Where Indian heart meets Japanese soulon the plate : INJA, New Delhi “Feature Desk”

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INJA, DELHI

From Feature Desk

Among the peaceful grounds of The Manor in New Delhi lies a restaurant altering the narrative of what confluence could truly entail. Although Indian-Japanese may sound like a playful joke, the fundamental principles of INJA are far more serious and deliberate. INJA is about creating relationships, one course at a time, not about mixing flavours aimlessly; its name itself mirrors two identities coming together.

The restaurant marks the Indian debut of Atelier House Hospitality, a Dubai-based hospitality company noted for its gastronomic inventiveness across the Middle East and Asia. Under Chef Adwait Anantwar’s vision and backed by CEO Panchali Mahendra, a tastemaker in the international food scene, INJA is perhaps the first restaurant in the world to attempt a fine-dining-level union of Indian and Japanese cuisines.
Opposite Marriages
Combining Japanese and Indian cuisines may not seem a natural endeavour. Whereas Japanese food is based on calm precision, subtlety, and methodology, Indian cooking celebrates daringness, complexity, and multilayered spice. Yet INJA does not seek to force a balance, letting the contrast breathe to reveal unexpected harmony, where missteps would be simple.

The outcome is a tasting menu and a la carte menu wherein a Morel and Soy Pulao pairs well with Buff Carpaccio, and Naga Smoked Pork gives smoky depth to a corn dashi broth presented with soba noodles. From Gulkand Mochi to a dish from the a la carte menu Tuna Pomelo Chaat, sprinkled with Jhakiya seeds, and a startling Timur panna cotta, each dish highlights how deeply Indian components can resonate within a Japanese setting.

Ingredient as Identity
The kitchen of INJA serves as both a lab and a canvas. With respect and curiosity, Chef Adwait acknowledged as one of India’s Top 30 Chefs of 2024, combines local ingredients. Using the Japanese technique, Bael, Gulkand, Jhakiya seeds, Timur peppercorns, and Morel mushrooms are transformed without sacrificing their natural character.
Each ingredient in a dish, from the Himalayan pathways to Himachal’s chaat booths, captures place, memory, and intent. Whether the bael-based dessert heightened with Tulsi and Sancho Masala or the panna cotta with Timur pepper and kinome leaf, none are mere attachments. They are anchors. Here the idea is narration using textures and flavor, not innovation.

Cocktails Resonating Through Senses
Head Mixologist Supradeep Dey crafted the Panch Indri Cocktail Menu among INJA’s boisterous accomplishments. Inspired by the Ayurvedic idea of the five senses, every beverage engages sight, sound, touch, taste, and scent,

not just in ingredients but also in presentation and experience.
INJA’s Essence, a fragrant tribute to Kashmiri Kahwa, Yuzu, and edible camphor. The Satori Hi-Ball, with pop rocks adorning the rim, delivers a whimsical, audible surprise. Masquerade guides a multi-layered sensory tour through mezcal, garam masala, and Mirin.

Meant to Be Found
Enter INJA and you will discover the philosophy pervades every nook. Natural stone, gentle illumination, and crisp lines provide the foundation for Japanese minimalism. Indian design sensibility is layered onto this canvas, with Mughal decorations, peacock hues, lime-washed textures, and rich copper ceilings.

Especially noteworthy is the Itajime Shibori artwork display in 100 percent Indian silk, a tribute to the Japanese dyeing legacy and Indian textile craftsmanship.
With every visual and spatial hint softly guiding the diner through a silent narrative of co-existence, the interiors inspire exploration just like the menu does.
Even the INJA logo has layers of meaning; mixing India’s national animal tiger and Japan’s koe fish symbolizes strength, perseverance, and good fortune with typographic simplicity suggesting duality and equilibrium. This subtle yet notable gesture shows how meticulously the design team matches the brand and experience.

Chief Narrator Alchemist
Nagpur native and first trained in software, Chef Adwait Anantwar gave up the familiar to follow the poetic. After an early start in Dubai with Chef Sujan, he refined his culinary voice under Chef Himanshu Saini, learning the discipline of creativity and the value of perspective at Trèsind. His association with Atelier House Hospitality began with MOHALLA its first restaurant in the Middle East, now a fast-expanding name across the region.

Following which he envisioned INJA during the quiet of the lockdown, driven by the notion that Indian intensity and Japanese grace could not only co-exist but uplift each other. Every meal at INJA is now shaped through his imaginative lens; each dish is a meditation on contrast rather than just a recipe.

More Than a Restaurant
INJA is the kind of venue that begins a discussion instead of following a trend. A dialogue on method, legacy, regionalism, and restraint. It shows Chef Adwait’s culinary path, Panchali Mahendra’s strategic foresight, and Atelier House Hospitality’s daring worldwide vision.

Having been honoured with several awards in its first year itself such as Newcomer of the Year, Best Modern Indian Restaurant, and a place on India’s top fine dining lists INJA wasn’t just making waves. Now in its third year, INJA has earned recognition from Condé Nast Traveller India’s Top Restaurant Awards, they also made it into the Asia’s 50 Best Extended List and Culinary Culture’s Best Restaurants of India, affirming its place as one of the most innovative fine-dining destinations.
INJA is located at The Manor, 77 Mathura Road, Friends Colony West, New Delhi. For reservations, call +91 81308 05333 or follow @injarestaurant on Instagram, or visit www.injarestaurant.com.
Come for the cocktails, stay for the storytelling, and leave with a deeper sense of how two culinary philosophies can shape something truly original.