The Perfect Symphony

When two of India’s most celebrated chefs came together for a very special restaurant pop up, they laid out the most memorable and innovative spread of modern Indian fare.

Nestled in the scenic hills of Kasauli, Naar was undoubtedly the most noteworthy restaurant opening of 2023. This passion project of Chef Prateek Sadhu has earned high acclaim within months of its opening. Award winning chefs from all over the country, as well as guests who have dined at Naar, have only had words of praise for this one-of-a-kind restaurant that celebrates hyper local and seasonal ingredients, with most of them being sourced from the nearby hills. Even before the first dinner service, this ambient 16-seater had more than 300 reservations in advance – such is the fan following of Chef Prateek who helmed the kitchen at Masque, Mumbai for years, before following his heart to his roots – the Himalayas!

Chef Prateek Sadhu and Chef Manish Mehrotra

So, for their very first pop-up outside of Kasauli, team Naar chose to collaborate with India’s top restaurant – Indian Accent. In all fairness, this was the coming together of two of India’s most celebrated chefs of modern Indian cuisine – Chef Prateek Sadhu and Chef Manish Mehrotra. As the culinary director of Indian Accent restaurants, Chef Manish showcases inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavours from all over the country with global techniques. He is known to combine local, regional produce with global ingredients in the most ingenious ways. Along the way he has earned many accolades, Indian as well as international acclaim, but according to me, his humility despite all the success is what really sets him apart.

With two of these culinary giants coming together, I indeed felt lucky to be invited for the 13-course meal that they laid out for this pop-up. The journey alternated between a dish from Indian Accent followed by one from Naar. Each chef showcased some signature dish from his restaurant, but with a twist. The idea was to create something special that has not been served before at either restaurant. Even as people got a glimpse of what they can expect to experience at Naar, this pop-up turned out to be a teaser to motivate diners to make the journey to the hills to experience it in its entirety.

I opted for the non-vegetarian tasting menu. Being familiar with the repertoire of both the chefs, I knew that the description in the menu would not do any justice to the actual dish or its presentation. The tone was set as we started with Indian Accent’s hamachi, panna pakodi and melons followed by Naar’s masala carrot “kadhi”. While the former had refreshing mango panna served as a cold broth for the hamachi, the kadhi came topped with very flavourful foam with the carrot in varying textures, making for the perfect bite. Even as I attempt to describe these dishes, I know that words are failing to convey the medley of taste and textures that I experienced. Indian Accent’s papdi chaat came as a pretty little canoli; succulent lemon crab had a delicious sauce made with byadgi chillies and accompanied by Mickey Mouse shaped papads; followed by Calcutta mutton biryani and melt-in-the-mouth ghee lamb.

Tasting Menus

As tasting menus go, even though some courses were literally bite-sized, the entire meal leaves you totally satiated and full! Talking of bite-sized portions, Chef Manish’s version of Calcutta biryani was the talk of the table. Since potato is the hero of this dish, juicy chunks of mutton were served in a hollowed scoop of potato, topped with a few crunchy puffed rice grains. Chef Prateek’s menu was equally delicious and mind-blowing. The ‘dirty toast’ was a thick slice of sourdough bread topped with a delicious sauce and smoked trout. And boy! What a fabulous combination it turned out to be. Even at this posh restaurant, we were recommended to eat this by hand, adding to its rustic appeal. This was followed by traditional handmade noodles called ‘sundar kala’; served with Ladakhi sausages in sinki broth, this was yet another stellar dish. The pahadi pork, as flavourful as it is, was served with crisp bakarkhani bread and acidic butter. This meal was a beautiful example of how talented chefs can convert humble ingredients and the most traditional regional cooking techniques into a world-class gourmet affair.

While one could opt for a wine-paired meal with carefully chosen labels from Italy, France, South Africa and India, we enjoyed the craft cocktails by ace mixologist Varun Sharma, who heads the bars at Indian Accent, Comorin, Hosa and Fireback in Goa. On offer were summer coolers, spritzes and highballs with delicious seasonal fruits like jamun, mango, and even tomato.

After this incredible gastronomic extravaganza at Indian Accent Mumbai and Delhi, Chef Prateek took to his social media and wrote a very heartwarming note addressed to Chef Manish: “Chef, you have been a constant source of inspiration not just for me, but many of us. 15 years back you took a leap of faith and created an institution, which stands strong and has stood the test of time. I know it has not been an easy journey but you did it and with grace and a lot of humility. You showed us the way, led it by example and created a path for a lot us to follow. For me, it’s been an absolute honour to cook alongside with you, spending time and picking your brains. This one is surely for the books and I feel so incredibly lucky to have shared this space and cook alongside you. Keep leading the way, Chef!”

Bravo! What an experience!