Sambhar soup in a test tube. That’s your clue into the restaurant to be written about in this article. Any guesses yet?

Nestled in one corner of the stylish Mandarin Oriental, Geneva is Rasoi by Vineet, the hotel’s signature restaurant. But as you may have noticed from the clue, it isn’t your average fine-dining Indian restaurant. Walk around Geneva and you will notice signs like ‘nouveau restaurant indien’ in many restaurant windows, but Rasoi by Vineet is the one with a twist. Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia is the brains behind the menu and cuisine, which is definitely modern Indian. Chef Bhatia is known for his eclectic take on Indian cuisine, which is even showcased on his show on a popular TV network. Chef Sandeep runs the restaurant in his absence, creating beautiful dishes with élan and a clear understanding of Indian cuisine as we know it. Yet, when you enter Rasoi, you must be ready to unlearn what you know about Indian flavours and combinations.

The interiors

At the entrance to the restaurant, you are sure to notice the large, live tandoor and the skeleton of an auto-rickshaw done up with white fabric. Soft Indian fusion music plays in the background, setting the theme for the meal as well. Done up in rich reds, gold and browns, the restaurant has ambient lighting that keeps the look understated. The food is the focus here. According to the chef, the clientele is a mix of corporate guests, in-house diners and families. Within a few minutes of opening, almost every table was taken up by guests from each of the categories mentioned.

Rasoi by Vineet made its entrance into what could be described as a “virgin market for Indian cuisine” in 2008. Since Geneva is the business capital of Switzerland, the restaurant aims to cater to local fans of Indian cuisine and business travellers.

The menus

While munching on poppadums with mango chilli chutney, guests can choose from one of three menus offered at Rasoi. There is the set gourmand menu consisting of seven to eight courses, a business thali with a fixed number of dishes and the à la carte menu with starters and mains.

I was offered the fixed gourmand menu. Divided into the sub categories of Pearls, Crisp, Clouds, Smoke and Devil Wears Red, the menu is an attempt at creating small dishes with textural complexity. Scallops with sesame and sambhar soup (being South Indian, I have to say the sambhar was spot on!), crab chaat salsa with corn pearls, Konkani turbot in a malwani sauce… the list of seafood dishes is a long one. The a la carte menu also features a number of fruits de mer, like lobster, which is a favourite in Geneva. The Clouds section of the menu featured white tomato foam, pungent yet subtle, softly covering delicate coriander kichdi and chicken makhani. The vegetarian options include olive and sun-dried tomato kofta and achari aubergine potli. It was a striking element in the gourmand menu. These dishes are served with three types of naan breads - chicken and cheese, sesame, mushroom with truffle oil. The breads were a little heavy on the ghee in my opinion, but one of the young children at the table next to mine had to be stopped from devouring all the pieces in his bread basket. So it’s definitely a hit with the kids! A number of familiar dishes like topi dosa, Bombay cheese toast and pav bhaji are also present on the menu, but given a twist, like scallops coated in gun powder for a fiery hit. Lamb, a meat used often in Indian cuisine is also a frequent feature, like the grilled lamb chops served under a cloche filled with wood smoke, along with succulent lamb and blue cheese tikki, pureed carrots and crisp potato rosti.

The dish that made a lasting impression was the black sesame kulfi with raspberry coulis. The warm dish heated just the edges of the cool kulfi, which was coal black and dense with flavour. The raspberry alongside lightened the dish to make it smoother on the palate. A crisp, bright red, shortcrust biscuit shaped like the devil’s pitchfork and a black sugar spiral were the fun finishing touches.

As the chef explained, many of the ingredients are sourced locally, from organic farms that provide fresh produce. And as the key is to not overwhelm the dish with too many spices, this reduces the need to rely on imported condiments. This also enables pairing the dishes with good wines from their well-stocked bar.

My charming hostess commented that this experience must have been an interesting one for me, since I am familiar with Indian flavours. It certainly was, and one that left me smiling intermittently in surprise. Familiar tastes mingle in different form on the palate, creating a play between the old and the new.

What: Indian cuisine with a twist

Where: Rasoi by Vineet, Mandarin Oriental, Geneva

How much: Prices vary depending on the menu chosen with fixed menus at 130 CHF onwards

archana.a@thehindu.co.in

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