Baar Baar (Los Angeles, CA)

Baar Baar Restaurant
705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-266-8989‬‬
www.baarbaarla.com
Fri 06/21/2024, 08:15p-11:20p





A recent dinner with friends brought me to Downtown's Baar Baar, a modern Indian spot that grand-opened at the start of May last year. Named after a Hindi term meaning "again and again" (बार बार), the restaurant is actually a sister establishment to the original Baar Baar in New York. The place was launched by Chef Sujan Sarkar, in partnership with Trishna Sharma and Khushal Vira, and had been on my "to-try" list ever since it debuted, so I was eager to see what it was all about.

About the Chef: Sarkar was born to a Bengali household and raised in Kalyani, not too far from West Bengal's capital of Kolkata. His father worked in farming, which help instill a respect for local produce in his son, though Sarkar was more interested in art as a youngster. He actually wanted to become a fashion designer, and attempt to go to the National Institute of Fashion Technology and the National Institute of Design following high school. He eventually enrolled at the Institute of Hotel Management in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, achieving a bachelor's degree in hospitality administration and culinary arts.

After graduating in 2003, Sarkar landed a job at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, which had just opened, but moved to the United Kingdom in 2004, where he started out working for Hilton. He also spent time at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in London, trained with Peter Tempelhoff at Automat (an American-style brasserie in Mayfair), and cooked at Galvin at Windows at the London Hilton on Park Lane, under Head Chef André Garrett and Chef Patron Chris Galvin. In 2008, Sarkar was named top toque at Automat, and the following year, helped launch the adjacent Almada, a members-only affair popular with the celebrity set.

From there, he worked with the guys over at Temple & Shian Events (during which time he dabbled heavily in molecular gastronomy) and developed the food program at Whistling Shop, a cocktail bar that'd opened in 2010. Further stops included Freemasons at Wiswell and Nuno Mendes' Viajante, while the Chef's last post in the UK prior to returning to India in late 2013 was at Cipriani in London.

By December of that year, Sarkar had taken over the stoves at Olive Bar & Kitchen, with locations in both Mumbai and New Delhi (a.k.a. Olive Qutub). He stayed for three years, during which time he also instituted a modernist side project called The Tasting Lab, held at Olive Qutub's GreenHouse on the Ridge (an experimental restaurant-within-a-restaurant). The Chef also went to Dubai to assist in pre-opening activities for Trèsind at the One&Only Royal Mirage resort, which bowed in late 2014, then co-founded New Delhi's Ek Bar the following September. After his time at Olive, Sarkar was planning to return to England, but an opportunity soon presented itself in the US.

He thus came to San Francisco and partnered with Vikram Bhambri and Anu Bhambri to form a company called Good Times Restaurants. Together, they debuted ROOH, a progressive Indian eatery, in February 2017. Its success resulted in further locations in New Delhi (April 2019), Chicago (May 2019, though they're no longer involved), Columbus (November 2019), and Palo Alto (January 2020). They also created the original East Village location of Baar Baar, which opened in November 2017 and also popped up at Khan Market in New Delhi in October 2018 (it ran until the following June).

All this was followed by Indienne in Chicago in September 2022, Sarkar's most celebrated restaurant thus far, one that earned a coveted Michelin star in November 2023. The LA outpost of Baar Baar, meanwhile, dropped on May 2nd, 2023, and in early May 2024, the Chef opened Tiya in San Francisco in concert with brother Pujan Sarkar (ex-CdC at ROOH). Sarkar has also been involved with the likes of Feringhee in Arizona (June 2022), Sifr in Chicago (June 2023), Gulaabo in NYC (August 2023), and Swadesi coffee shop in Chicago (March 2024). Finally, in April this year, he was awarded "Best Chef: Great Lakes" finalist status by James Beard for his work at Indienne.


Baar Baar is situated on the ground floor of DTLA's Watermarke Tower, in the former home of Faith & Flower, which shuttered in mid-2021. The same general layout from the F&F days remains, though the aesthetic has certainly been updated accordingly.


Here we see Baar Baar's "New Indian" menu, which draws from various regional traditions, adjusted to fit Sarkar's more modern approach to the cuisine of subcontinent. Click for larger versions.


