Menu of magical memories
Can Sadhya—the quintessential Kerala meal with 24-28 dishes—be compressed into a bite-sized delight? While most would say, not possible, 'why not', thought chef Himanshu Saini. At his Dubai restaurant Tresind Studio, he did just that. There are layers of grilled pineapple marinated in Indian spices, cream of rice, payasam, mango pickle, banana vinegar, cuddapah almonds, second press of coconut ice cream, grated sugar spiced stone, mela blossom flower that is served with a papadum and tomato broth tempered in southern spices. All bit by bit, layered to perfection so you can experience a myriad of flavours when you pop it in. Little wonder that this spirit of innovation created culinary history by making it the first Indian restaurant ever to receive the coveted three Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Dubai 2025.
For someone whose food journey began in the heart of Old Delhi, where he grew up in a multigenerational home, being a chef was not part of his initial plans. 'But I found my footing at the Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad, where I discovered my passion and met lifelong collaborators. That experience taught me how to push boundaries while honouring the essence of Indian cuisine,' says Saini, who later trained under Chef Manish Mehrotra at Indian Accent in 2008. The same spirit of innovation led him to Dubai in 2018, where, with the support of Bhupender Nath, the CEO and Founder of Passion F&B, he started Tresind and eventually opened Tresind Studio—a fine dining concept rooted in Indian tradition but unafraid to break the mould.
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