Haute offers a wine and tapas menu focusing on fermentation, curing and brining

The new restaurant opens in Indira Nagar on November 1
Pickled egg tapas at Haute
Pickled egg tapas at Haute

While small plates may have caught on in the city a few years ago, a dedicated tapas joint was still much needed. Haute, on 100 Feet Road, Indira Nagar, is here to fill that gap. The wine and tapas menu, designed by chef Kidambi Adithya, pushes the boundaries of fine dining with local ingredients, a global appeal and techniques like fermentation and brining. 

We visited the restaurant for dinner on a weeknight. The place really comes alive in the evening with the glittering wine glasses that are complemented by deep blue and brass accents of the decor and cutlery. They have over 200 labels of wines from across the world and offer handmade noodles and pastas as well, for lunch.
 


The menu focuses on cooking and preserving techniques rather than elaborate recipes. For example, there is a huge emphasis on fermentation. The Pineapple Cherry Cheese, a humble retro-style dish here is given a twist as it is served as a Tepache (a Mexican fermented pineapple drink). “Even our bread basket is served with cultured butter,” adds the chef as he serves us the kombucha, made in-house. 

Our first tapas for the evening was the Pickled Egg — a dish inspired by Danish Smorgasbords. The egg  was served atop Volkoren bread and the flavours came together well. Next, we tried the Potato Salad, which was nothing like you’d imagine. It was potato done three ways (sliced, smoked and a dauphinoise-style preparation) served with a lemon lavender dressing. The delicate dressing went well with the various textures of the potatoes. 

Our favourite tapas was the Sichuan Peppercorn Glazed Tofu. A sizzling dish where the heat of the peppers is balanced by the silky tofu. The Green Trap is an gluten-free prawn dumpling where the flour casing is swapped with steamed pok-choi and is served with a delicious sambal and prawn tea sauce. Some of the other options include Slow Cooked Pumpkin served with sheep’s curd and sumac, Pork-Belly cooked on the Japanese Robata and Pan Seared Chicken Wings served in a chicken broth. 

 Scotch Egg with Kasudhi Queso
 Scotch Egg with Kasudhi Queso


If you want something more substantial than the tapas, they even offer main course. We tried the Smoked Aubergine Mousse. Served with a spiced lentil black fungus cake and eggplant chips, the deep flavours of the dish just hit the right spot. Another recommendation is the Sea Bass. The fish is dill-brined and served on cultured cauliflower cream and matchstick potato chips. 

For dessert, the chef has whipped up a version of honey cake inspired by Iyengar bakeries in Bengaluru. “The honeycomb in the cake is sourced from Himachal,” the chef adds as we dig into the scrumptious yet light dessert that’s served with a strawberry jam. 

Haute impressed us with its warm ambience and innovative menu, and we’re sure to pay them a second visit. 

Opens on November 1. 
Rs. 2,000 for two. At Indira Nagar
anagha@newindianexpress.com  @anaghzzz

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