Chef Himanshu Saini grew up in Old Delhi, where food was a family affair and some of his earliest memories were of a kitchen feeding around 50 people. Today, he runs Tresind Studio in Dubai, the world's first Indian restaurant to earn three Michelin stars. But the flavours and food culture he grew up with remain an important part of how he thinks about cooking.
At the NDTV World Summit 2026, Saini joined veteran journalist and food critic Vir Sanghvi and Samyukta Nair, CEO and Creative Director of LSL Capital, for a discussion titled The Indian Table: How Chefs Are Changing the World's Palate.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV Food, he spoke about taking Indian cuisine to international diners, the fine-dining conventions he wants to challenge, and the Delhi food spots he still loves.
His Earliest Food Memories Go Back To A Kitchen In Old Delhi
Saini's maternal grandparents lived in Suiwalan, a neighbourhood close to Chandni Chowk. Around 50 members of his extended family lived under one roof, and feeding everyone meant the kitchen was busy throughout the day.
He remembers a time when food was prepared from scratch, including grinding spices at home. Every aunt in the family had a task, whether it was preparing dough, cleaning utensils or grinding spices.
"It felt like it was already a professionally run kitchen, even though it wasn't," he recalled, describing his grandmother as someone who was "kind of a chef". As a child, he would follow his mother around the kitchen. Outside home, there was the food of Old Delhi to look forward to, from street food to the many shops around the neighbourhood.
"I remember going to weddings and just caring about what's on the buffet rather than who's getting married to whom," he shared. That early fascination with food also shaped his understanding of what makes a good chef. He believes that enjoying food and developing a strong palate are essential before one begins cooking professionally. Knowing what good food tastes like gives a chef a benchmark to work towards.
At Tresind Studio, He Wants Diners To Discover More Than Bread And Rice
For Chef Himanshi Saini, introducing international diners to Indian cuisine is a challenge he enjoys rather than a pressure he feels obliged to carry. He wants guests to leave Tresind Studio having learnt something new about India.
One way the restaurant does this is by deliberately moving beyond the bread-and-rice combinations that many international diners associate with Indian food. "India has so much more to offer than just bread and rice," he said.
The restaurant's 15-dish menu draws inspiration from five broad geographical regions: the Thar Desert, Deccan Plateau, Coastal Plains, Himalayan Mountains and Northern Plains. The idea is to showcase the ingredients, flavours, spices and food traditions that define different parts of the country.
Saini explained this through the use of souring agents in Indian cooking. In Goa, vinegar features in the cuisine, while raw mango and tamarind are used in different parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra. The ingredients vary across regions, as do the reasons they are used.
The dishes at Tresind Studio may take inspiration from familiar recipes, but the focus is on the wider culinary traditions behind them. "It's a dining experience, not a classroom lecture," he said, explaining that the information should add to the meal without overwhelming guests.
His aim is to give international diners that foundation so they can better understand the range of Indian food beyond what they may already know.
He Wants Indian Fine Dining To Embrace Eating With Your Hands
One fine-dining convention Saini would like to challenge is the idea that guests must eat with cutlery. At Tresind Studio, several dishes are designed to be eaten with the hands because he believes certain foods are best enjoyed that way. "There is no better way to eat certain dishes than by your hands," he said.
For Saini, "It's about getting the aesthetics right. The environment needs to be right. The service needs to be very prompt." Indian diners have grown up eating many dishes with their hands, and heee sees no reason why that practice should be at odds with fine dining.
When asked about his favourite restaurants in India, Saini mentioned Nisaba and Indian Accent, where he began working under Chef Manish Mehrotra. His admiration for Mehrotra goes well beyond the food. "Whatever I've become in my life is because of him," he said, describing Mehrotra as his mentor and, in his words, the best chef in the world.
"If I live in Delhi, I'll go and eat at his place every day. That's how much I miss his food."
His Delhi Food Recommendations
Saini's recommendation for anyone looking for a street food spot is Rajinder Ka Dhaba, particularly for its chicken curry. For Chandni Chowk's dal ki chaat, he has no reservations either. Asked to rate it out of 10, he gave it a straight 10/10.
When the conversation turned to sweets, he brought up Chaina Ram for its khoya and other mithai, along with Ghantewala Sweets. He also recalled his early memories of eating at Karim's.
But it was clear that choosing just one favourite place in Old Delhi was difficult. He also mentioned Chicken Changezi and Moti Mahal, the birthplace of butter chicken.
Also Read: NDTV World Summit 2026: Has Indian Cuisine Arrived At The Global Stage? What Vir Sanghvi Believes
Another dish that has stayed with him is palak chole, served with rice at a shop he did not name. Saini suspects the dish may contain lamb stock, although this was his own observation and not a confirmed ingredient.
For him, the appeal of Old Delhi lies in the variety of food available across its streets and neighbourhoods. There are too many places and dishes tied to his memories to single out just one.
The Dish From Italy That He Still Remembers
Among the dishes he has eaten around the world, Saini singled out Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano at Osteria Francescana, the restaurant led by Italian chef Massimo Bottura.
The dish uses Parmigiano Reggiano, the celebrated Italian cheese associated with the Modena region. Saini described it as delicious, full of umami and packed with flavour. "No one has ever tried to do it," he said, explaining why the dish made such a strong impression on him.
From his grandparents' kitchen in Old Delhi to the dining room at Tresind Studio, his approach comes back to the same idea: food should have flavour, meaning and a sense of where it comes from. And sometimes, the best way to appreciate it is simply to eat it with your hands.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
