AHIATUS OF two months has led to an impressive transformation to Whats In D Name. From being a regular watering hole at the prime location of Park Street, the 70-seater is now focused on an eclectic menu, served with some great music. While the interiors have been kept quite simple, with white being the major ambient colour, wide windows with creepers lend the gastropub a bistro feel.
Out of the box
The young chef Akash Das (just 25-years-old) brings his innovative ideas to the table, and the result is modern cuisine with impeccable presentation and taste. While some dishes are a confluence of recipes, others stand out for showcasing modern techniques like molecular gastronomy. Case in point is Idli in The Box. As the name suggests, a take on the popular South Indian staple, idli cubes tossed in ghee (clarified butter) and karram podi (gun powder) a reserved on skewers, inside a wooden box, like treasured gems. The accompaniments of beetroot chutney, tomato garlic chutney, coconut chutney and podi mash will also pique your taste buds. It’s a box full of old and new flavours.
Another equally interesting bite is the Avocamole, the traditional Mexican guacamole served inside half an avocado shell, and then beautifully sealed with a Hass avocado slice, lending an impression of a halved fruit. Enjoy the toothsome dish with a house baguette slices. The Galouti Scotch Eg gs became our favourite from the very first bite. A delectable take on the classic Yorkshire snack — Scotch Eggs, with a runny yolk, rethought with a semi-crunchy coating of the famous Galouti kebab, has a striking similarity with the much-loved Bengali snack Deviled Eggs.
You will also find the use of activated charcoal in some recipes, curated as crisps and even as buns. The Mushroom Sliders have steamed, edible, activated charcoal buns with a delectable bonhomie of creamy mushrooms, Emmental cheese and caramelised onions in the middle, presented with in house spinach and beetroot crisps. Bringing some action to the table via the Chicken Thukpa, the chef adds molecular pea noodle, made using Metilcellulose, an edible chemical, which jellifies after coming in contact with the classic clear hot Tibetan broth. Served with chicken dim sums, fresh greens and noodles, the ambrosial dish shows the young talent’s expertise on the plate.
Shrooms Espresso, a soup, pours extensively brewed mushroom stock on dehydrated mushrooms and truffle snow that lends a creamy texture to the warm espresso filled with earthy notes. From the dessert, we relished the heavenly Coco-nut, a coconut brûlée inside a rich chocolate shell, on a bed of vanilla sponge crumbs and chocolate ganache.
Rs1500 + for two