This three-hour-long curated dining experience at Chandigarh’s Daraaz is paced to perfection, where you traverse time, flavours, and culinary inventions, along with just seven others.
Food: The eight-course menu, paired with four cocktails and titled Safar, is curated specifically for each guest. Once seated, the reason becomes immediately apparent: your menu may differ from that of your dining companion. Each course represents a region, a journey, and an epoch. The amuse-bouche, for instance, takes inspiration from a 10th-century Andalusian gazpacho. Among the standouts were the lau chingri matthi, inspired by Bengal of the 18th and 19th centuries; a potato course glazed with aloo-dum flavours, drawing from the Kashmiri Mughal courts of the 16th century; roti canai with curry leaf prawns in the style of a moilee; and a beautifully executed lemon posset rooted in medieval 15th-century England. Rather than forcefully showcasing cuisines from across India, the menu acts as a personal map of Chef Aarman Kler and Chef Chayan Gaur’s lives and travels. Several dishes linger in the mind long after the meal ends. The cocktail pairings are equally impressive. Highlights include a caramel whisky popcorn shot and an espresso martini shot.
Decor: The space feels ancient, layered with dim lights, candles,Indian antiques, paintings, and carefully curated objects.
Service: Catering to only eight diners each evening, the team ensures a deeply personalised experience.
Price: Each tasting menu is priced at Rs9,000 per person.
Address: Sector 7C, Chandigarh, 160019