Weekend food plan: New menus and restaurant openings

CinCin, Mumbai

One of the city’s Italian dining hotspots, CinCin, has unveiled a menu that borrows from Italy’s popular culinary regions—Naples, Rome, Venice, Piedmont, Turin, and Sorrento. The new menu features vegetarian offerings, given the high demand for these dishes. The appetiser section features Crostini e Zucca (roasted pumpkin crostini with pickled onion and blue cheese); the Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas include Zucca, with roasted pumpkin, pickled onions, capers, and Fior di Latte, and Pepperonata with sautéed bell peppers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and Fior di Latte. Non-vegetarians have a selection of handmade pastas to choose from, like Tajarin al Tartufo (Piedmont) with delicate egg ribbons, truffle butter sauce, king trumpet mushrooms, and shaved black truffle, Agnolotti (Piedmont) filled with meats and aged Grana cheese, and Risotto alla Milanese, saffron-infused Carnaroli rice with pistachio sauce and slow-cooked lamb brain. For a sweet ending, bite into the Cannolo (Sicily), crisp pastry rolls stuffed with ricotta and pistachio cream.

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The Bagh, Amritsar

The innovative premium dining destination in Amritsar has a new drinks and food menu. Their cocktails include Tiki Ambarsar, with rum and citrus, as a tribute to Punjab’s vibrant energy, Mexico x Punjab, a take on a classic Paloma with a Punjabi twist using grapefruit with dhaniya, and Bagh Picante, a spicy libation. The food menu is inspired by Mexican, Italian, and Asian traditions. The salad section has roasted beetroot, kale, and creamy goat cheese salad with honey mustard vinaigrette; the broccoli and asparagus soup is topped with flavourful garlic almond cream and Parmesan foam. There are India-inspired small plates featuring Crispy Lotus Stem Chaat, glazed with honey chilli and topped with yoghurt, tamarind chutney, and pomegranate. Asian flavours seep into dishes such as Mushroom Har Gao (dumplings in a hot chilli oil broth) and Penang Chicken Bao (lemongrass-flavoured chicken with spicy green mango salsa stuffed in a bao). Italian influence is evident in their section on pizzas and pastas. The dessert menu is an eclectic mix—standouts include Saffron Tres Leches and Himalayan Malta & Chocolate.

Akina, Hyderabad

Last week, Mumbai’s contemporary Asian dining destination Akina opened in Hyderabad’s HITEC city in a sprawling 12,000 square feet space. They bring their signature dim sum, nigiri and sushi, cold plates, and robata grills. The most popular dishes include The Akina Spicy Crispy Maki Roll (chilli, tempura flakes, citrus cream cheese, chipotle, cucumber), Flame Roast Asparagus with black garlic, ponzu emulsion, and the Japanese cracker arare. The robata grills include Tiger Prawns in chipotle butter, burnt lemon, coriander, and Singapore Chilli Lobster accompanied by Madras onions and burnt garlic sushi rice.

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