New Delhi: Chef Kunal Kapur is bringing Saudi flavours to Delhi NCR with The Saudi Table at Gurugram’s One8 Commune. The pop-up, which is on for a whole week till 18 December, also features his three favourites.
“I like Kunafa because I have a sweet tooth. And, then fresh flatbreads of course, I am a sucker for carbs,” the chef told ThePrint
The next in line for him was Kabsa. Kabsa is a flavorful mixed rice platter cooked with meat, chicken or lamb, and a blend of Middle Eastern spices such as black lime, cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron. Kabsa is garnished with nuts and raisins and served as a celebratory meal.
Kapur has never been to Saudi Arabia. But his top restaurants to relish Saudi dishes are Souk by Cafe Arabia in Mumbai, the Saudi Embassy in New Delhi and One8 Commune in Gurugram.
The year 2025 was “experiential” for Kapur. He travelled extensively, dined at new restaurants, but grew closer to regional food. And some dishes definitely stayed with him. He lists his top five picks.
“It has to open with Bamboo and chilli pickle from Meghalaya, it has a nice fermented flavour to it, and it has a lot of mustard to it,” Kapur said.
Second, he picked Bafla Bati from Rajasthan. Bafla is the hard wheat dough ball that is first boiled in spiced water and then baked or fried until it becomes golden and crisp. They are served soaked in spiced lentil soup with a dollop of ghee, chutney, and sometimes churma. It’s a softer, often boiled version of the famous Baati.
Kapur’s list wouldn’t have been complete without a biryani. And, his pick was the Thalassery biryani and date chutney, from the Malabar region of Kerala.
Desserts completed Kapur’s ‘Top five’.
“I love a chocolate mousse, now you might wonder what’s so extraordinary about a chocolate mousse. But the chocolate was of Indian origin; it was from Kerala. Hence, the chocolate mousse. I also love Goan chocolates,” he said.
Also read: Chef Kunal Kapur brings Saudi flavours to India. ‘It’s a lot like Bihari cuisine’
Pincode leads
When it comes to picking the five top restaurants of 2025, Kapur puts his own baby, Pincode, right at the top.
“Second would be Oju, the Japanese restaurant and Koka,” the chef said. Both restaurants opened in Gurugram earlier this year. Oju is owned by filmmaker Karan Johar, whereas Koka is cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s new venture.
Kapur’s list finishes with Delhi’s Dum-Pukht House and Al Kauser.
But whenever he is in his hometown, there is one place that overtakes every restaurant, including his own.
“Meri mummy ke hath ka khana (my mother’s food). Nothing beats that, does it?” the chef said.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)