Global cuisine, Indian flavours

The newly-opened ‘Raahi’ in CBD is an ode to humble Indian flavours. The neo kitchen and bar is located on Museum Road and, in their own words, is an ‘amalgamation of regional ingredients, culinary aesthetics and bold innovation.’

The interiors are done up in dark hues, with huge chandeliers providing lighting and adding aesthetic appeal. The place is not very big but the well-spaced tables and green elements give an impression of spaciousness. A long bar counter adds to the classy look.

Taking inspiration from nature, their cocktail menu is based on ‘The Panch Tattvas’ (five elements), using indigenous ingredients and quality alcohol. Teetotalers have ample choice from a dedicated section of non-alcoholic drinks comprising rejigged regional drinks and infusions.

The food was pleasant surprise. While many culinary experiments fail to hit the mark, the dishes here were able to mix contemporary cuisine and native ingredients. Take, for example, the in-house crisps which kick-started our meal ⁠— vaccum dried lady’s fingers, beetroot chips and spinach and ragi fryums, served with kasundi, anjeer, mint and mango ketchup. The contrast becomes apparent when we tell you that we were served Kombucha tea just before this.

The menu didn’t lose focus as we progressed with the meal. We tried ‘Rasam with Goli Bajji’, ‘Butter Garlic idli with Roasted Cashewnuts’ and even ‘Paniyaram’, with a pumpkin filling ⁠— the fusion of east and west was delectable. The ‘Seasonal Green Patta Chaat’ is an ode to the green herbs and leaves found in abundance throughout Karnataka.

These were complemented by a delightfully spicy crab soup, soft momos in clear chicken broth, a ‘dosa-covered’ goat brain dish and chicken and mushroom kulchas. The ‘Wilderness Curry’ has been inspired by the flora and fauna of Bengaluru. It is a ‘saag’ made of mixed seasonal green leaves, including gongura leaves, spinach, amaranth, morning glory, ricotta and spinach spheres, made to look like a garden

A personal favourite was ‘Textures of Mushrooms’ with Porcini soil, Tandoori chanterelle, glazed morels, buttered shiitake, mushroom ketchup, mushroom pate stones and much more. A distant cousin of this comes in the dessert section ‘Textures of Milk’; a delectable offering which has elements like milk foam, ‘rabdi’, crumbles and so on.

‘Raahi’ is located on the third floor, 15, Madras Bank Road, Above NEXA showroom, Ashok Nagar.