It`s a few hours before service, and the kitchen is abuzz. The world’s first Indian cuisine vegetarian restaurant to have been awarded a Michelin star, Dubai’s Avatara is doing a showcase at Pune’s Conrad Hotel, with a 15-course pop-up meal. The event was crafted by Conosh, a Bengaluru-based platform that curates unique dining experiences with international chefs. “The team from Conosh approached us to host this pop-up in Pune in April, even before we won the star. The Michelin win happened in May,” reveals Rahul Rana, Avatara’s executive chef. The restaurant is part of the Passion F&B group, the parent company to Trèsind (Mumbai and Dubai) and Trèsind Studio in Dubai, among other restaurants.

Avatara’s specials are a tribute to India’s diversity. The amuse-bouche is a combination of makhan malai (freshly churned butter) with popping mishri (rock sugar), saffron and panchamrita, inspired by the food that’s offered to the gods. There’s panasa, a jackfruit momo with sea buckthorn thukpa and black rice papad that celebrates Northeastern India; karuvelvilas is a delightful ghee roast karela with a mango sambar gelato and dosai crisp from South India; dalika, a horse gram curry with ragi bhatura and jakhiya aloo, is a hat tip to the chef’s home state — Uttarakhand. Gujarat finds representation in a unique version of jalebi-fafda, butternut dhokla and khandvi ice cream. There’s also a modern take on the humble khichdi.