I revisited Indienne last night and was blown away with the quality and inventiveness of the food, as well as the service and elegant, calming ambiance of the space. I’d had the non-veg menu almost a year and a half ago and thought it was good, not fantastic, but I was intrigued so I kept the restaurant on my list to give another shot. This time, I opted for the veg menu, and dined with a friend from South India. She observed that while every dish was a creative and elevated riff on one she was familiar with, the flavors were pure, loving home cooking, kind of “off the beaten path” compared with banquet fare/standard Mughlai style restaurant food — and even from the standard South Indian menus I’m familiar with (with dosas, appam, idly, that kind of thing).
Every dish was distinct, perfectly balanced, and wedded traditional flavors with non-Indian ones like parmigiano and truffle with remarkable ease. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but it might have to be the paneer katli (with kulcha supplement). It was wild to experience the exact cashew flavor and texture that I’m familiar with in kaju katli dessert, but in a savory incarnation. Other standouts were the pachadi gravy with the avocado kebab dish, and the mushroom eclair amuse bouche. Even the little treats at the end — a guava jelly and tamarind truffle — were smashing.
We each had a cocktail, both of which were excellent, and then were able to split the wine pairing so that we each got a half pour per course. We were also able to split the manti supplement, which I thought was a down to earth approach to hospitality. I will recommend this restaurant to anyone who will listen.
by nailsoup