LIFE
An amuse bouche of bitter gourd kind of sets the tone for the meal to follow – unexpected and full of surprises. As the 13-course degustation menu unfolds over the next two hours, diners can expect a multitude of flavours that range from reinvented to nostalgic. All have a thread in common – south India. Avartana, ITC Hotels’ award-winning restaurant that recently opened its fifth outpost in Delhi, breaks all stereotypes anyone ever had about cuisine from the southern part of the country. The flavours are as traditional as they come, and the interpretation as modern and global. If asparagus finds itself in a coconut stew, shrimp and coriander meld in a dumpling to offer fresh and fishy in a bite. Ooty chilli jam and chayote cut through the rich fattiness of a char-grilled pork belly, while a crisp lamb brain fritter in a brown butter emulsion is served with a tuille of rava dosa. If bottle gourd spaghetti encases plum chutney, a tangy buttermilk sphere atop a crisp chilli potato nest provides a surprising mouthful. A diner can find plenty of playfulness and drama, be it in the mini Malabar parotta that’s as cute as a button, and of the same size too, or the theatre in an edible ghee candle burnt on the table atop a raw mango pudding. An egg of fennel pannacotta encased in a nest of caramel angel hair, when tapped to ooze a mango-ginger curd, gives a dramatic flourish to the final course. Avartana brand custodian and executive chef Nikhil Nagpal explains that the restaurant offers only degustation menus, sets of four ranging from a seven-course experience to a 13-course one, and a 13-course menu devoted exclusively to seafood. Some dishes find presence across all menus, even as the different sets each provide a unique mix of flavours and ingredients. The cocktails are on a southern high as well, whether you sip a cool Munnar Chai Punch of vodka sous vide with Munnar tea, khus, homemade bitters and spice, or a Madurai Mogra Julep of jasmine-infused gin, vermouth, lemongrass, and passionfruit, or an Alappuzha Nariyal Boulevardier with 12-years-old Scotch, sweet vermouth, Campari, virgin coconut oil, mustard seeds, dried red chili, and curry leaves. Launched in 2017 at the Grand Chola, Chennai, Avartana, listed in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant List, 2024, is also open at the Royal Bengal, Kolkata, ITC Maratha Mumbai, and Ratnadipa Colombo. Commenting on the opening of Avartana at ITC Maurya, Anil Chadha, chief executive, ITC Hotels, said, “Avartana has elevated culinary artistry inspired by rich southern Indian cuisine heritage infused with innovative techniques. Along with Bukhara and Dum Pukht, it brings an iconic dining experience at ITC Maurya.” None
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