Translating Trèsind Studio
On writing the book "The Rise of Indian Food. Recipes Reimagined by Trèsind Studio."
Between service, WhatsApp and late-night oil, a book slowly emerged.
Last night, Trèsind Studio announced its first book, The Rise of Indian Food, co-authored by chef Himanshu Saini and me.
Trèsind Studio is recognised as the world’s first three-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, featured on the World’s 50 Best list, and consistently among the UAE’s most highly rated dining spots.
That is what the world sees, but this audacious team, spearheaded by chef Himanshu and Bhupinder Nath, managing director of the Passion F&B hospitality group, questioned from the outset how Indian food is seen and how the restaurant sees itself.
Hospitality here is guided by the idea of Atithi Devo Bhava, a belief that the guest is sacred. It’s not ceremonial nor lip service; it’s practical, lived-in, everyday and deeply felt.
Chef Himanshu and the team constantly unpeel and refine what fine dining means through the lens and personality of their homeland rather than Western notions.
This outlook permeates through the restaurant and finds its voice in The Rise of Indian Food.
Getting things off the ground.
Himanshu and I have known each other since Trèsind Studio’s inception in 2018, when it was annexed to Trèsind, its bigger sister.
There was trust long before there was collaboration, and that mattered. We spoke often and talked openly, challenged each other freely, and speculated excitedly about what’s around the corner.
Writing the foreword for Trèsind Studio’s menu became a quiet litmus test; proof, in hindsight, that the trust and understanding were already there.
Through the co-writing process, we would find a new language and rhythm to decant a movement and ambition into words and onto pages.
Two very busy people. Two first-time authors. Two professionals, each with the fullest of full-time jobs. The process would test us both and improve the work.
Through hours of interviews (and rewrites) honing in on the emotional core of The Rise of Indian Food, Himanshu would light up in his usual understated way, tapping into nostalgia with both affection and his signature self-effacing candour.
What struck me most was Himanshu’s willingness to be open and speak honestly about doubt, memory and ambition, but always in service of something larger than himself, like his family, his team and the position of Indian cuisine among the pantheon.
Trèsind Studio is informed by the traditions of Indian cuisine but unshackled from them.
Like the restaurant, through The Rise of Indian Food, Himanshu tells a progressive story of Indian cuisine through five self-defined culinary regions. Each is a medium that guides where Indian food can go.
The book holds that thinking still—not to fix it, but to share it—through essays and recipes, aspiring to contextualise Indian cuisine, its culture, evolution and history.
This is the first time we’ve told this story from the inside. There’s more to come. In the months ahead, I’ll share more from inside the writing of this book: the questions, the revelations and the moments that shaped it. I hope readers find not just recipes here, but a sense of why this restaurant exists.
The Rise of Indian Food: Recipes Reimagined by Trèsind Studio is written by Himanshu Saini with Liam Collens, with forewords by Massimo Bottura and Manish Mehrotra. It will be available for purchase from Amazon and in bookstores from 6 May 2025. Published by Phaidon Press. Photography by Shresth Maloo.
Liam is a restaurant critic and food and travel writer based in the Middle East. He owns EatGoSee and contributes to other publications. You can find Liam on Substack, Threads, Instagram, BlueSky or Facebook.
So much purpose and passion behind this. So excited for your journey.
How exciting! Congratulations 🎊