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In the 2025 Michelin Guide for Dubai, the Indian restaurant Trèsind Studio, run by Chef Himanshu Saini of Dubai, became the first Indian restaurant ever to get three stars. Trèsind Studio, situated in the St. Regis Gardens in Palm Jumeirah, offers a menu that blends traditional flavours with contemporary preparation methods. There are 20 seats available at the restaurant, and the cuisine pays tribute to the variety of our nation.
Upon receiving this honour, Chef Himanshu mentions, “We are deeply humbled to receive this extraordinary recognition. To be awarded three Michelin stars is a testament to our team’s unrelenting passion and belief in the power of storytelling through food. Our goal has always been to present Indian cuisine not just as nostalgic but as progressive and worthy of the world’s highest culinary accolades.” And we could not be prouder! Let’s explore Chef Himanshu’s rigorous background, his inspiration for his star-studded restaurant and the impact that it has created!
From Chandni Chowk to Culinary Olympus
Street cuisine, like as chaat, had an impact on Himanshu as he grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk. As Chef Himanshu’s travels progressed, he became acutely aware of how negatively Westerners still viewed Indian cuisine. Many people still associate it with "takeaway" and think it's just about bread and curries. Tresind Studio may be based in Dubai, but its heritage is deeply Indian. Saini learnt what he knows about cooking from the great Manish Mehrotra at Delhi's Indian Accent, where he also received his training. Tresind was founded as a labour of love by Bhupender Nath, a self-made guy from a tiny hamlet in Bihar. Nath became wealthy in the worldwide fisheries sector and supported and encouraged the then-unknown Saini. After starting under the tutelage of Indian Accent's Manish Mehrotra in Delhi, Chef Himanshu is now thought of as one of the younger tastemakers in modern Indian cuisine. The main restaurant, Trèsind Studio, is the result of Chef Himanshu's lifelong goal of improving the public's view of Indian food and the way it is prepared. He owes much of his passion for cooking and eating to the home kitchen experiences he had with his family. An homage to his homeland's culinary heritage and a quest for culinary research, Trèsind Studio has developed through the years.
West Asia’s Culinary Crown Jewel- The Rise of Trèsind Studio
The group's main location is Tresind Studio, while a Mumbai location is also available. Saini had already committed to spending more time at the Mumbai eatery before the third star was revealed. Trèsind Studio's 16-course menu has four dishes from each of the four regions: North, South, East, and West. Cliches like foie gras and caviar are absent. Neither bread nor rice is available. A daring and original food awaits you. One tribute to Keralan cuisine is the meal simply known as Sadhya. Inspired by the kebab's residual juices, the autumn 2024 menu included dishes like kebab and kebab scarpetta. The best part of making kebabs is eating the fat that drips off the pan, and to sop and savour it, one would use a paratha. Trescind take their visitors on a culinary journey to the streets of Delhi with kebabs that are still cooking—the aroma and flavour will take them there. Himanshu asserts that the meal can evoke emotional responses in people. On the dessert menu, you'll find khandvi ice cream, shiso khakra, pandan kadhi, and Parmesan saaru.
A Love Letter to India’s Culinary Soul
The five-star restaurant is well-known for its elaborate menus and imaginatively staged meals, which highlight fresh, seasonal foods with a variety of Indian spices. With an open kitchen, a botanical bar, and a small seating area of twenty seats, this restaurant first opened to the public in 2014. Gastronomes may look forward to a culinary adventure throughout India with Tresind Studio, which has dishes like "Tender coconut kushiyaki, yuzu rasam" from the Deccan Plateau and "Pickled pepper, tangerine flowers, khandvi ice cream" from the Thar Desert.
Michelin’s Verdict: “Boundless Imagination”
This immersive Indian concept showcases Chef Himanshu Saini's boundless imagination and ingenuity, according to the Michelin guide website. The tasting menu features vivid, visually appealing, and flavourful takes on classic Indian meals from throughout the country. Chefs place a great value on Michelin stars since they indicate that the guide is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and uncorruptible. A restaurant is considered excellent if it has one star. It is among the best in the area, earning two stars. Restaurants that are considered to be among the greatest in the world are the only ones granted three stars. Given that chef Himanshu Saini is under the age of 40 and that many predicted that the first Dubai restaurant to get three stars would be one of the several opulent establishments headed by renowned European chefs, the success of Tresind Studio is all the more astounding. Few thought an Indian joint could hold its own against the world's most renowned chains.