| Debu’s Nouvelle Indian Cuisine |
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| Written by Suresh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, September 15, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It’s exciting times for Indian cuisine. New restaurants are showcasing upscale Indian cuisine with fantastic creative flair. At Tabla, Chakra and Amaya, classic ideas are being mixed with European and North American ingredients to produce exciting new dishes. And now, after abandoning his Biryani House project and travelling the world, Debu Saha is back with his own take on what Nouvelle Indian is. Debu’s Nouvelle Indian Cuisine is now open. The Mount Pleasant east neighbourhood has a cosmo Indian thing going. To much critical praise, Debu Saha was working wonders at the Wellesley Biryani House. We loved his accent on classical dishes, his subtlety and careful attention to flavours. Then suddenly, he sold his restaurant and left the country. The Biryani house has not been the same since. Over a year later, Debu is back from his travels and ready for the next chapter. It takes the shape of a small restaurant in an eclectic neighborhood that seats 26, and is open for lunch and dinner six days a week. My first impression as I run through rain and into Debu’s place? It is a lot smaller than I thought. I’m suddenly facing a small army of waiters that quickly seat me with my date. The décor is a little sterile, with clean lines and simple accessories. The only thing Indian about the décor are the small classic Indian paintings in gold painted frames. Menus are presented like scrolls. Awkwardly long sheets of paper rolled and tied with strings. I get the idea, but the darn thing is annoying when I unroll it. I hold it down with a glass of water, my fork, and my knife, to get a proper read on the meticulously detailed dishes. A separate booklet outlines the small selection of wines available, ranging from $27 a bottle to over $250. 2 whites and 2 reds are available by the glass, for $7 each. Kingfisher Beer is generally the best pairing for Indian dishes, this beer is available but not listed (it should be).  An elongated plate of amuse bouche is presented. Spoonfuls of cucumber salsa, and chickpeak with tamarind, onion and grated papri. Both are tangy, and fresh.  Debu’s philosophy – North American classics mixed with Indian spices and cooked in a variety of different ways. In many cases, he offers dishes in true triptych style. Take Quail for example, first prepared tandoori style and served with green mango salsa, then a seared version stuffed with lamb keema and glazed with fruity molasses, and finally ground and mixed with beet, leek and served as a cromesquis style cutlet. The cutlet is a quick favourite, bringing back many memories of traditional south Indian fish cakes. All versions work very nicely with the Chardonnay or Kingfisher. Albeit slightly overcooked and tough on the tandoori and lamb versions, subtle Indian highlights steal the show.  Before we have a chance to talk about the multitude of tastes, the crab dish arrives. As we prod the cavities and pull out the meat a variety of smells hit the air. The most potent is the balachoa crab. A goan classic of crab, chilies, curry powder, ginger and garlic. So much bite in such a small spoonful, but delicious every bit of the way. In the middle is a crab gratin mixed in with bits of shrimp, cheese and mushroom. It hints on seafood chowder, creamy. The least exciting is a cold slaw of crab, coconut and mango served Maldives style. The salad is refreshing, but the red & green peppers tremendously overpower. This dish is best with Kingfisher, especially the Goan curry crab. There are more threesomes! Halibut, Paneer, Mushroom and Eggplant take stage and are treated in a variety of different styles that borrow from various cooking styles. But it all sounds too confusing and detailed on paper. Three-way dishes range from $16 to $29. Since portions are barely shareable, these prices are somewhat hard to digest.  Over the horizon, a variety of entrees with a singular theme are available for the voracious carnivore. An example arrives. Crispy duck sitting on a small bed of bengalo pullao rice. It was cooked confit, then drizzled with lucknowy gravy. A mound of pumpkin and chickpea blend the duo of meat and rice. This was my favourite dish, subtle textures and highlights from left to right. The organics at the end played as interruptions.  I was convinced that I had to try the Bombay style chaat, just to see what Debu would do with it. It arrived in glorious form with a comment: Every bite is an explosion in your mouth with a rainbow of tastes and textures. Guess it – sweet, thick, sour, crunchy, salty, soft, tangy, leafy, spicy. We dig through the newspaper bowl like there’s treasure at the bottom, there is, sweet tamarind sauce and bits of greens, potato, chickpeas, mango, papri, yoghurt and a mix of chutneys. Fantastic chaat, but $10 for something I can find on Gerard Street for under $5?  The garlic naan. Perfect texture, perfect taste, subtle garlic. But $5 for 1 naan is almost criminal when you can get the same thing elsewhere for a quarter of that price.  Dessert is also delicious triptych. Sweet paneer cheesecake with plenty of cardamom and pistachio hints, a poached pear in blanc, and a rich raspberry mousse. The cheesecake deserves applause, singlehandedly it reminds me of a half dozen different Indian sweets. It alone is worth a visit, have it with a glass of thick mango lassi. A high level of respect and appreciation is deserved for someone who is able to master this complex cuisine, and pluck apart each detail and taste, and then introduce it to something totally new. This kitchen totally deserves that for taking Indian cuisine to new heights. Given time, and a more relaxed approach, this is very possible. I often found myself comparing Debu’s approach to that of Vineet Bhatia’s Michelin star wining restaurant in London, Rasoi. Same culinary mastery, and meticulous attention to the behavior of Indian spices. Service is seasoned and flawless for the most part. Plates and cutlery are replaced with each course, and water is topped inconspicuously. Silence is capped by classic Indian tunes that play into the night. The restaurant has an extensive take-out menu which has very little in common with the dinner list. The staff also encouraged, that if there’s something in particular we want to have, Debu and company will gladly accommodate. Dinner for 2 > 3 apps, 1 main, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine, 2 beers, 1 lassi, tax, tip, $180 Debu’s Nouvelle Indian Cuisine
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