Pictured above is the cocktail list, comprised of barman Chetan Gangan's (a longtime collaborator from the Ek Bar days) Indian-ish twists on classics, each named after a Bollywood movie. We weren't presented with a wine list, though do note that corkage is allowed at a cost of $35 a bottle, limit two. Click for larger versions.


Cauliflower 65 [$16.00] | Carrot PACHADI, Peanut THECHA, Pickled Kumquat
Our meal got started with Sarkar's Gobi 65, which featured satisfyingly-textured cauliflower florets spiked with familiar, easy-going spices, with a noticeable sweetness undergirding the entire dish.


Green Pea Kulcha [$18.00] | Goat Cheese & Summer Truffle
I was curious about the kulcha, and the bread did indeed do a commendable job conveying the muskiness of those truffles, though I would've liked to have tasted more from the peas.


Anarkali [$18.00] | Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, Darjeeling tea, and cardamom
We made our way through the entire cocktail list, and kicking things off was this Negroni variation. The drink had the bittersweet notes I was expecting, but backed by a welcomed spicy complexity from the tea and cardamom combo.


Avocado Bhel [$18.00] | Edamame & Green Chickpea Hummus, Radish, Puffed Black Rice
This unconventional take on bhel was a surprise standout for me. I was a big fan of the bright, fresh flavors here, as well as the texture on those chickpeas, though my favorite thing might've been the nutty, crunchy accent offered up by the puffed rice.


Kashmiri Duck (Birria) Taco [$22.00] | Cilantro, Red Onion, Cheddar
These decidedly unauthentic Indian tacos were another favorite. I loved the deep, mouthwatering spicing on those tender shreds of duck, as well as the sear on the tortillas, all while the birria jus on the side amped up the potency of the dish even further. A delicious nod to Baar Baar's location in SoCal.


Hera Pheri [$18.00] | Mezcal, orange liqueur, spicy guava chutney, and pink salt
Our second cocktail was this thoroughly reworked Bloody Mary, a spicy, smoky concoction softened just enough by the fruitiness of guava.


Dahi Puri [$14.00] | Tamarind, Mango, Yogurt Mousse, Raspberry CHAT MASALA
A light yoghurt mousse did a great job playing foil to the sweetness of raspberry, though my quibble here is that I wanted more crunch on those golgappa shells.


Tuna Bhel [$19.00] | Passion Fruit RASSAM, Avocado, KAPPA Chips
Essentially an Indian tuna tartare, this next dish ate fresh and tangy, with a sweetness to the fish that went along well with its inherent umami character, all while the tapioca slices proffered some textural variation.


Sholay [$17.00] | Curry leaf-infused rum, Malibu, pineapple, and vanilla liqueur
A riff on the iconic piña colada, this cocktail was on the softer, sweeter side, with loads of coconut all over the place, overarched by hints of vanilla.


Kerala Fried Chicken [$18.00] | Chili Aioli, Baby Radish, CURRY LEAF
Sarkar's version of kozhi porichathu arrived tender, juicy, and beautifully spiced. The chicken was tasty alone, but was even better when swiped through that zippy aioli.


Lamb Keema Hyderabadi [$22.00] | Potato Mousse, Green Peas, Masala PAO
A serving of ground lamb was delectably spiced, pairing like clockwork with that pau bread and its soft, slightly sweet insides and toasty crust.


Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge [$17.00] | Tequila, tamarind, aged balsamic, blackberry syrup, and soda
For our next cocktail, a rejiggered tequila sunrise did a nice job harmonizing the sweet-n-sour flavors of tamarind, balsamic, and blackberry, setting those elements against the boozy, grassy, earthy nature of tequila.


Chicken Malai Tikka [$21.00] | AMUL Cheese Fondue, Walnut KHURCHAN, Crispy Garlic
Another highlight was Baar Baar's variant of murgh malai. The bird was spot-on texturally, and I really enjoyed how the sheer creaminess of the dish interacted with the zingy, herbaceous elements here.


Baar Baar Butter Chicken [$34.00] | Red Pepper MAKHANI, Fenugreek
Naturally, we were all curious about the murgh makhani, which turned out to be a silky-smooth rendition that played it pretty by the book, with all your classic flavors deftly perked up by the zippiness of fenugreek.


Mera Naam Joker [$19.00] | Ghee-washed bourbon, Angostura bitters, and saffron syrup
An old fashioned variation, this was, unsurprisingly, the booziest cocktail of the bunch. It demonstrated some rather apparent brown sugar notes, but countered by the prickly spice of saffron.


