Warming up to cold plates

On a hot summer afternoon, an icy plate arrives in the elegant, light-filled space of Bar Sama in Bengaluru. It’s not a scoop of gelato or a frosty kulfi, but something far more unexpected: a scallop and cold noodle sao nam. Centred around soft noodles in a coconutty broth with pickled ginger, tobiko pearls and a delicate scallop granita, which Chef and Partner Vichita Kumar gently mixes up before serving, the preparation takes everyone by surprise — it is slightly spicy, a little acidic and overall, refreshing. 

Another interesting chilled creation at Bar Sama is yum sum-oh — a bright and citrusy pomelo and young coconut salad with yuzu and crispy beans (avarekai) layered with texture. 

“Temperature and pairing are very intentional in these dishes. The Thai pomelo, with its high-water content and brightness is paired with Indian ingredients like coconut and avarekai to introduce contrast and blend crunch with softness,” says Vichita. “We even freeze the plate when serving scallops or pomelo because colder temperatures enhance acidity and make ingredients feel crisper and sharper. It’s not just for effect — it changes how you experience the plate.”

This summer, upscale restaurants are experimenting with temperatures and crafting chilled bold-flavoured servings that are more than just salads. 

A short drive from Bar Sama, at the intimate degustation restaurant Nila, Founder and Chef Rahul Sharma too is exploring the idea through an experiential lens. Dabbling with the traditions and techniques of Nagaland currently, he feels cold creations give him the perfect opportunity to play with refreshing, seasonal flavours. 

A standout on his menu, the tree tomato custard is inspired by a simple tomato and cheese salad. It transforms the local GI-tagged Naga tomato into a multi-textured experience — a tomato jelly in the shape of a flower floating on chilled cheese custard with roasted perilla seeds for that contrasting crunch — served on a bed of ice. “You get creaminess from the custard, crispness from the sour tomato, crunch from the roasted perilla seeds and a temperature that is almost freezing,” explains Rahul Sharma. 

These icy indulgences are also borrowing from tradition. At Circa 11, Chef and Owner Pradyumna Harithsa sees cold plates as a natural extension of something familiar. “Cold, fresh preparations like kosambari and pachadis have always been an important part of Indian festive meals. What we’re seeing now is a more global expression of that instinct,” he observes. 

Among its many chilled creations, Circa 11’s latest menu features a white fish ceviche built with a sharp leche de tigre (a marinade) balanced by cucumber, mint, and chilli, while a courgette crudo uses the entire vegetable, paired with Sichuan peppercorn oil and pickled onion petals to create contrast without cooking. Even the choice of acid is deliberate – his seafood ceviche, part of an earlier menu, used a passion fruit ponzu for a softer acidity.

Elevated experience

Many older establishments across the city are also coming up with chilled servings that are precise, composed, and often the most expressive part of a menu. Chef Jyotika Malik, VP – Culinary of Olive Group, says, “Diners today don’t see food as rigid courses of appetisers, mains, or desserts. They prefer a more fluid, shared way of eating and prefer to try a variety of smaller items. Meals are becoming more communal, and cold or room temperature dishes are easy to be shared and passed around,” she says. 

Her menus reflect this evolution, using fermented elements like kombucha gels and miso dressings, alongside global influences from mezze, tapas, and Middle Eastern cuisine. 

At Bengaluru’s Shiro, the cold plate section unfolds with a pan-Asian sensibility — with offerings like tuna tataki, hamachi carpaccio, and kampachi ceviche (fish dishes) sitting alongside an expansive selection of sushi and sashimi. Chef Priyank Singh Chouhan, Director – Culinary Operations, focuses on ingredients like mango, coconut, pandan, kaffir lime, and matcha, adding a new dimension to them with techniques like freezing, foaming, and texture layering. “Presentation also plays a big role — whether it’s minimal plating, visible layering, or even tableside finishing, every element is designed to elevate the experience,” he points out. 

Instinctive cooking 

At NÃVU, the fine dining restaurant known for its inventive, ingredient-led philosophy, co-founders Kanishka Sharma and Pallavi Mithika Menon take on a more instinctive approach. “We don’t set out to create something cold. Sometimes, flavours just come together best without heat, and the dish reveals itself as cold,” the duo reveals. 

NÃVU’s cool offerings range from mustard ice cream to cured sardines served on oil-soaked brioche with olive tapenade and tomato jam; and a vegan miso aubergine carpaccio layered with peanuts, ginger, and mulberries. “We cure a lot of our own meats and seafood. Many of our cold plates come from that process,” they explain. 

Serving an item cold has its own set of challenges. “Everything has to be prepared in advance and held at the right temperature. Ingredients behave differently when chilled, and even slight changes can affect the final composition. You might have six to eight components on a plate, and all of them have to come together perfectly,” say Kanishka and Pallavi.