Carnival by Tresind will open its doors on September 3 – but we got the chance to taste the menu of this new post-modern Indian restaurant in DIFC.
The décor is quite festive with balloons and kites and the food reminded me of my childhood in India.
With golden trees, spotlights and a patterned floor, Carnival is a warm and welcoming restaurant.
Here’s the verdict…
So what’s the food like?
The tasting menu had 15 courses for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Each course was unique with just the right portion size.
The welcome drink was a ‘Goli Soda’ – which in Delhi is known as banta, a flavoured masala lemonade. It definitely took us back in time.
We started with a ‘Happy Halloween’ made out of pumpkin and ‘Makhan Phal’ – an avocado-based dish and some street food dishes that made us nostalgic.
The main course had the traditional lentils with bread and chickpeas with bread, but had unique flavours. The spices used in the food by Chef Himanshu Saini are from all parts of India and the fusion turns traditional dishes into something else.
What did we like?
There was nothing that we did not like. However, we do have a few favourites.
‘Life is short eat dessert first’ is a dish topped with Indian sweet jalebi and you may think that this starter is sweet, but the sweet and sour taste with the right amount of crunch, makes this starter very special.
‘La tomatina beverage soup’ is presented so differently, that you wonder if you should eat or drink it. It’s a cold soup that comes in a bottle with a breadstick topped with cheese. It not only looks good, it tastes awesome.
The staple snack of Bombay mill workers is ‘Vada Pav’ and this one is served in a workers’ toolbox with various ingredients used as toppings. I am not a huge fan of this snack but Carnival’s vada pav service converted me and I can safely say this is the best vada pav in town.
‘Pullinji’ is prawns with sugar caramel served on a leaf and the use of south Indian spices in this coastal preparation was mouth-watering.
How was the dessert?
There were quite a few desserts peppered throughout the course of the meal. There was ‘Malai Baraf’ made of litchi granite, raspberry rose water and fresh milk skin, which was yum. Then came ‘Oranjee’, an orange and Kashmiri saffron popsicle that reminded us of our school days.
In the end there were ‘Go Bananas’ and ‘The Betels’. Go Bananas is a toffee panacotta, pie tuile with ilaichi banana ice cream. My favourite is definitely The Betels as they are ‘pan’ macarons. Pan is a betel leaf with sweet stuffing and is banned in the UAE.
The verdict?
A very different and flavourful meal, Carnival by Tresind’s menu delights the eyes and the palate alike. A great place for a date night and to celebrate special occasions.
Congratulation!