If you dine out regularly, chances are you've been served some of these ingredients as a dollop or shaved on to your dishes. In the world of fine dining, chefs are increasingly employing premium ingredients such as caviar, oysters and truffles to tell a story, challenge perceptions and redefine what an extraordinary meal can be.
At Bengaluru-based bistro NĀVU, fresh oysters ( ₹700 for a set of 4) are shucked to order and served with a house-made cherry vinegar. Co-founder Kanishka Sharma insists that the dish is not meant to impress. “We don’t really think in terms of exotic. It’s about what sparks curiosity and tells a story on the plate,” she says.
This philosophy extends to every ingredient on the menu, from heirloom vegetables to parsnips and even mustard, which they use in ice cream. “Not because they’re unusual, but because they allow us to explore flavour and texture in new ways,” Sharma says. The key, she stresses, is using them thoughtfully. “It should add depth to a dish. For us, the balance is in weaving these ingredients into our own narrative, so that they feel natural, not foreign.” They source both farmed and wild oysters from the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
At Bar Paradox in Mumbai, chef Varun Totlani offers his guests caviar, not on a pearl spoon sitting on a bed of crushed ice, but on the back of their palms. The instructions are simple: “lick it off”. “I have loved caviar ever since I first tried it. Also, until very recently, the caviar being served in India wasn’t of great quality, and yet, it was extremely expensive. However, that has changed now with Kaviari Osciètre Prestige [available at Mumbai's Food Square], which is of great quality and at approachable prices.” Bar Paradox also serves caviar as an add-on with pao de queijo (cheese bread), and as a cheeky garnish to a Blue Label-based cocktail called “Cheap Date”, which is priced at a whopping ₹10,000.
At SoBo 20, a Franco-American restaurant in Mumbai, executive chef Sudeep Kashikar uses caviar to top fried chicken with a beurre blanc sauce. He also uses it to crown a fried beignet, a standout dessert on the menu. “When guests see caviar on fried chicken they are mildly surprised. But their reaction on seeing it on a beignet is: ‘what are fish eggs doing on a dessert?” They are hesitant at first, but after the first bite, they understand why it was meant to be there,” says Kashikar.
Restaurants primarily use sturgeon caviar from the Caspian and Black Seas. The most prized are Beluga, known for its buttery flavour; Osetra, known for its nutty taste; and Sevruga, which is intensely briny. Additionally, non-sturgeon roe like tobiko and ikura are popular alternatives, especially in sushi.
The trend of using luxe ingredients is driven by more than just a desire for visual delight. Chefs are looking for ingredients that can balance a dish. “People nowadays don’t like desserts that are overtly sweet. A small amount of caviar helps to balance out the sweetness in the fried beignet,” explains Kashikar. He says it sparks curiosity and excitement for those who haven’t tried caviar before, making it a great addition to a dish.
It’s not always about balancing flavour. At Jamming Goat 3.0 in Marathahalli, Bengaluru, the inclusion of an octopus dish on the menu is a playful take on the restaurant’s mascot, also an octopus. “Diners are increasingly adventurous, exposed to global dining trends through travel and media. Luxury ingredients not only bring refinement but also help restaurants craft memorable experiences,” adds co-founder Avinash Kapoli, who imports them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain and Morocco through a vendor in Mumbai.
But, why the reliance on imported ingredients when restaurants can champion local produce? “Almost 90% of the Paradox menu champions local ingredients. We’ve not had sturgeon fish in our waters, unfortunately, because of which it’s never been locally harvested in India. But, globalisation changes these things, where we can take our ingredients abroad and foreign ingredients can reach us. It’s how menus and eating cultures evolve over time,” explains Totlani. He also views this as a natural evolution of the dining scene in India. “We are competing with the global restaurant scene; these ingredients help diners create connections with the meals they’ve had in celebrated restaurants overseas.”
Beyond the creativity, a key challenge for chefs is the logistics of bringing these ingredients to the restaurant. Sourcing, freshness, and seasonality are constant concerns. “We work with trusted suppliers who import in small, carefully monitored batches to ensure quality and freshness,” says Kapoli. For ingredients like octopus, the issue isn’t availability, but consistency.
According to Sharma, sourcing oysters in India is still a bit of a journey. “The challenge is ensuring the oysters reach us alive. We don’t tie oysters to a season in the traditional sense; we bring them in when conditions are right and quality is high. For us, that’s the only season that matters,” she says.
Similarly, the earthy, musky flavours of truffles have found a huge fan following. Several high-end restaurants are showcasing it, particularly during the winter months, when fresh truffles are in season. The Table in Mumbai has a truffle omelette with grilled sourdough, while Wasabi by Morimoto incorporates them into kamameshi, a Japanese rice dish.
At La Loca Maria in Bandra, chef Manuel Olveira uses truffles in creative ways, by stuffing them into chicken wings and adding them to tartare. “We do a seasonal menu with fresh truffles every year from December to April. But people call from October onwards to check if the truffles have arrived. Though fresh truffles are expensive, we keep the dishes affordable. I want my guests to truly understand the real flavour. Most often they've only tried truffle oil, which has nothing to do with fresh truffles. They expect intense flavour whereas fresh truffles are very mild,” says Olveira. Fresh truffles are priced at ₹1.5 lakh a kilo and La Loca Maria uses almost a kilo in a week.
While the “wow factor” of these premium ingredients is undeniable, for chefs their use is driven by a desire to add depth and balance flavours, and also elevate the overall experience.
Nivedita Jayaram Pawar is a Mumbai-based food and travel writer.