A look at Sahib, Michelin-starred chef Hemant Mathur’s newest venture

by | Oct 18, 2016 | Dining

Sahib

Sahib

The newest venture from twice Michelin-starred Chef and Restaurateur Hemant Mathur — the first Indian restauranteur in the U.S. to receive a Michelin star — is infused with the wazwan cooking style mastered by chefs in north India for centuries.

Sahib, as located within Curry Hill, is the result of a collaboration between Mathur and Fine Indian Dining Group founder Shiva Natarajan; the Fine Indian Dining Group portfolio includes Kokum, Chola, Dhaba, Malai Marke, Chote Nawab, and Haldi. Natarajan had returned from a year-and-a-half culinary tour through northern India with plenty of new ideas and recipes.

Dishes at Sahib are served in coppers pots — in the wazwan tradition — with highlights such as the Murgh Chop, roasted chicken thighs basted in a creamy marinade with a bright tinge of malt vinegar; Rista, Kashmir-style lamb meatballs coated in a saffron gravy; Indian-imported pumpret fish, grilled and served in a flavorful Hung yogurt and garlic sauce; and Banarasi Baingan, smoked and fried eggplant coated in fresh herbs.

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In a way, the colorful dishes are the medium for a canvas of the cool grey and white toned interior of the restaurant; unusual for an Indian restaurant but refreshing and relaxed. The reclaimed wood used throughout the space honors the wooden-block printing method commonly used in textile designs in chef/owner Mathur’s native Jaipur, and various creative designs are implemented throughout the space, like juxtaposed wooden boards in the ceiling, wooden bead chandeliers, and a flowered mirror installation with hand-carved wooden petals.

For dessert, order the Malai Kulfi, a rich Indian ice cream made with rose syrup but with a rich caramel flavor, or the Jaggery rice pudding made with natural cane sugar produced from dates and palm sap.

Sahib is located at 104 Lexington Ave. and 27th. It is open every day for lunch between 12:00 PM and 2:45 PM and for dinner between 5:00 PM and 10:30 PM.

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