Avartana

ITC Royal Bengal, 1, JBS Haldane Avenue, Kolkata 700046

Ph: 033 4446 4646

Meal for two: Approximately `4500 + taxes, without alcohol (for the seven-course meal) onwards

The most common meaning of Sanskrit word Avartan, or one that is most common to all the languages derived from it, is to circulate or revolve. Avartana similarly revolves around the concepts of the South Indian region and cuisine without actually being focused on one central cuisine or region. No dish can be pointed out as Kannada or Malayali or Tamil or Andhra. The décor, too, does not at first glance seem unmistakeably South Indian. It is only when you look a little longer and notice the hemispherical drop light that emulates coconut shells, or the wall art that signify the banana stems, that you notice that it does resonate symbolically with the south.

The award-winning progressive dining restaurant has opened doors in ITC Royal Bengal. True to its original concept it only has a curated degustation and no a la carte options, and one can only go by the number of courses one would like. We began our meal with the simply titled stir-fried chicken. The juicy crisp morsels of chicken perhaps would not have left that much of an impression on the palate were it not for the creamy buttermilk mousse and the snap of the tempura curry leaf. Each dish that follows leaves one surprised. You wouldn’t think a dumpling to be particularly South Indian but the Shrimp and Coriander Dumpling encased in a translucent skin that disappeared on your tongue was familiar in its flavours of the south. The steamed sea bass with the tangy fermented gongurra emulsion, too, harkened the flavours of Andhra. Sunny and rich with coconut the Asparagus & Coconut Stew with idiyappam perhaps is the most recognisably southern dish in tasting. The Uthukuli Chicken with the butter in beetroot skin toffee served with bite-sized versions of Malabar porotta, by all means, should have felt too little. Instead it left us satiated even in two bites. Kudos to them for making offal so appealing. Lamb Brain Fritters, perfectly creamy and fatty with a buttery emulsion, too, was a revelation.

For desserts, the Citrus Cream Coconut came with a tempered chocolate shell and the creamy tangy mousse was set off with filter coffee ice-cream. The tangy and subtly Sweet Raw Mango Pudding was lit up with a pure ghee candle and evoked the comfort of a well-made ghee-soaked halwa.

When every dish fires up the senses and imagination it can become something of a sensory overload. But it is only at Avartana that one can say it and mean it in the best sense of the term.