Fava & Corn Kofta [$30.00] | Spinach & Swiss Chard, Lotus Root Crisp
Corn and fava fritters came out coarsely-textured and mildly-spiced, and were set in a bitter, vegetal sauce reminiscent of what you might get in a saag paneer.




Jackfruit Dum Biryani [$32.00] | Caramelised Onion, Mint, Raita
A dum pukht-style biryani was a must-try for me, and delivered with its sharp, pungent spicing, tempered a tad by the included raita. The consistency of the rice itself was on point, and I also liked the crispness of that parda. I didn't really miss the meat, either.


Lagaan [$18.00] | Gin, honeydew melon, kale, Midori, and egg white
This gin sour-inspired cocktail featured a healthy dosing of melon-fueled sweetness, kept in check by the combo of citrus, gin botanicals, and egg whites.


Tandoori Roti [$6.00]
Roti arrived somewhat buttery, with a nice smidge of smokiness to boot.


Lamb Shank Roast [$46.00] | NIHARI Gravy, Fresh Ginger, Mint, Cilantro, Rose
The lamb shank came out flavorful and falling-apart tender, with a pepperiness that was key. I got a nice bit of brightness from that greenery, too.


Slumdog Millionaire [$19.00] | Raw turmeric-infused gin, passion fruit, green Chartreuse, and tonic
A gin and tonic variant was positively teeming with the tropical flavors of passionfruit, so the herbaceousness of Chartreuse was crucial for balance in the cocktail.


Naan (Garlic) [$6.00]
The naan was one of the better preparations I've had in a while, with a great "fluffiness" and just the right amount of garlic.


Beef Short Ribs [$36.00] | MADRAS Curry, Marrow KURCHAN, Baby Veg
In our final savory dish, tender, flossy chunks of beef were set in a sweetly-spiced curry sauce, one that did a pretty good job complementing the dark-toned flavors of the meat without getting in the way.


Munna Bhai MBBS [$18.00] | Blended whiskey, mango murabba, ginger, and Laphroaig 10
The evening's penultimate cocktail brought this twist on the Penicillin, which had this licorice-like quality that I didn't mind, along with plenty of ginger.


Here we see Baar Baar's selection of desserts and after-dinner beverages. Click for a larger version.


Kerala Achappam [$16.00] | Coconut Panna Cotta, Fresh Coconut Mousse, Crispy Rosetta, Roasted Coconut Sorbet
In our first dessert, the signature sweetness of coconut was presented in multiple forms, all offset by that crunchy achappam.


RRR [$19.00] | Old Monk rum, crème de cacao, chocolate, coffee bitters, and milk wash
The night's final cocktail was an adaptation of a milk punch, one that was quite fitting for dessert duty thanks to its flavors of dusty chocolate commixed with mint.


Dark Chocolate Fondant [$15.00] | Baked Chocolate Fondant, Raspberry Sorbet, Caramelized Honey Comb
A properly rich chocolate cake certainly made sense when juxtaposed against the jamminess of that berry sorbet, with the honeycomb toffee offering up some textural contrast.


Carrot Halwa Opera [$15.00] | Mascarpone Rabdi, Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream
This last dessert paired the sweetness of carrot with creamy mascarpone and the subdued spiciness of cardamom.


Prana [$7.00] | Meghalaya green tea, pale green whole leaves
I enjoyed some postprandial tea, with this particular varietal presenting itself as both fruity and quite "green." I also sampled the Pashmina oolong, a more potent, "rounder" tea with a more of a woodsy depth.


We were provided a sample of the Filter Coffee Ice Cream to try, given that we'd already had all the other ice creams/sorbets on offer.


And strangely enough, a complimentary bottle of La Marca Prosecco appeared at our table at the conclusion of the meal. I think that the staff was impressed by how much we ordered and ate (there were no leftovers).

We had a good time at Baar Baar, and appreciated Sarkar's vision for contemporary, multiregional Indian cooking, which is rather unlike anything else I've seen around these parts. In addition, I had no issues with the service, and the cocktails were surprisingly competent as well. However, there were times where I felt that the Chef was holding back a bit, so I'd like to see him go bolder, more assertive when it makes sense. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my experience here, and I have a feeling that this place will become one of my go-to spots in South Park.