An unassuming culinary gem in the heart of Dubai, Avatara is a vegetarian haven created and curated by its executive chef, Rahul Rana. The concept was a bold one when it launched and raised a few curious eyebrows: an all-vegetarian degustation menu? But then again, what else could we expect from Passion F&B, the founders of the likes of Trèsind Studio and Carnival by Trèsind?
Rahul is not only the culinary maestro behind Avatara but also the executive pastry chef for all of Passion F&B’s brands. He’s a busy chef but his work has paid off. In 2023, Avatara – merely a year old at this point – was awarded one Michelin star. And just after the summer, Avatara moved to a new location in Dubai Hills, after its start in the space previously occupied by sister restaurant Trèsind Studio in Voco Dubai.
From specialising in pastries to pioneering a new vegetarian concept, Rahul’s journey in the culinary world has been an exciting one. “I started my culinary journey in India and worked in a resort in the Himalayas known for its Ayurvedic principles, where I was in the pastry team. However, I never restricted myself,” says Rahul. He explored a variety of cuisines including European and Indian cuisines, all of which allowed him to evolve to his position today.
The creation of Avatara came about during his tenure at Trèsind Studio in 2019, inspired by a shared desire with the brand’s chef, Himanshu Saini, to create an entirely vegetarian menu. He reveals, “We created a menu at Trèsind Studio called ‘Shashya’, which translates to ‘plants’ or ‘vegetables’ in Sanskrit. It was 70 per cent plant based.” Rahul adds, “When both Himanshu and I discussed it, we thought, why don’t we create an entirely vegetarian menu? Himanshu suggested an entirely new restaurant for this concept and our owner, Mr. Bhupender Nath, was supportive.” At the time, the plan was to open this new concept in 2020. But it was only after Trèsind Studio was slated to move to its current location on the Palm Jumeirah, that Avatara finally found a space and opened in March 2022.
Rahul Rana
Kadalika (banana) – raw banana chaat, avocado chutney, khakra
In addition to serving only vegetarian food, Avatara is an unconventional Indian restaurant in that it doesn’t use staples such as onion or garlic. Rahul comments, “I felt that the onion and garlic was overpowering the vegetables, but removing it was a big deal because these are staple ingredients in Indian cuisine. But doing so gave us a positive response, and it allowed the flavour of the vegetables to be the real hero.”
In another unusual step, there is also no mushroom or paneer – both usual suspects on an Indian restaurant’s menu – within Avatara’s repertoire. Instead, the team has chosen to highlight unpopular or relatively unknown vegetables, such as bitter gourd, okra or jackfruit. “Before we launched the second menu in August 2022, I asked the team to tell me what vegetables they didn’t like. Based on that, we took on the challenge and created a new menu,” says Rahul.
The conversation veers to the accolades that signify Avatara’s success – including its Michelin star recognition.
“Of course, we have been getting a lot more recognition since being awarded a Michelin star, but I don’t feel the pressure. When we opened Avatara, the aim was to serve our guests with all our heart. And that’s what we are still doing today,” the chef says.
“However, the most important thing for me is that one of my team received the Michelin Young Chef Award – Omkar Walve. The inspectors noticing his work and how he takes care of the guests, whether I am in the restaurant or not, is huge praise. I feel amazing because of his recognition,” adds Rahul. It’s clear that even with all the awards, Rahul remains grounded and acknowledges the achievements of his team, which has grown from seven to 25.
Avatara’s expansion as a team and as a venue is just the beginning; Rahul reveals that there’s more on the cards. “The big news is that Avatara is opening in Mumbai and will be a bigger space than the Dubai venue,” says Rahul. He says the plan is to open between the end of December 2023 and the beginning of January 2024. “It’s a busy time for us because our company has eight restaurants in Dubai and one in Mumbai. In addition to Avatara in Mumbai, we are also opening Carnival by Trèsind in Mumbai and Goa,” he adds. There’s a lot on Rahul’s plate, he admits, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
