Embark on a culinary voyage to coastal India at NILA restaurant. Here, rich Indian coastal gastronomy melds with Portuguese influences, creating a symphony of flavors that is sure to impress the modern palate. 

OVERVIEW
Every dish, rooted in the traditions of the Indian coastline, is a story of the region's diverse heritage re-told in a venue designed as a merchant's Goan home - where spices, artifacts, and authentic cultural experiences are settled. “NILA” derives its name from the Malayalam word for the color blue, symbolizing the azure waters that line India’s picturesque coast. The vibrant colors and architectural brilliance create a warm ambiance, presenting a Goan home that hosts the lived experience of an Indian merchant from the 1900s. Welcome to a Goan homecoming - a journey through time, tastes, and tales, led by Executive Chef Bharath S. Bhat, the first Indian to win Iron Chef Thailand.

AMBIENCE
NILA restaurant impresses with its uniquely vibrant and warm ambiance from the entrance, which is in direct view of its unique stained glass bar area. The stained glass is inspired by the traditional Portuguese Catholic church designs as seen in Goa. The complex patterns of NILA's tapestry present a modern interpretation of Indian patterns, infused with a Goan tone. As guests pass the bar and proceed through the corridor that connects with the main dining area, a private dining room, heavily adorned by intricate decorations, sits ready to be a novel area for a celebration or a business lunch place. Entering the main dining area opens up a world of rich storytelling, while the gastronomic artistry of the highest level is exposed through an open kitchen view, where Executive Chef Bharath S. Bhat is viewed as leading his team of expert chefs, setting the pace of the night. Observe the artifacts and textures adorning the walls - the merchant's Goan home reveals a legacy rooted in history; let the spices carry you away into the dreamscape of faraway lands - it's a Goan homecoming.

MUST-TRY
Meen Pollichatu

FOOD
NILA is the essence of Indian coastal cuisine with Portuguese influences, filled with culinary staples, re-imagined through the visionary lens of Executive Chef Bharath S. Bhat. It features showstoppers, such as Peri Peri Jheenga, Lobster Ghee Roast, Kosha Mangsho, and Meen Pollichatu, all delivered with a unique presentation set in a unique vibrancy and warmth of NILA. Each dish on the menu presents a journey that begins from eastern India, traveling to the South, and then making our way to the West. From West Bengal to Orissa, then to Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and some parts of Gujarat - NILA has dishes from all these regions.

Vegan options delight, with food from the southern region, as well as Kolkata, with the Mochar chop served with tomato chutney as an example. As for signature dishes, the Chef is proud to present the Lobster ghee roast, a dish from his childhood. The origin of ghee roast comes from the neighboring town of Kundapura, where he used to live. At NILA, the dish is served with the Chef's twist by replacing the original chicken dish with lobster.

PRICING
THB 1,100++

ABOUT CHEF
From completing his Bachelor’s degree in hotel management in Mangalore back in 2003 to diving into the deep end of his international culinary journey in 2005, Chef Bharath Shridhar Bhat, Executive Chef at NILA, is no stranger to the local culinary scene. He’s come a long way from being a chef de partie in Dubai to embarking on a coastal cuisine voyage with NILA restaurant at Amari Bangkok. 

In 2015, after returning to India for a short stint, Chef Bharath, as he’s fondly known amongst the Bangkokian crowd, took the helm of Punjab Grill Bangkok for the past eight fruitful years. As an executive chef, he led the restaurant through a transformative period, elevating its Indian cuisine with a commanding presence in the kitchen and innovative ways to cook, prepare, and plate classical North Indian dishes. Today, the next step in Chef Bharath's, as he's fondly known in Bangkok, evolution as a chef features Indian coastal gastronomy with Portuguese influences. The first Indian citizen to become the esteemed winner of Thailand’s Iron Chef one-on-one battle chef competition, the chef carries over his remarkable legacy and amazing achievements to lead NILA at Amari Bangkok.