INDIAN ACCENT
Ranked time and again as India’s best restaurant, from Indian Accent New Delhi comes a more modest – but no less inventive – sibling: Indian Accent in New York. Led by Chef and primary owner Manish Mehrotra, Indian Accent offers a restructured approach to traditional Indian cooking. The Restaurateur Club collaborated with NYU’s Bengali Student Association to enjoy a luxurious Sunday brunch on April 7th.
General Manager Richard generously took us on a tour of the kitchen before we embarked on an indulgent three course meal. We experienced how the small kitchen area was expressly designed to use space efficiently and allow the smooth preparation of up to 700 plates a night. Back in the dining area, we were greeted by the merry bubbles of sparkling cider and the comfortable chatter of other guests. Slim golden columns provided another dimension of length to the interiors. The design felt effortlessly elegant, and yet exuded an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. We sipped on golden cider in thin stemmed glasses and conversed with Director of Operations Mark Shay about Indian Accent’s ideals.
Indian Accent focuses on Indian food, but with an eclectic twist. The menu is conceived as a recombination of various regional cuisines, a fusion of India’s many cultures. A dish may be prepared in a typical North Indian style, but with an emphasis on South Indian spices, complemented by sauces and chutneys. In our experience, we came across a new take on a sabudana (tapioca pearls) item, as a “herb sago pancake” with special in-house butter (this dish quickly became a favorite among us), as well as a traditional Parsi dish “salli per eedu.” We were surprised and delighted to find elements not traditionally Indian, like wasabi or bacon: evidence of the Chef’s appreciation for melding global influences with the familiar foods. Everything we ate was beyond delicious.
Richard explained that it wasn’t until Indian accent that he felt a true understanding of Indian food and the philosophy that supports its long evolution. After joining Indian Accent, however, he recognized the potential of taking the food further while also embracing the nostalgia of well-loved dishes. Chef Mehrotra has taken on the challenge of changing a centuries old cuisine in such a way that his preparations are ingrained with a diversity that is the very nature of this cuisine. Each plate brings something exciting and dynamic to the table, and is yet infused with the Indian culture’s time-honored hospitality. So much thought is devoted to creating Indian Accent’s exquisite menus and dishes, and this was apparent in the personalized care and attentiveness of our servers: every dish came with a gracious introduction of both its roots and its redefined structure and form.
The dessert round was a joy: kheer and seviyan with blackberries, strawberries and delectable coconut jaggery ice cream, and makhan malai in the form of aerated saffron milk, almonds and rose petal jaggery brittle. And let us not forget the shimmering flakes of 24-karat gold with which the dessert had been dusted!
It is with reverence and thanks that we bid Indian Accent farewell. Indian cuisine here is celebrated; its diversity honored; its profound heritage advanced. These skilled restaurateurs have added their own flavor - their own accent - to Indian cuisine, and it is innovative, elegant, and warming.
