India had its first exclusive top end Vietnamese restaurant about five years ago, when Bangalore’s Taj West End opened Blue Ginger. About five years hence, the restaurant has found its second home in Delhi’s Taj Palace, where it opens on October 4. “We wanted to move away from the Chinese, and offer something novel,” says Executive Chef Rajesh Wadhwa. A note of caution. For clients expecting a continuum may be in for a shock, for this one is decidedly modern in cuisine and décor. There is no tiled pavilion, nor do frangipanis and waterfalls make their appearance. The 62-cover restaurant is in part of the space formerly occupied by the Tea House of August Moon, which had 150 covers. The rest of the space is taken up Palace’s first bar, Blue.

Spend a moment over the interiors. The design, done by Ed Poole of Singapore-based Poole Associates, has the French-Colonial touch. The furniture—Bespoke ‘Drouant’ Dining chairs reproduced from the 1920 Ruhlmann originals—catch your attention. The ceiling has cast bronze panels in the shape of snail motifs that appear as Buddha’s hair. Thousands of hands cut mirrors line the rear wall, fracturing the light from chandeliers. Artist Gagan Vij’s cast bronze sculpture of 56 fish adorns the wall in the main dining room. Arguably the most important striking element are the electric blue (they are of different color during the day) fibre optic chandeliers that represent rain ‘frozen in time’. The seating is divided into a 12-seater PDR (private dining room), which has a spectacular mother-of-pearl inlayed dining table topped by a beaded chandelier, four booths are raised on a platform and the tables inlayed with mother-of-pearl, and set on bronze legs.

The dishes on the menu are a contemporary take on the cuisine. “There is a set menu to help those unacquitainted too,” informs Sous Chef Gaurav Tandon. The food, designed by the group’s legendary head chef, Hemant Oberoi, is exotic but inviting, rich in fresh flavors .

Nuoc mam, an expensive, light-colored, first-drained salty fish sauce, that is used in most Vietnamese recipes, is essential to the cuisine. It is reserved primarily for table use. The less expensive nuoc mam is used in cooking. Dishes that have made Vietnamese cuisine popular globally include the goi cuon (summer/spring rolls), pho, bánh mì (bread rolls) and bún. The most popular condiment is nuoc cham (dipping sauce), which is as common in Vietnam as ketchup.

Vietnam has been on the crossroads of world trade for centuries and the influences on its modern cuisine are unmistakable. The Chinese taught the Vietnamese cooking techniques such as stir frying and deep frying, as well as the use of chopsticks. In the south, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand introduced ingredients such as Cambodian style egg noodles, spices, chili, and coconut milk. From the 16th century, explorers and traders introduced foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, and snow peas. The French, who ruled Vietnam for a century, introduced foods such as baguettes — seen at almost all meals now. Modern Vietnamese cuisine is divided into three cultural regions, each with a distinct culinary tradition.