Restaurant Review: Above Sea Level

And it is this habit that a restaurant that hasn’t quite changed its character for a decade, aims to change, by not only revamping its menu with a new chef, but also changing everything from the decor to its mood and music. 

Spearheading this transformation at the Above Sea Level (now to be called ASL) at The Raintree Hotel, is new executive chef Deepak Dandge. Dandge specialises in whipping up magic in any cuisine he works with and has brought with him what he calls progressive cuisine, based on the buzzword ‘molecular gastronomy’. For the uninitiated, molecular gastronomy blends physics and chemistry to transform the tastes and textures of food. The result? New and innovative dining experiences. Dandge has used several methods of foaming and spherification, to add elegance to the largely Indian menu. “But we’ve retained the authenticity of the flavours,” said Dandge, who hosted us on a windy evening at a table under the stars of the rooftop resto-bar. 

We started our meal with the avocado and truffle crisps that resemble the very famous pani poori. The avocado gives a refreshing burst of flavour. Then came in the yogurt papdi, which doesn’t quite look like one we are used to. Instead, the yogurt sits on the papdi in the form of a sphere, and is topped with a flavoursome mint foam, pomegranate seeds and sev. We also tried the rasam vada, which looks like a gulab jamun! The chef has infused rasam inside the vada, which bursts into your mouth accompanied with a concoction of parmesan and coconut foam. 

The clear winners of the evening though were the molecular curd rice, with a sperification of curd and the podi idli. Both the dishes come with the ‘air’ mango pickle, where you can’t see any pickle, but once you pop it into your mouth, the tangy taste is a sheer delight. The curd rice, which looks nothing close to the traditional dish, reminds you of the thayyir saadam your mother used to pack to school. The podi idli also comes with a coconut foam, reminiscent of coconut chutney. 

For desserts, we were served jalebi. But it wasn’t your regular swirly orange goodness that is dipped in rabdi. Instead, it’s replaced with caviar-like spheres of deep-fried jalebi batter. Also try ASL mud pot – the delectable mix of chocolate soil, kahlua, mascarpone cheese with a light chocolate disk – a delightful end to what was a true gastronomic delight.

Cuisine: Progressive cuisine 

Must try: Avocado and truffle crisp, Curd rice molecular, mud pot ASL way

Contact: 044 2430 4050