Molecular Gastronomy at the Highest Level…Tresind

Located on level 2 of the Nassima Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayed road, Tresind marries an innovatively progressive fine dining approach with traditional Indian cuisine to take your dining experience to the next level. Skilled in the art of molecular gastronomy to present every course magically, Tresind’s head chef Himanshu Saini and outlet chef, Mohammad Zeeshan push your imagination to think out of the box and will transform your perception about Indian cuisine.

20170326_194335Both exclusive and luxurious, the name ‘Tresind’ is a portmanteau on the French ‘tres’ (which means ‘very’) merged with Indian; it is, undoubtedly, a must-visit for Dubai’s serious, yet discerning foodies.  Our foray into molecular gastronomy was initiated by an elusive smoky vase, piquing our senses for the culinary journey ahead. Our first beverage–the Passion Fruit Lava Lamp was a fruity drink mixed in a large lava lamp jug with a base of passion fruit seeds, fruit bubbles, and the addition of mangoes and berries. When the dry ice is added, it smokes and fizzes in all its glory.

Our amuse bouche was deconstructed pani puri shots with mint chutney dropped into a liquid called sodium algenate. After a few seconds, these shaped into spheres and were added to spoons laden with tamarind chutney and mini gram flour dumplings. When popped into the mouth, it burst into a flavorful explosion of sour, sweet, crunchy, and cold.

20170326_195520A classic Indian street food was given Tresind’s touch in the Modernist Chaat Trolley. The server froze dhokla—a Gujrati savory snack– in nitrogen oxide at – 190 degrees Celsius. On a large table top, he spooned various chutneys in turn: tamarind, mint and coriander, and sweet yogurt. Then chaat masala crackers and spinach fritters were added. The frozen dhokla, broken into chunks, was added now and tempered using mustard seeds with a final smattering of pomegranate seeds, Japanese spice, chaat masala, and chili. The result was a double dose of creamy, sweet, sour, and spicy served in the most elaborately unique way I had ever seen.

20170326_200639Another showstopper: The Wild Mushroom Chai with rare dried Gucci mushrooms from Kashmir—were placed into teacups to which truffle milk powder was added. Finally, the fragrant bubbling Gucci consomme was poured in with a splash of truffle oil, making it deeply fragrant with muted flavors. In one word: wow.

20170326_203453Another classic Indian street food: Roasted Baby Corn Bhutta—or baby corn roasted over coal to infuse a characteristic charred smell and cooked until tender. It was plated with sweet corn kernels, baby spinach leaves, and radish chaat masala with a splash of lemon butter with a homemade Peri Peri chaat masala to give a tender, mouthwatering distinctive Tresind touch. Between courses, another fruity drink was presented mysteriously in a smoking Storage Box that lent intrigue in between the courses.

20170326_204832The Sea Bass Patrapoda was fish steamed in a banana leaf and infused with a flavorful, spicy onion and tomato gravy and served with crunchy dehydrated banana chips and curry leaf chutney. Understated South Indian flavors and the steam style of cooking made this delicious fish almost buttery.

20170326_205927The Murgh Zamin Doz, a Rajashtani coal chicken, was deliciously tender and had a deep smoky flavor, made with yogurt and spices, plated atop piped mashed potatoes for a contrast in taste and texture. For the Wagyu beef steak platter, our server whipped up an Argentinean style mint and lime sauce with and roasted coriander with an added Indian touch lent from the garlic and clarified butter with hints of rosemary.

20170326_213633After all these delicious courses, a lassi flavored palette cleansing sorbet was served in wooden bowls with a tangy yogurt texture to get our senses ready for more to come. Our first main course that initially surprised me was their Pressure Cooked Chicken stew because it is served in a pressure cooker at the table. The chicken was steamed to perfection with fragrant aromatic gravy that paired perfectly with the white rice.

20170326_215012Then the undisputed star of the evening: Birbal ki Khichdi–– a traditional comfort food made from lentils and rice. But this is no ordinary khichdi, but one that includes more than 50 ingredients incorporated at the table. Each addition infused its own unique flavor, from Indian to Italian and even Japanese; including: green chilies, coconut, onions, and garlic to lotus seeds, walnuts, and even gallangal. The generous helping of butter added richness and is a dish so spectacular; you have to see it to believe it.

20170326_223301More of Tresind’s artistic dexterity is evidenced in their desserts: the tabletop toy bus adorned with fluffy paan flavored cotton candy to the Ghewar Mille Feuille, a Rajashtani concept fused with French pastry. This was French pastry layered and topped with creamy pistachio mousse alternated with raspberries with a side scoop of rose sorbet.

20170326_222615And finally, the most glorious dessert: Ghee Roast Kataifi Pastry–– traditional Sheer Khorma that resembled a bird’s nest emitting smoke courtesy dry ice. The nest was Kataifi pastry and layered with Sheer Khorma, topped with a gel saffron yolk. This was visual eye candy and a unique take on a very traditional and delicious sweet dish.

Contact: 04-448 9523
* Table reservation recommended.
(Special thanks to Faseeha for welcoming us to Tresind)