Restaurant Reviews & Blurbs

Right off the bat, I have to admit that I went to Cavatina with the somewhat unfair expectation of Chef Prateek Sadhu’s standard of food at restaurant NAAR, and as much as I tried, and do believe successfully managed to shift my perspective, am not sure I can call this an altogether balanced review …

… Moreover, given how little I tasted with respect to the number of dishes, since the ‘degustation’ menu that day did not appeal to me for a first experience of Cavatina, it certainly isn’t going to be a comprehensive assessment.

In September 2022, I visited Calcutta for the very first time, for one night and one proper meal … a friend of mine had invited me to join him on what was essentially a work trip for him, and quick introduction to the ‘City of Joy’ for me, punctuated by a night-time excursion to view the famous and altogether formidable ‘Durga Puja Pandals’ that might rival the work of some of the greatest installation artists in the world …

A veritable gem in the heart of New Delhi, the culinary repertoire of Café Lota itself a highly accomplished demonstration of local craftsmanship, therein most appropriately situated inside a museum dedicated to the ‘handmade’ work of Indian artisans …

Emblematic of all that constitutes the French Art of living, aka, ‘L’art de Vivre a la francaise,’ the Tour d’Argent may well be considered the greatest culinary courtesan of the 20th century …

NAAR … a name that has reverentially been on the tip of every gourmet tongue since its baptism into the vast culinary landscape of India, which I can safely say, having only recently enjoyed a first of what I hope will be several encounters, is much deserved.

A tribute to an Indian chef, Manu Chandra, and his first solo restaurant venture, Lupa, located in Bangalore, India.