Stéphanie de Saint-Simon crossed the River Seine to take over the reins of Yugaraj, the former gourmet Indian establishment. Renamed Desi Road, the restaurant has been given a sleek Bohemian makeover, with unfinished parquet and period floor tiles, marble tables, carved wood chairs and knickknacks gleaned from the markets of Delhi and Jodhpur. The perfect setting to discover an innovative menu of thalis (platters featuring a variety of dishes) and mini-plates to enjoy tapas-style. An original concept that was unfortunately tarnished by the slow service on the night we were there. We had to wait almost an hour for two glasses of the (excellent) Crémant de Bourgogne), ordered for our aperitif, and then an additional fifteen minutes for our dishes that arrived lukewarm after sitting under the heat lamp. Despite this slow start, Manoj Sharma’s cuisine managed to win us over, showing evidence of his work with London’s famous Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia: lovely thali lamb, and among other things a deliciously fragrant lentil curry and an exceptional slow-cooked lamb curry. Equally delightful were the palak patta chaat, a highly original snack of spinach fritters, potatoes, yogurt and pomegranate, and the succulent tandoori lamb chops marinated in spices and grilled just so on the tandoor: the dish of a great chef cooked to split-second perfection. Once the service glitches get ironed out, this new restaurant is bound to create a big buzz!
From noon to 2pm and 7:30pm to 10pm Closed Sunday and Monday Average price: €25
