Indian Accent Mumbai Turns Three With A Fresh Tasting Menu

 Indian Accent Mumbai’s new anniversary tasting menu by Executive Chef Rijul Gulati offers a structured yet exploratory six-course experience that showcases how contemporary Indian fine dining can thrive without relying on meat, seafood, or conventional substitutes. Expect a progression that moves from small, concentrated bites into more substantial, ingredient-led plates, before easing back into lighter, palate-cleansing elements and a composed dessert finale.

The courses are designed to shift between richness and acidity, comfort and surprise, often drawing from familiar Indian flavours but reinterpreting them in unexpected formats. Rather than being linear or predictable, the experience unfolds in waves, where each dish resets or reframes the one before it.

For my visit, I opted for the vegetarian tasting menu, curious to see how the kitchen would navigate texture, depth and indulgence without relying on seafood or meat. The result was a meal that felt thoughtful, occasionally surprising and deeply satisfying, proving that plant forward dining here is anything but predictable ( jackfruit, mock meat and other alternatives were not used).

The evening begins with a tiny baked naan that arrives as an amuse bouche. It must be eaten in a single bite, and despite its size, it is unexpectedly filling (again because of the filling). Blue cheese is not a flavour one typically associates with Indian fine dining, yet here it works beautifully. Served warm and balanced with a soulful soup, it is savoury, comforting and quietly elegant, offering a surprisingly indulgent start to the meal. The kind of opening gestures that immediately signal the restaurant’s playful approach to tasting menus, where even the smallest course carries intention (and weight ahah).

A crisp dahi kebab and paid chaat follows, golden on the outside and creamy within. Paired with a raisin sauce, it balances richness with gentle sweetness. It is nostalgic yet refined, the sort of dish that reminds you why classics endure even when placed within a contemporary tasting format. The chef explained how it was their take inspired by the local street foods of India.

A chilled aam panna quickly became  my personal favourite of the evening. Tangy, refreshing and unmistakably summery, it cuts through the richness of the earlier courses and resets the palate beautifully. It also captures the spirit of the season that runs through much of the menu like the palate cleansers, but since they served it with mulberries- they won me right there.

The meal then moves into more ingredient driven territory. One dish combines cashews coated with kaffir lime, creating a bright and slightly nutty flavour profile that feels both unusual and harmonious ayongwith the antioxidants from the aforementioned berries. Another arrives with cauliflower stem topped with karonda cherry and quinoa. It is hearty, unexpectedly substantial, and fresh: echoing the fullness of the earlier naan amuse bouche while bringing a satisfying balance of texture and acidity.

What you see above is ‘danthal’, heart of palm, doli roti which was probably just the third course but unmistably the most filling one. I’d relish this over the mains anyway. A plate of tender turnips tossed in jeera then arrives, bringing back comforting earthiness to the table. The texture is chewy yet delicate, and the simplicity allows the spice to shine.

Soon after comes nadru, the Kashmiri lotus stem. Served in a coconut sauce with a South Indian style tadka of urad dal, the dish feels like a quiet meeting of regions and traditions. It is also one of those moments when dining becomes quietly educational. I found myself learning new ingredient names even as I tasted them. But by this time, I was quite full. The slightly unexpected twist: wasabi in raita cornered me and how.At first it feels unusual, but the sharpness is subtle and playful rather than overwhelming as you might imagine. It adds a spark of intrigue that keeps the palate engaged (always big on condiments over the actual dish).

Comfort returns in the form of corn kadhi, warm and soothing with a gentle tang. This is followed by Rampuri moong dal pakwan, rich and deeply satisfying, the sort of dish that feels indulgent yet familiar. Remember how we spoke about the Aam Pana earlier? A cooling melon and khus palate cleanser offers a fragrant pause before dessert. Light, aromatic and refreshing, it resets the senses effortlessly before the final act and truly put me into a state of nostalgia: a memory of having Khus sherbet on hot May summer vacation days in my hometown: Bikaner, Rajasthan resurfaces.

Dessert arrives in two parts. First comes rice chikki, a brittle sweet with caramelised crunch that carries echoes of Middle Eastern confectionery. The final plate is a delicate layered dessert of coconut gel, mango and pista cream topped with white chocolate. Tropical, creamy and balanced, it ends the meal on an elegant note, even though I couldnt take more than two bites.

My favourite combination was a glass of their in house Fratelli white wine: Chardonnay Avignon Blanc style paired so beautifully with the closing courses, adding contemporary brightness to the finish.

Three years in, Indian Accent Mumbai feels confident in its identity. Even through a fully vegetarian tasting menu, the kitchen manages to deliver a meal that is layered, surprising and unmistakably luxurious. It is the kind of dining experience that reminds you why tasting menus remain one of the most exciting ways to explore modern Indian cuisine, and always a reminder to actually sit and devour lunch, relish and give time to food and love the people you eat it with, suggestive of slow living and developing a taste for both the finer, simpler and more complex things in life.

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