Tresind, contrived from the French ‘tres’ for ‘very’ and the short-form ‘Ind’ for Indian, never fails to impress. The very young, debonair Executive Head Chef Himanshu Saini has many a trick up his sleeves and recreates popular Indian flavors in the guise of modern world cuisines with much panache.
I was therefore super excited to try out their Iftar 2017 menu, and off we went with my little sister in tow (who was visiting us from New Zealand). I reassured her this would be an Iftar like no other she’s tried before, and she has been raving about it on her social media channels ever since.
We were ushered to a beautifully laid out table, complete with a range of very enticing nibbles to break the fast. Like last year, they had the very clever ‘Date Candy’ on the table; a premium date stuffed with the unexpected glee of popping candy! Then there was an assortment of olives and stuffed sweet peppers that my little girl gobbled up in no time. The table also included a serving of freshly baked Focaccia bread enlivened with Zaater and served with a delicious Hummus. The Hummus at Tresind is given an Indian twist by the use of ‘Pind Chana’, an Indian variaton of chickpeas that are smaller, earthier and give the Hummus a more wholesome flavor.
Yet my favorite was the Dragon Fruit Chaat! I love fruit chaats, they are especially great for breaking fast. Yet I’ve never seen a fruit chaat this pretty before. The inner fruit of a dragonfruit has been scooped out and filled with balls of exotic Thai fruit. The fruits may be exotic, but the spices, the hit of tangy-hot chaat flavors, is still so quintessentially Indian. Yet another ingenious creation by Chef Himanshu.
For drinks, we were served a decadently thick nutty lassi, beautifully served in a banana leaf boat contraption. It tastes more like a dessert than a lassi!
Going right into the main-course, we were treated to Wagyu Boti Kebabs, Tandoori Lamb Chops in a Rosemary Reduction, Chicken Seekh Kebab with Mint Chutney served on burning charcoal, and my favorite, Tandoori Prawn served with foaming Hollandaise Foam.
The presentation of each and every dish here is absolutely immaculate. The Tandoori Lamb Chop, served on a plate smeared green with chutney, was a game changer to me. Such a simple idea, yet so beautifully artistic!
We were also served a very aromatic Lamb Biryani, complete with beautifully long, saffron grains of premium basmati, and oozing with the goodness of succulently soft, spiced morsels of lamb.
For curries, we tried the Rajasthani Lal Maas, a fiery hot mutton curry brimming with the characteristic hit of chili powder. My favorite was the Kerala Fish Moilee, a decadently creamy coconut cream based curry featuring beautifully soft, steamy hot pieces of pan-fried fish fillet.
Ending on a sweet note, we delved into the monstrously delicious Mithai Thali, a large platter featuring many of the most popular desserts on the Tresind menu. It includes many of my favorites such as Dawlat Ki Chaat, White Chocolate Jalebi and 24 Karat Gold Gaajak.
Ending a meal with ‘paan’ is so tres Indian. Sadly paan is banned in the UAE, but Tresind makes up for it with paan flavored candy floss. My sister found this to be the most innovative creation, and you have to love that hippy bus oozing all that ‘free love’.
The Iftar at Tresind starts as low as AED 150 per person. If you’ve never been to Tresind and want to try out a bit of Chef Himanshu’s magic, this is the perfect opportunity! Tresind is located on Level 2, Nassima Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayad Road – Dubai. Given their popularity, its best to book a table well in advance. Give them a call on 04 308 0440.
The Tezzy Files 