At Janot Bengaluru, Chef Avinash Martins Wanted To Plate His Travels, But Ended Up Serving Our Homes

I’m exhausted…trying to keep up with Bengaluru’s relentless wave of F&B openings. New resto-bars popping up with botanical cocktails, cafes flaunting specialty coffee-matcha menus, progressive vegetarian fine diners… the list is undeniably exciting. Yet what I find myself seeking is a place rooted in honest, purposeful cooking. Food guided by conviction, not trends. Food that leaves me wide-eyed, mentally making note of the people I have to coax—if not outright drag—there. Chef Avinash Martins’ Janot serves as my answered prayer. 

Janot By Avinash Martins: From Goa With Love

 

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Celebrity chef-led restaurants often raise a question: Is it worth the hype? Ranked among India’s top 30 chefs (by Culinary Culture), chef Avinash Martins has hosted cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, former MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan and even British rock band Coldplay at his restaurants in Goa. 

So, when I was invited to Janot—Chef Avinash Martins’ first expansion of his much-loved Panjim restaurant, my anticipation was initially marinated in curiosity and a hint of scepticism. 

On the 5th floor of 1MG-Lido Mall sits Janot, spread across 5,500 sq feet. The neighbourhood restaurant, overlooking the Ulsoor Lake, is designed to accommodate 70 guests. Inspired by the chef’s travels across India, Janot follows a cuisine-agnostic and ingredient-first approach in its food and beverage menus.

In a plush, elegant high-altitude setting of velvet pink sofas, chandeliers, and a floor-to-ceiling bar, gleaming in gold, I tucked into a welcome Bread Basket that came with Pao de Queso, Katre Pao, and crisp Lavash. 

Accompanied by umami dips — smoky Dungar Eggplant and Kalchi Kodi or “yesterday’s curry” which, chef Avinash explained, has long been a fixture in Goan households before refrigerators became commonplace. 

Hot, freshly baked breads paired with two distinctly bold-flavoured dips were a fine start to a meal, gesturing generous Goan hospitality. 

After reaching out for spoonfuls of the eggplant dip (that reminded me of baingan bharta), the kitchen sent a stream of small plates, of which Malai Ki Raab (corn juice chawanmushi with corn chiwda) had mellow, comforting notes. 

Also Read: CT Review: At Bengaluru’s Nenapu, I Finally Found Croissants As Good As The Ones In Paris 

Small Plates Evoking Emotions

Next, sitting upright on a wooden block were mini black tacos, or so I assumed. At first bite, I knew Chef Avinash had me playfully deceived, for it was Palappam. What looked like tacos, to me, was elevated appam and stew! The pillowy black mini appams cradling the coconut-y tofu-veggie Koottu was a deliciously amusing “Kerala meets Mexico situation.”

From the beverage programme, I ordered Peace Frog, which artfully combined vodka with tart jamun fruit and green apple. The drink was clean, bright and beautifully complemented the small plates. 

Janot also paid homage to the city’s egg puffs with Bengaluru Motte Puff Parsel. Flaky filo crumbs coated the corners of my mouth as I sank my teeth into the soft-boiled egg wrapped in fiery Kharada spices. Classic done right! 

Browsing through the tasting menu, the galaouti paglu in me awaited the Udaipuri Laal Maas Galouti. The kebabs sat atop crisp khooba rotis. Melt-in-the-mouth, highly addictive, I’d gorged on one of Bengaluru’s best galaouti kebabs. (I still regret not reaching out for seconds!)

Janot’s small plates confidently push the envelope of traditional Indian cooking. But at its core, it’s nostalgia served on a plate.

Every dish stirred a memory within me. 

The egg parsel reminded me of jostling through crowds at an iconic Frazer Town bakery, while the palappam took me back to a humble shack in Wayanad, when I lapped up piping hot appam-stew after a long day of sightseeing.

Chef Avinash Martins set out to present his travels through India on a plate. Instead, he has served up something even more profound—our homes on a plate. 

Mains Serving Indian Homes On A Plate

The stream of small plates (with big flavours) was followed by mains— Murgir Daak Bangla, Gnocchi Juri Bhaja and Adsorache Sungta (Prawns who drank feni). 

Murgir Daak Bangla was a masterful representation of a Bengali classic with a chicken roulade twist. Soft, succulent chicken pieces were stuffed with spinach and served on a pool of kejur chutney with a fried potato gnocchi on the side. 

But it was the Adsorache Sungta that felt like a reward, for I couldn’t leave Janot without tucking into a deeply rooted seafood curry. Feni-marinated prawns slow-cooked in a coconut shell was served alongside a claypot of red rice. 

Teeming with flavours, the prawn curry was unctuous, spicy, sour and slightly sweet. A curry that looks deceptively simple but is complex in flavours. I’d be lying if I wasn’t scooping it like soup. That’s what some of the most memorable curries do to you. They never require a side! 

Also Read: CT Exclusive: Avani Sharma On Championing Karada Cuisine, MasterChef India Elimination & More

Desserts That Linger

For desserts, Chef Avinash left me gaping when he cheekily presented Mysore Pak Sable. An audacious culinary invention by a chef who wondered what Serradura and Mysore Pak together would taste like.

The result was a bowl of crumbly Mysore Pak, topped with zesty kazi lime curd, a dollop of berry compote and crowned with sesame brittle. The Mysore Pak Sable had me musing, “It’s not bad…So, is it good?” My palate was confused, so as a reflex, I stuffed my mouth with another spoon. By the time I tried decoding the flavours, I had already mopped it clean. 

To ensure chocoholics like me are represented on the dessert menu, there was Dark Chocolate Orange Marquise: a luscious, velvety block of dark chocolate, berry sauce, orange-flavoured leaf tuile, and vanilla ice cream. It was rich, bittersweet and a fitting finale to a superb meal. 

At the end, it dawned upon me that there wasn’t a single dish or drink that I could fault. This seldom happens. 

A good meal tastes good. A great meal goes beyond. It evokes emotions in you. That’s what chef Avinash Martins attempts and even succeeds at Janot—  rooted in familial love, his passion for travel and respect for India’s culinary heritage. 

Where: 5th floor, 1MG Lido Mall
When: 12 pm to 11:30 pm
Cost: ₹2,500 for two approx. (without alcohol)

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