Tresind Studio chef on being only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Dubai

Himanshu Saini says 'the expectations will be huge'

Tresind Studio at Nakheel Mall has one Michelin star.

Al Muntaha, on the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab, has received one Michelin star.

Armani/Ristorante, at Armani Hotel Dubai, has been awarded one Michelin star. Photo: Armani/Ristorante

Hakkasan at Atlantis, The Palm, now has one Michelin star. Photo: Hakkasan Dubai

Hoseki at the Bulgari Resort is among the few restaurants in Dubai with one Michelin star. Photo: Bulgari Hotel

Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm, has one Michelin star. Photo: Atlantis, The Palm

Tasca by Jose Avillez at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira has one Michelin star. Photo: Mandarin Oriental

Torno Subito at W Dubai - The Palm has one Michelin star. Chris Whiteoak / The National

11 Woodfire in Jumeirah has one Michelin star. Photo: 11 Woodfire

Stay by Yannick Alleno at One&Only The Palm has two Michelin stars. Photo: Jumana El-Heloueh

Il Ristorante – Niko Romito in Jumeirah has two Michelin stars. Photo: Il Ristorante

Al Khayma at Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa is in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list, which refers to restaurants that provide 'value-for-money three-course meals'. Photo: Al Khayma

Fi'lia at SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences made Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Fi'lia

Bait Maryam in JLT is now a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant.

Ibn AlBahr at Club Vista Mare is in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Instagram / @ibnalbahr

Indya by Vineet at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa is now a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant.

Beetroot and ricotta at folly. The restaurant made it into Michelin's Bib Gourmand list.

Kinoya at The Onyx Tower 2 in The Greens is in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Pawan Singh / The National

Red umami prawns at Orfali Bros in Wasl 51 mall. The restaurant is now in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Orfali Bros

Goldfish at The Galleria Mall made it into Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Goldfish

Beef gyoza at Reif Japanese Kushiyaki at Dar Wasl Mall. The restaurant is now in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Reif Japanese Kushiyaki

Beef garum at Teible in Jameel Arts Centre. The restaurant is now in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Teible

Chef Daniel Boulud at his Brasserie Boulud in Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk. The restaurant is in Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. Pawan Singh / The National

Shabestan at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, is in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Shabestan

Ninive at Emirates Towers is in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Photo: Ninive

The Michelin Guide unveiled its first list of winners in Dubai on Tuesday, with 11 restaurants receiving at least one coveted star. Of these, Tresind Studio, led by chef Himanshu Saini, was the only Indian restaurant to take one home.

Saini began his journey with Tresind when it first burst onto the Dubai food scene by bringing liquid nitrogen to Indian cuisine in 2014.

Since then, he has gone from strength to strength. Not only has he been a noteworthy presence at various food festivals around the UAE, but Saini also often collaborates on one-off, highly experimental four-hands meals with some of the best chefs in the world, including Bahraini chef Tala Bashmi and Mexico's Jorge Vallejo.

Click through the gallery above to see the 11 Michelin-starred restaurants in Dubai.

Now, Saini can consider himself to be up there with the best.

Tresind Studio, which used to be tucked in the corner of the main Tresind restaurant at voco hotel, recently moved to Nakheel Mall on the Palm Jumeirah.

It serves a set tasting menu, which changes every four months: think wood apple pani puri, ghee roast crab with burnt cinnamon and curry leaf tempura and morel pulao with Assam tea dashi.

“Tresind Studio offers a single tasting menu. Through the experience, we serve comfort food to guests, yet ensure every person is leaving with a different impression and a changed perception about Indian cuisine,” Saini tells The National soon after taking to the stage to collect the award.

"The end game is to show the world that Indian food can also be gourmet.

“With our approach, I want to make people understand that Indian food is more than a takeaway curry, naan or biryani.”

It is an exciting menu, which serves a payasam pudding made with pink peppercorns and served with tomato rasam; or buttermilk curry ice cream with padron peppers and pickled chutney.

“There are many recipes, many stories, many cultural interpretations that are not explored enough,” the chef says.

It's a tall order, but one Saini is more than willing to continue serving up, especially in the light of his latest accolade.

“Getting a Michelin star is a great start and a proud moment, but what I'd like to do next is to reflect back on what happened today, to evolve the cuisine even further and to push for two stars next year," he says.

“Being the only Indian restaurant in Dubai with a Michelin star, the expectations will be huge, but I want to surpass those.”

Saini has some experience in the world of gourmet cuisine, having worked with Manish Mehrotra, the award-winning chef behind Indian Accent in New Delhi and New York.

On top of this, Saini says he comes from an “agricultural family”, which has made him inclined towards using locally sourced ingredients where possible.

“We have the same menu for four months only. So while I cannot recommend a particular dish that residents or gastro-tourists must order, I would urge all our patrons to explore Papadom, our botanical bar that works hand in hand with the kitchen," he says.

"All the scraps wasted in the kitchen are utilised in a curated drinks programme.” Think beverages made with cacao and fennel cordial, popcorn and fig acid syrup, pickled papaya and pineapple tepache.

“We've cultivated a terrace garden on the rooftop, where we grow a lot of produce even in this crazy hot weather. And it's a spot where you can expect equally crazy things on the tasting menu,” says Saini.

The restaurant's description on the Michelin Guide website reads: “An immersive dining experience awaits in this elegant Indian restaurant. The multi-course tasting menu is a masterpiece of originality and precision.

"The meal ... explodes with flavour [and] intricate, sublimely executed dishes. Add in wonderfully attentive service and you have all the ingredients for an evening that will live long in the memory.”