Avartana

Chennai

Southern Indian cuisine with a molecular gastronomy twist

On the Pass

Nikhil Nagpal

What makes it special: In an opulent, chandelier-strewn room in the luxurious ITC Grand Chola hotel, Avartana showcases the food of the Southern Indian peninsula in innovative dishes rooted in traditional flavours and ingredients and using international techniques. Its globally-appealing concept and well-executed menus saw its debut on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list at No.30, taking home the trophy for the Highest New Entry, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles.

On the menu: Nikhil Nagpal serves up a selection of tasting menus of varying lengths, each available in vegetarian form too. These take the diner through a series of small bites, such as beetroot and curd cheese, cuttlefish with black garlic, coconut and cauliflower, and chargrilled pork belly with steamed tapioca. Modernist techniques feature heavily, with playful touches including a mini hammer used to crack open a fennel pannacotta egg dessert served in a bird’s nest.

All about the South: A symbol of Southern India, the banana leaf is a recurring theme throughout the décor, appearing as a motif in the carpet and with banana flowers in the partitions. The region is also reflected in the colour scheme, with light wood and silver-hued upholstery and flashes of amber and copper.

What’s in the name: It’s pronounced ‘avartan’, meaning ‘rhythm’, ‘mysticism’ and ‘magic’ in Sanskrit.