A characteristic meal at Veda is a balance between sweet and sour.... It is a lavish combination of deep, intense flavours, playing off each other enticingly, resulting in tastes that are powerful and unexpected.

The new, Rohit Bal-designed Veda in Delhi, gives a dramatic twist to the humble bhindi and baingan

Veda appears at first to pull it off…. The drama and romance of the place are impressive with its rust orange Jaisalmer-marble tabletops inlaid with white and gray mother-of- pearl, black leather seating, glitzy mirrors, chandeliers and ‘custom-made’ crockery from Japan. It may not be Michelin-starred, but its design by Delhi designer, Rohit Bal, is a talker and Veda seems to be as much about looking as about eating. Having sauntered in and braved the gaze of other diners, one can spend the rest of the evening either looking or being looked at in a well-appointed restaurant that seems a bit out of the ordinary.

Take a look at the plate. Starters include Bhel puri, Lamb stuffed chicken and Manchurian cauliflower. Entrees are unusual: Tandoori grilled tiger prawns on a bed of eggplant pickle with a crisp, tangy okra salad, known as Kararee bhindi on the menu card. Vegetarians can go for the Seasonal vegetable smoked biryani or Zimikhand ke kofte with Bhindi ka raita. Veda’s desserts include Indian-centric sweets like kulfi and phirni. Bringing Indian cuisine into the rarefied realm of fine dine fare is the ambition of Nyle Kanda, Veda’s chef de cuisine. Instead of sharing, you get your own Fig stuffed lamb fillets or Paneer kundan kaaliya pre-plated and served individually. Veda’s tasting menus give you an idea of ‘trendy’ Indian food, served a tad stylishly. Just make sure it’s someone worth impressing!

A few weeks’ buzz and hype does not make it a success. But for now, it’s enough that Veda brings a welcome sense of style to a stretch of town that needed to lighten up. Don smart attire if going to Veda; oddly styled hair helps too. And the chef, Nyle, is seriously trained in what he calls ‘Indian food with a twist.’

- Sumitra Senapaty

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