Combining Japanese and Indian cuisines is a challenging endeavour, and Chef Adwait Anantwar, the visionary behind INJA, has mastered that to the ‘T’. He was in Hyderabad to delight us with a glorious display of seven-course Indian and Japanese cuisine from INJA at a special pop-up at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel’s Pan-Asian restaurant Zega.
Recently, Chef Adwait was recognised as one of India’s Top 30 Chefs 2024 by Culinary Culture. Talking about the concept, Chef Adwait says, “Japanese food is characterised by its delicate nature, clean and subtle flavours, and strong emphasis on technique. Conversely, Indian cuisine boasts a diverse range of ingredients, resulting in a complex flavour profile. Achieving a balance between these culinary styles has required comprehensive research and experimentation, leading to the discovery of a thrilling harmony of flavours that enhanced one another rather than dominating.”
The menu had vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, keeping everyone happy. While we eagerly waited for the first course to be served, we were poured a glass of Sula Brut Sparkling Wine to be paired with our first two courses. First up was Shiso Leaf Tuna and Pomelo Chaat. Chaat is quite an Indian concept when combined with tuna and Shiso leaf, it creates a magic with its crispy tempura fried texture along with bite sized tuna. Second dish was one of their signature dishes — Palak Paneer Sarda — a salad made with baby spinach, grade 3 paneer tempura, crispy sweet potato and Kizami Nori.
