#blahvsfood on my shocking meal at Inja

 

Corn Raab / Soba / Naga Smoked Pork

This is the best fine dining meal in Delhi today. I thought long and hard about it. Because I love Megu. And I love Indian Accent. But this is a whole other level. This is in the top, top echelon of Indian restaurants. And to be honest, I am really shocked because I never expected it. At least not this quickly.

Inja has had a lot of hype since it opened. But when I ate there, I liked its potential more than its reality. 

Aam papad / tuna 

These were my words…

“I am more interested in what the restaurant will be with more time, experience and confidence. When the inspiration is humbler and there is less pressure to blow people away with every dish. When it starts stripping dishes down to their essence, an act of creation by reduction rather than addition.”

Khasi chicken / horenso 

There was one particular dish that made me feel they could achieve it. A panta bhaat dish, a Bengali take on a Japanese conjee was so soulful and humble that I felt there was potential for something truly magical with time and humility.

Podi /katsu

What I don’t understand is how everything that Chef Advaith and I spoke about seven months ago has already come to fruition. It’s impossible. I have never seen a restaurant utterly transformed so suddenly, that has upped its game so rapidly and so dramatically. It has gone from a restaurant with potential to one of the best in the country in six months. This is completely blowing my mind. 

Aloo chop / buff tartare 

The tasting menu I ate at Inja is cohesive. Restrained. Confident. Every dish was either super flavourful or super subtle. Nothing was gimmicky. Nothing was superfluous. It is the perfect synthesis of Japanese minimalism and Indian soul. Something that feels as new and exciting and flavourful as the French Japanese wave in Tokyo a decade ago. 

Tamatar Dhaniya yuzu shorba/ dashi tomatoes 

Right from the first course where the lean, meaty akami was allowed to shine thanks to the subtlety of the aam papad, I knew this meal would be a whole new experience. But this gentle beginning was followed by two flavour explosions in the horenso cooked with Khasi style chicken and white sesame as well as the aloo chop with buff tartare. The over the top use of horenso in the last menu had been replaced by something so minimalist, it left you wanting more, and the crispy bitterness of the spinach shone through the gelatinous chicken feet jelly and the creaminess of the sesame paste. 

Kadhi pakoda

And just when you felt that this was going to be all about the high notes, there was a tomato shorba, dashi style that was light, fresh, balanced with the umami hitting the back of the tongue, but only after you’ve explored the freshness and flavour of tomato and cilantro. 

Mangalore bun / banana bonito

There wasn’t a single weak dish. And I could honestly get into every single one. But two savoury courses really stood out. The corn raab with soba noodles and naga smoked pork was stunning, showing that Advaith’s take on Indo-Japanese went far beyond the cliches of what Indian food means. And the depth in his morel pulao was amazing. Yes the torched buff carpaccio it came with helped. But at its core, all I needed was that unctuous rice with salt cured egg yolk and negi. It was a hug. It was a loving embrace. It was just a gift. 

Kukiya chaat / watermelon kakigori

This brilliance and restraint extended to the desserts. The flawless panna cotta had a freshness and light sweetness thanks to the thin slivers of muscat shine grapes, while the Nepalese Timur peppercorn gave it a hum of spice and heat and depth. Even the mochi with gulkand ice cream and gulab was new, inventive, balanced and joyful.

Nimbu Mirch/ gindara

I ended my piece earlier this year by writing…

“I have no doubt that the team and chef have ambition. They are young and brave and determined to make a mark. But equally importantly, in my interactions, they also have the ability and the humility to listen and learn and play the long game. I hope they get the right guidance and support and mentoring because with time they have the opportunity to do something very special.”

Morel and soy pulao / buff carpaccio 

I was right. But far more right than I ever imagined. Seven months after giving them a mountain of feedback, I find I now have zero feedback for Inja. I can’t think of one dish, one element, one bite that I would change. 

Timer panna cotta 

What I would say is they need to invest in getting some global media and tastemakers here. They need to introduce their food to the world. They need to win awards. Not the fake domestic awards that people buy. But the real thing like Asia’s 50 best. Because this is better than half the restaurants on that list and ten times more original. 

Gulkand / mochi

I ate:

• Tuna aam papad: Akami rolled with mango leather pickle ginger and cucumber and yuzu jelly
• Spinach Khasi roll: horenso with khasi chicken , chicken feet jelly, ponzu jelly and crackling spinach
• Buff tartare: Bengal aloo chop, betel nut leaf, house made pickles, mustard oil Japanese mayo and mustard caviar
• Tomato shorba: Poached tomato, cold tomato dashi, cilantro oil and myoga
• Kadhi pakoda: Mango fajeto, scallop and shisho tempura, curry leaf oil and curry leaf furikake
• Bun: Mangloren bun, koju banana butter, banana katsubushi, kerala cracked pepper
• Karage: panko cutlet, south india podi and lime
• Kuliya chaat: Compressed watermelon, pickle watermelon rind, pisun lun, pink peppercorn and watermelon kakigori
• Corn raab: Served with soba noodles, naga smoked pork, mayu oil
• Nimbu mirch gindara: Miso and  house made lime pickle marinated cod served with blistered chilli
• Morel pulao: Table side torched buff carpacio with pathar kebab marination, salt cured egg yolk and negi
• Timur pannacota: nepalese peppercorn infused panna cotta with muscat shine grapes and kinome leave
• Gulkand mochi: Glutenious rice flour stuffer with gulkan ice cream, topped with desi gulab and sliver varq paper
• Patti samosa: Stuffed with adzuki beans and green cardamom along with ume liquer filter coffee

Patti samosa / adzuki / coffee