Flavour meets precision: INJA’s Japanese-Indian fusion wows Hyderabad

Combining Japanese and Indian cuisines is a challenging endeavour, and Chef Adwait Anantwar, the visionary behind INJA, has mastered that to the ‘T’. He was in Hyderabad to delight us with a glorious display of seven-course Indian and Japanese cuisine from INJA at a special pop-up at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel’s Pan-Asian restaurant Zega.

Recently, Chef Adwait was recognised as one of India’s Top 30 Chefs 2024 by Culinary Culture. Talking about the concept, Chef Adwait says, “Japanese food is characterised by its delicate nature, clean and subtle flavours, and strong emphasis on technique. Conversely, Indian cuisine boasts a diverse range of ingredients, resulting in a complex flavour profile. Achieving a balance between these culinary styles has required comprehensive research and experimentation, leading to the discovery of a thrilling harmony of flavours that enhanced one another rather than dominating.”

The menu had vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, keeping everyone happy. While we eagerly waited for the first course to be served, we were poured a glass of Sula Brut Sparkling Wine to be paired with our first two courses. First up was Shiso Leaf Tuna and Pomelo Chaat. Chaat is quite an Indian concept when combined with tuna and Shiso leaf, it creates a magic with its crispy tempura fried texture along with bite sized tuna. Second dish was one of their signature dishes — Palak Paneer Sarda — a salad made with baby spinach, grade 3 paneer tempura, crispy sweet potato and Kizami Nori.

There was a change of wine pairing for the next two dishes — we were served Emerald Creek Chardonnay — with Hokkaido Scallops Panta Bhaat and Lobster Rasam Chawanmushi. As evident from the names, both the dishes were not only unique with their approach, but also tasted delicious. What made it more interesting was that Chef Adwait made Hokkaido Scallops Panta Bhaat right in front of us! The scarring of scallops with blowtorch, the tossing, the presentation — all added to the flavour. Lobster Rasam Chawanmushi had a smooth egg custard served with buttery spicy lobster in drumstick rasam masala.

For the meat dishes that were about to follow, we got Emerald Creek Merlot to keep our palates engaged. First was Kushiyaki, the Koji Chicken Wings marinated in tamarind and jaggery teriyaki sauce and the other dish was Kake Udon Khasi Curry, the noodle dish with black sesame curry and minced chicken with crisps of zucchini.

The last but definitely not the least dish was our dessert — Timur Panna Cotta — the panna cotta was jiggly and the Muscat Shine grape slices aptly cut through the smooth flavours of the panna cotta adding more depth.

For those seeking a dining experience that challenges traditional culinary boundaries, INJA offers a harmonious blend of two distinct cuisines, providing a memorable and innovative gastronomic journey.

(Story by Reshmi Chakravorty)