garnished with fresh fennel and pomelo. We crave for a little more of this sweet and sour chilled treat, but we know we still have a lot to experience, and decide to simply let the petite portion of this sorbet win.
Bringing back memories of the Indian Steakhouse Ramadan Menu at Trèsind, we are asked to choose our weapon from a slick collection of steak knives for our Releve course. The Wagyu steak is yet another dish retained from Chapter 1, but gets an uplift with the variety of sauces it is served with. Our medium done wagyu is placed in the center of the dish, and we gradually watch the staff pour the curries one after the other to create a rich toned flower. He starts with a vermillion hued tomato basil sauce, moving on to a rich forest colored spinach dill, then a dark maroon chili oregano, a bright orange biryani sauce and a deep brown vindaloo with rosemary. While all the sauces pair up right with the perfectly done steak, the tomato basil and chili oregano sauces have my heart.
The ultimate of all dishes is scheduled up next as the Legumes course. Unaltered and straight back up from Chapter 1 is the comfortingly brilliant dal khichdi. Just like old times, Himanshu sets up a map of India with 20 different ingredients from 20 different states, and almost like a melody, he starts by adding the 1st ingredient, explaining its origin, before moving to the 2nd, and the next and the next, until all of them are into the mixing bowl featuring the already cooked rice and lentils. He then gives it a quick stir and in a very community style, serves us a scoopful of the khichdi encouraging us to pass it on to the next diner. We love the papad crumble and raita served on the side of this dish and it still remains by far the highlight of my Trèsind Studio experience. While eating the dal khichdi, we joke with him that this dish should never be removed from the menu, no matter what, and he agrees.
While eating the dal khichdi, we joke with him that this dish should never be removed from the menu, no matter what, and he agrees.
Next it’s time for the Savoury course of Payasam. A little more deconstructed in its presentation compared to last time, this sweet savory pre-dessert highlights the South Indian Sadhya meal, where the leftover poppadum is often mixed with payasam and eaten together. We are brought a plate with a banana leaf that is followed by individual layers of condensed milk, pineapple carpaccio, mango, an edible butterfly and of course, the poppadum. We are clearly instructed to not eat the banana leaf! The Entremets course brings a lot of nostalgia to the table, albeit in a very humble way. Titled cherry blossom, this dessert is served inside of a classic shoe polish tin of the same name. Don’t worry, there has never been any trace of shoe polish in the dish, but what it packs inside is a lovely cake layered with homemade cherry compote and ice cream, making it the ideal comfort dessert. While I’m busy licking the tin clean, Himanshu mentions how it was his original plan to serve this with a shoe brush on the side (obviously a brand new, unused one), but was a little skeptical it could turn out to be offensive for some.
The last few dishes remain in their series of Petit Fours and we wonder if there are any more surprises in store. Well, it would be too amateurish to expect otherwise, am I right? The first one is an interpretation of a bird’s nest, where a condensed milk sphere, accented with saffron and pistachio, is meticulously placed over a bed of vermicelli to look like eggs inside a nest. To be eaten in one shot, this one instantly melts in our mouths, while we admire the crafty feathers used in the presentation of this dish. Another one bite wonder in this line-up is the gorgeous chocolate stone filled with liquid coffee. It’s almost like having a shot of choco-espresso, the flavors of which linger on your taste buds for a bit.
While we still recover from the bittersweet cacao, we see the servers brewing some tea. As they place the glass tea cups and kettles on our tables, the lights suddenly go off, and we are surprised to see a Honey Moon right in front of us. Himanshu steps over to fill in our tea cups while he explains the concept behind this striking finale. The moon-shaped ball of light is topped with an aerated chocolate bee hive doused in organic Sidr bee honey that is sourced from the mountains of Fujairah. Coupled with a cup of black tea, this duet certainly marks a smooth ending to our French classical journey.
It’s the small things that matter the most, and there is no better explanation to that than a dinner at Trèsind Studio. One thing you can always be certain of when dining at the studio is the immaculate attention to detail they place on everything they create. In fact, the particularity of the chefs is what makes sure the experience stays etched in your mind for a long long time.
The 16-course degustation menu is priced at AED 350++ per person.
Trèsind Studio
Location: Level 2, Nassima Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayad Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai
Contact: 04 3080440
