#blahvsfood goes to Nisaba, Delhi to celebrate the next chapter in the legendary Manish Mehrotra’s journey.

I don’t know if any restaurant opening has ever had the love and goodwill that Nisaba does. Everyone loves Manish Mehrotra . He is the baap of all Indian chefs, the most influential chef in India in the 21st century, and a man still at the top of his game. But he is also a gem of a human being. No politics, no camps, no gossip, no bitching, no arrogance, no pretentiousness. Always happy to give his time, support and encouragement to everyone who seeks it. A rare person who is both an outstanding professional and an outstanding human being. 

Beetroot Goat Cheese Dahi Vada

It can’t be easy to leave behind Indian Accent and Comorin and start afresh. These are iconic restaurants.. huge commercial successes that also changed how India ate and transformed our understanding of Indian food. Restaurants that were a part of Manish’s identity, that he built from scratch. And while Manish was always clear that he wasn’t seeking to replicate what he had done earlier, I guess it was inevitable that people would try and compare. 

Samosa, Moradabadi Dal

Well they shouldn’t because Nisaba is completely different from Manish’s earlier work. This isn’t modern Indian food the way we know the term. This is Indian food that is more rooted and regionally focused that anything Manish has ever done. While every dish does have little elements and flourishes that elevate them and incorporate Manish’s voice, there is more fidelity to their roots than ever before. 

Lucknow White Matar Tikki

The geographical inspiration for most of the dishes is North Indian, and specifically the states of Bihar, UP and Delhi. The Moradabadi dal, apparently a fixture at all fancy Delhi weddings, was light and nuanced with the samosas giving it a chaat like feel. His Lucknow white matar tikki was better than any chaat I ate in Lucknow, with a small addition like the “sem ke beej” giving it a crunch and textural element that made it memorable for me. 

Mutton Seekh Kabab, Blue Cheese Butter

Slow Cooked Lamb Ribs

I loved the fact that the mutton Sheekh was coarsely minced and rustic, and that the blue cheese was used with restraint to accentuate the fatty goodness of the meat rather than overwhelm it. There was a slow cooked lamb ribs dish that’s like a sophisticated tabak maaz, and that came with a aloo bharta packed with mustard oil, a tribute to the home style favourite eaten across east India. 

Jammy Eggs, Winter Saag

If you go to Nisaba while it’s still winter, do have Manish’s saag with jammy eggs. The saag is rich and earthy and filled with warmth. But more than the eggs, it’s Manish’s mastery of texture that I always love. Who else would think of adding pine nuts and deep fried pieces of channa dal to a saag dish? But that’s really what makes the dish, that allows it to revive memories not just of flavour but of childhood joy. 

Clay Pot Motihari Mutton

Zaveri Bazaar Dal, Kadhai Potatoes, Himalayan Jakhyia Seeds

I just loved how so many of the dishes were just so soulful and unpretentious. The zaveri bazaar Dal, like a hug in a bowl. A jakhiya aloo that took me back to cold evening in Landour. The choice of a sattu kachori to serve with the tender Motihari mutton. 

And then, as you end the meal, Manish decides to remind you that for all the simplicity of his choices, he still has a Willy Wonka side. The baked rasmalai was stunning and the addition of nolen gur makhana with fried chironji was madness. But what was even more brilliant was the vanilla bean ice cream with Chashni miso and hand sliced potato chips. The unrestrained glee I felt while eating this dish is a moment I’ll remember a long time. 

• Baked Rasmalai

This is the brilliance of Chef Manish Malhotra in one dish. He does texture better than any other chef. His creativity and inventiveness stand second to none. But what he really delivers in every meal is joy. 

Nisaba will surprise people who expect something with more bells and whistles. But this was never meant to be that kind of place. There will be a tasting menu restaurant before too long. But for now, let’s celebrate the quiet confidence of a genius with nothing to prove to anyone. Manish is cooking the food he loves.. the food he grew up with and the food that fills his soul. He’s bringing his roots and his life and a part to himself to his fans. And he’s creating and sharing this food with his signature brilliance, but without feeling the need to recreate or reimagine anything. There is no ego in this cooking, no insecurity. Just a sense of freedom and love, and the beginning of a beautiful new chapter in the life of India’s greatest chef. 

I ate: 

STARTERS

• Samosa, Moradabadi Dal, Buknu, Everything Chutney

• Lucknow White Matar Tikki, Sem Ke Beej, Kachalu, Khasta Mathri

• Beetroot Goat Cheese Dahi Vada, Fresh Green Tomatoes, Nutmeg Miso Rice

• Mutton Seekh Kabab, Blue Cheese Butter, Baked Naan

• Slow Cooked Lamb Ribs, Tempered Jeera, Caper Aloo Bharta 

• Tiger Prawns, Konkan Javla Butter, Goan Poee Bread

⸻

MAINS

• Kadhai Potatoes, Himalayan Jakhyia Seeds, Garlic Chives

• Zaveri Bazaar Dal, Birista, Baby Hing Tadka, Ajwain Roti 

Jammy Eggs, Winter Saag, Pinenuts, Makki Ki Roti 

• Clay Pot Motihari Mutton, Stewed Garlic, Hing Sattu Kachori 

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DESSERTS

• House Potato Chips, Chashni Miso, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 
• Baked Rasmalai, Fried Chironji, Nolen Gur Makhana