food blogger,
I was in for a surprise when I saw a beautiful tree like presentation of thinner version, of chikki. For those who are relatively new to that word its sesame and jaggery tulle. Along with that we were served two packets of Fatafat (whattt). I was so excited when I saw ‘fatafat’ as I recently had a conversation about the same with my husband, and couldn’t find it in stores. Fatafat is an Ayuverdic digestive aid which would definitely be needed post a meal at Carnival.
Carnival by Tresind
Where do I even begin!
I have been seeing
Carnival by Tresind all over Instagram, and was highly intrigued with their
concept of molecular gastronomy and serving food with theatrics!
Needless to say I was
thrilled when I received an invite for their season 2 menu.
Starting this year,
Carnival launched their Season 2 menu. Carnival by Tresind presents a twist on
traditional Indian cuisine. It’s rightly called a ‘gastronomical journey’. The
menu at Carnival by Tresind successfully executes a refreshing twist on
India’s favorite dishes. The menu is comforting and is yet fearless and
experimental. The balance of flavors and textures along with the distinctive
showmanship makes this a place to visit.
The moment you push open the doors to carnival,
you feel enchanted. It feels like as though you have opened the doors to a
different portal altogether. The entrance is lined with shiny colored balls on
either ends, and it leads you to a black and white floor with rainbow colored
furniture. What stood out were the trees in metallic bronze reaching skywards,
accompanied by rose gold polygon mirrors. At the rear is a tunnel-like bar
illuminated in fluorescent blue, with custom made bottled glass ceiling at
the open bar.
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
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| Image courtesy @ Carnival By Tresind |
No sooner you make yourself comfortable than
the server welcomes you a toy in hand and showers you with soap bubbles. Not only is it fun but also It evokes
many childhood memories and helps you to loosen up. You realize that It’s just the beginning of
magic that is yet to unfold.
If you didn’t grow up
in India, specifically Bombay, a lot of the dishes won't mean much to you, as was
the case with my husband. However the servers set down every plate with a
detailed explanation of its background – which was very fascinating to hear.
We were hosted by
Terry, who was not only very enthusiastic but also explained all the dishes in
detail.
Our meal began with Chutney Sandwich. For those
unfamiliar with Chutney Sandwich – it’s a popular street food in Bombay that
comprises of mint chutney spread lavishly in toasted indian bread (pav). It was
served within the palms of a porcelain hand, maybe to reiterate that the dish
has to be eaten with hands as is essentially done in India.
We were served PINK Pani
Puri (yes, PINK) along with the chatni sandwich. Pani puri doesn’t really need an
introduction. The puri is dyed a vibrant pink using and the pani mixture is
sweetened with pomegranate as opposed to the usual tamarind. Either have the
puri, and drink the pani like a shot (as done by my husband) or stick with the
traditional way of pouring pani into the
puri and eating it in one go to get a stunning hit of flavors.
To quench our thirst, I
opted for a cocktail with Vodka base, and my husband ordered for passion fruit mock
tail. My drink was served in a teacup, and it was such a different experience
to drink cocktail out of a tea cup which was served with dried petals that had
a distinctive taste to it.
Later I did order for
Litchi mock tail as well – between both passion fruit and Litchi - I would definitely go back again for Passion
fruit mock tail which was both refreshing and tasted ahmazing.
Post Pink Puri we were served with the popular Dahi vada, but with the Tresind twist. Yogurt snow was topped with sweetened yogurt and topped with pomegranate seeds, boondi, ginger and was generously dusted with chaat masala. Terry waited patiently till we were done clicking pictures and mixed it up for us to eat.
Our next dish was aptly called Into the Wild. The dish is inspired by ancient culinary techniques
where hot stones were used to cook food. A heated slab of Himalayan rock salt
is wheeled towards the table and strips of beef and prawns are placed on it. No
additional seasoning or spices are added while cooking. The meat is cooked on
the slab and is served with chilli and garlic mix based on your spice level,
along with toasted Indian bread (pav).
Our next serve was
inspired by the northern part of India and its Chinese influence. We were
served with Dragon
Chicken. Chicken topped with coriander wrapped in wai wai
noodles, flame cooked on the table and served
alongside chilled cucumber. The plate was a wonderful mix of flavours, the
chilled cucumber along with the chicken was indeed a surprise to the palate.
Next was a popular appetizer
from Punjab called Wenger’s,
a kebab based dish named after a popular shop in Delhi as mentioned by Terry.
The plate was visually striking with shammi beef kebab served alongside boiled
egg and topped with salad.
Next up arrived a
sous-vide beef which was served in a hot eye shaped marble pot. I didn’t expect
the plate to be hot since it looked more like a cold salad – perceptions can be
deceiving at Carnival. The beef was served with sesame seeds and stock and
topped with salad. Not one of my favorite items.
We were then served Strawberry
Murabba as a palate cleanser.
When I saw the main
course, I realized why we needed a palate cleanser. It was a more traditional approach to Indian
cuisine. It included Jhinga La La (prawn in delicious gravy) served with appam,
Homestyle chicken curry served with butter naan and Lamb kofta. My favorite was
homestyle chicken curry. Though I’m a sea food lover I kept going back to the
chicken curry.
Dessert was another
session of exciting theatrics – Fruit Salad as is the norm is served with
custard and fruits, but at Carnival an ice cream is made combining a variety of
fresh fruits at the table using liquid
nitrogen. It’s served in a frozen husk of a watermelon and topped with a mango
and raspberry gel.
When I was digging into
the Fruit custard we were interrupted to be introduced to Milk and Cookies.It was served out of a
table top oven, the ‘cake’ is topped with cookies, hot caramel sauce, sour
raspberries and yummy cinnamon ice cream and the combination of it all is
simply amazing.
I was in for a surprise when I saw a beautiful tree like presentation of thinner version, of chikki. For those who are relatively new to that word its sesame and jaggery tulle. Along with that we were served two packets of Fatafat (whattt). I was so excited when I saw ‘fatafat’ as I recently had a conversation about the same with my husband, and couldn’t find it in stores. Fatafat is an Ayuverdic digestive aid which would definitely be needed post a meal at Carnival.
Carnival did evoke a
lot of memories right from the very beginning to the end. It felt like a blockbuster
hindi film with the perfect amount of drama, romance and nostalgia to take back
home. The unique and quirky delivery, wide selection of nostalgia inducing dishes
for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, prompt service and fun ambiance makes
Carnival stand out.
There’s an
unprecedented level of service and attention to details. From tables being
cleaned after each course and cutlery and plates being laid out promptly to the
chef coming and actively seeking feedback. It all shows how important it is for
customer collaboration and feedback.
They also host a
business lunch buffet at AED 80, with a wide array of choices. And if you are
looking for some spectacular dishes with excellent showmanship for your private
parties, then Carnival is your best bet.
With a happy hour that
runs from 5pm – 8pm daily and dishes still left to try. I eagerly await my next
trip to the Carnival for more nostalgia, excitement and adventures.
Cost for two: Dh375 approximately
Timings: LUNCH (12:30 pm - 3:30 pm) - BAR
SNACKS & DRINKS (5:00pm – 8:00 pm) - DINNER (7:30pm - 11:30pm)
Location: Burj Daman, DIFC
Contact: 04 4218665, 0522424262
I was invited to Carnival by Tresind and all views and images are © Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.
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