A Michelin-Starred Indian Restaurant From London Opens Its First U.S. Location at the Aria | Eater Vegas
"Inside Aria Resort and Casino, London’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant opens its first U.S. location in an opulent, 175-seat setting of richly colored rooms—an ideal backdrop for chef Srikant Kumar’s traditional dishes that, for the first time for the brand, include beef, like a beef short rib pepper fry in coconut and South Indian spices. The menu leans North Indian while drawing from the South and West, organized into appetizers, kebabs and tikkas, curries and biryanis, and stewy sabzi: tamarind- and mint-chutney fried chicken, wagyu keema naan, duck egg and lobster spiced rice, four types of pappadum with three chutneys, yogurt-marinated lasooni wild tiger prawns, and butter chicken slow-cooked for hours with milk solids, fenugreek, and charred chicken in masala for deeper flavor. Heartier plates include slow-braised pork cheek vindaloo with onions, chili, cloves, and palm vinegar, and venison biryani dressed with pomegranate and mint raita, while the sabzi section stays classic with vegetable dishes like chickpea masala; a $165 tasting menu is available. Drinks range from tableside cocktail punch service and a chutney-inspired spicy mezcal margarita to the Pina Col-Lassi (Mount Gay Eclipse rum, Foursquare Probitas rum, clarified coconut and pineapple puree), plus reserve cocktails from $60 up to the $400 Boss Hogg Old Fashioned with WhistlePig The Boss Hog XI rye, gomme simple syrup, bitters, and orange oil, alongside non-alcoholic options like classic mango lassi and salted lemon nimbu pani lemonade. U.K.-based design studio North End reworked the former Julian Serrano Tapas space with bold forest green double doors, a mirror-flanked foyer, chili-hued ceilings, floral mirrors, a bar and lounge, and paisley carpet with hints of teal, and created the 58-seat Vault—part of the main dining room that can be made private—plus the intimate five-seat 42 Bar. Open Sunday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; reservations are via SevenRooms or the ARIA Concierge at (702) 590-9520." - Mona Holmes