By: ERIN MICHELLE NEWBERG
Under the leadership of Chef Sujan Sarkar, a MICHELIN Star recipient, Baar Baar Los Angeles is shaking up the local culinary scene.
With high ceilings and gorgeous tiles that line the entranceway, Baar Baar is a warm yet ravishing restaurant. There, a massive mural by Jessica Kollar bodes well with the various shades of turquoise and yellow that dominate its interior color scheme. These design elements would impress anyone. But it’s the culinary skill that abundantly defines the “wow” factor.
After the rampant success of Baar Baar New York, the first of its kind, modern Indian gastro bar, Sarkar brought his East Coast excellence to the West Coast.
Put simply, Baar Baar is unmatched in authenticity and creativity; it’s a destination where a bold and imaginative menu explores the many flavors and textures of authentic Indian cuisine through a contemporary lens. The menu “was drawn up from nostalgic dishes that I grew up eating in Kolkata,” explains Sarkar, “as well as from the modernist techniques I developed from leading kitchens all over the world, from Baar Baar in New York City to Indienne in Chicago and ROOH in San Francisco and New Delhi.”
In proper California style, the dynamic seasonal menu is based on local produce brought to life by the vibrant flavors of India and the subcontinent. This new Indian cuisine is exemplified by specialty kulchas and small plates that include creative chaats like Dahi Puri with mango, tamarind, yogurt mousse and raspberry chaat masala, Cauliflower 65 with carrot pachadi, peanut thecha, pickled kumquat and curry leaf. The LA spin is apparent with items like Kashmiri Duck Taco inspired by birria and served with cilantro, red onion, and pickled radish. Save room for Kerala Achappam, a crisp dessert with a honeycomb-like texture, made with coconut panna cotta, fresh coconut mousse, crispy rosetta, and roasted coconut sorbet.
After sampling a cocktail at his LA outpost, Sarkar’s background as the force behind India’s first artisanal cocktail bar will be no surprise. In fact, much of the cocktail menu was inspired by Bollywood films. Think Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, a concoction infusing tequila, tamarind, aged balsamic, blackberry syrup, and soda, or Lagaan, a gin, honeydew melon, kale, Midori, and egg white cocktail that’s spirited magic. The restaurant also offers an excellent wine selection from its cellar.
Baar Baar LA is open Tuesday through Sunday, when it serves a Bollywood Brunch with a live D.J. spinning Bollywood tunes to spice things up. | baarbaarla.com
