Spouse and I had an absolutely phenomenal dinner at Indienne last week. They went for the Vegetarian tasting menu, I for the Pescetarian. Each menu had a supplement (morrel manti, lobster roast) which we decided to add.
~
Starters: aero dhokla (batter hard-foam with sauces that really hit the spot), pani puri (while impressively constructed, the filling just tasted like fruit juice), mushroom and goats cheese eclair (warm, amazing).
~
Yoghurt chaat was both high art and high cuisine – mesmerizing to the eye and the taste buds. Manu veda (veg) and scallop with sour squid (pesc.) were good. The celeriac shami kabab was the highlight – practically indistinguishable from a regular lamb shami kabab and paired with little dollops of chutneys and a supplemental kulcha bread. Morrel manti with Parmesan foam and black truffle was great (but is it Indian?); my lobster ghee roast came with some sauces and prawn minced wrapped in a leaf – could taste the char and tikka flavor on the back of my palette and took me back to a regular tikka shop. Paneer kofta was colorful but quite heavy by this time into our meal, my sea bass was the most beautifully tender piece of fish I've ever had (didn't get the fermented cherry tomato or the crab wrapped in zucchini flower). This set of mains came with a small bowl of house daal and a half cut garlic naan, which I devoured. It actually felt like a little break from the fancy stuff that we could eat in a non pretentious way like at home).
~
Dessert was ginger ice cream with apple, and kaju Katli (cashew cutlet)- deceptively simple name but with fair amount of sophistication in the arrangement and taste profiles. This was followed by little treats.
~
Service was attentive and professional.
~
Can't wait to go back some day.
by Beneficial-Arm-254
7 Comments
The black dairy dal is life changing.
Visuals were bright and cheery. I appreciate that.
I went to Indienne back in 2023, and the meal was just so-so and not memorable. The surprising part was how bland it was.
I went back in late 2024 with a friend because it’s one of the few fine dining places open on Monday in Chicago. That second meal was much better than the first.
I’d like to believe the first time was an aberration and not the second. I’ve tried to get friends to go before, but some of them are surprisingly intimidated by the Indian roots.
Looks amazing and delicious
Went last year and had such a great time that I actually started laughing at one point. Glad you enjoyed it!
!!! So glad to hear you had a good experience — this is one of my favorite restaurants in the US. The experience exceeds the cost by a wide margin, the Indian influence means lots of flavors not present in typical fine dining, and on the service front every time I’ve come back the staff mentions a detail about my past experience or preferences and tailors the dinner around it (recommending similar wines, changing courses, etc). This place is absolutely crushing it relative to their star and cost and I hate it say it online for fear that everybody else figures it out and it changes.
For specifics, the aero dhokla is a bite I regularly dream of, and the langoustine is perfection. Their wine list isn’t extensive but has a real personality, and is a real steal if you’re coming from NYC or a similarly priced market.
I absolutely love this place. I’ve been 3 times already