The team from Avartana at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, ranked #1 out of 50 restaurants at the Condé Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards 2024, is heading to France this month to pop up at two of the country’s most historic wine regions, Champagne and Bordeaux. Led by chefs Nikhil Nagpal and Satheeshwaran, along with F&B Manager Ganesh Kuppusami, Avartana will host two curated dinners at beautiful chalets in wine estates offering guests a seven-course tasting menu of southern Indian Avartana classics paired with fine French wine and artisanal pours of champagne.
The first dinner will take place on 10 April in Champagne, at Domaine du Chalet, a heritage wine estate established in 1860, nestled in the village of Chigny-les-Roses within the Montagne de Reims regional nature park. Here, guests will sample a selection of small-batch bubbly paired with some of Avartana’s signature South Indian dishes, that draw on the classic flavours of curry leaves, tamarind, and coconut. The crisp Champagne on offer pairs well with the bold, vibrant flavours of the cuisine that Avartana spotlights.
The team will then travel to Bordeaux for the second event on 15 April at Château Haut-Brion, one of France’s oldest and most storied wine estates. This event coincides with the En Primeur, an annual event where wine professionals taste Bordeaux’s vintage wines before they are bottled.
The curated seven-course menu served at both events will feature some of Avartana’s signature dishes, including the Lamb Congee with aubergine and yoghurt, Asparagus & Coconut Stew with turmeric served with idiyappam, Spiced Pork Belly with chayote, and the Fennel Panna Cotta with angel hair caramel that resembles a bird nest, as well as two surprise courses that only the lucky guests at these events will taste. One of Avartana’s most iconic courses, the triple-distilled rasam, famously served in a French press, will also be served on arrival to guests. Sanjay Menon, the founder of Sonary’s, a prominent distributor and importer of premium wine in India, collaborated with the Avartana team to design the wine pairings and select the courses that would complement the exclusive labels.
Both dinners are invite-only events. The dinner at Champagne will take place on 10 April and the dinner at Bordeaux is set to take place on 15 April.
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