First look: With Nila in Bengaluru, chef Rahul Sharma is placing India’s diverse ingredients at the forefront

Nila is a little enigmatic.

We pull up to the street in Cambridge layout, and after looking around a bit (it was not on Google maps yet) find a gray building waiting for us. Inside, we are greeted by a massive, room-sized lamp and the low hum of a kitchen at work. This is Nila, chef Rahul Sharma’s latest venture in Bengaluru, where we have arrived for a first look just days before the doors officially open.

Chef Rahul Sharma

The aesthetics

Nila means moon in Tamil, and the lighting-forward design aesthetics of the restaurant reflects this; warm lights, bare walls, curved textures, and a distinctly Japandi-style. The 24-seater combines Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian sensibility. They will soon open a bar on the first floor.

The 36-year-old chef, who has names like NOMA, Masque and Araku under his belt, opens Nila as a culmination of his journey. Here Indian dining culture and ingredients are given an international expression. Rooted in hyper regional Indian cuisine, the 12-course tasting menu will change every three months. To start with Nagaland is in the spotlight, inspired by Rahul’s travels.

The interiors of Nila

The quaint tree tomato

The courses are divided into mingle, sharing, feast and sweet. Each course is served in individual size portions, on tastefully intentional crockery. From the mingle section the standout is the tree tomato custard. Nagaland’s GI-certified fruit, locally called sei bangenuo, is the star of the dish. Sliced into the shape of a flower, it served on top of a creamy cheese custard, crunchy perilla seeds, and confit Naga wild garlic. The cold tomato, and the creamy custard pair well. This should be the opening dish in my opinion, though what we started with, a black rice momo, a tapioca encased black rice dumpling, was also delicious.

The black soybean tart is filled with curried soybean, and is topped with a lattice of crisp burnt chive. The pickled persimmon kebab is skewers of the fruit that have been pickled for 30 days. It is topped with coconut malai or pork lard, and an onion and chilli pickle inspired by Mao market in Kohima.

Pickled persimmons kebab

Taro, bamboo shoots and buckwheat noodles

A soup is the interlude between the mains. Yam milk and bamboo broth is smokey, mild and comforting. It is served with a fermented bread topped with radish and greens, and I keep going back for bites.

For the mains, it is a roasted chicken terrine with anushi (a dry fermented Naga flavour bomb) and charred wild leaves. The 21st century smoked pork, one of Nagaland’s most famous exports, is smoked in house here. Served in slices, this one is overshadowed by the courses sandwiching it. The house-made buckwheat noodles, the last main, are submerged in a bamboo broth, which I really enjoy.

The theme of smoky, charred and deep flavour notes is consistent through the meal. Three mains might be one too many.

Sichuan pepper ice cream

Chef Garima Tharwani is behind the desserts. The winning dessert for me is the Naga basil cake. A pound-cake like dessert that is dusted with a local herb from Nagaland, called napa. It is fresh and citrusy.

The menu at Nila is intelligent, imaginative and artistic. The service is precise and the staff is on top of their game. It may be ahead of its time with newness, and time will tell if diners are open to it. I am curious to see Rahul’s interpretation of other cuisines in the coming months.

The tasting menu is priced at ₹4,550 excluding drinks. (Nila is still working on its alcohol license). At Cambridge layout. Open for dinner. For more details, call 8867905558