There are dinners you enjoy, and then there are dinners you remember for years. The kind where you sit back after the final course and just stare at your empty plate for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened to you. That is exactly the sort of evening Chef Javier Rodríguez of El Papagayo, Córdoba, has brought to India, in a collaboration with All Things Nice and Roseate House, New Delhi. Seven courses, wines from across the world curated by Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, and a cooking philosophy so deeply rooted in Latin America yet so globally fluent that it feels like nothing you've encountered in India before. If you missed it in Delhi, you owe it to yourself to find the next opportunity.
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The Man Behind The Menu
Before we get to the food, let's talk about who made it. Chef Javier Rodríguez is not a casual name-drop. Recognised among the 100 Best Chefs in the World, Rodriguez has also been honoured by The Best Chef Awards with the Two Knives – World Class distinction for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2025, an award that celebrates chefs who demonstrate exceptional creativity, technique, and influence within the global culinary community.
Through his restaurant El Papagayo in Córdoba, he has helped redefine the region's culinary identity by combining creativity, precision, and a deep respect for local ingredients, earning international acclaim and a place in the prestigious Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.
El Papagayo, located in a narrow repurposed alley in Córdoba, focuses on 12-course tasting menus crafted from local ingredients, with the wine equally renowned, derived from Argentine terroir techniques. What Rodríguez brought to Delhi was a specially designed seven-course version of that experience, adapted for India, but faithful to his philosophy: contemporary interpretations of Latin American cuisine that honour produce, surprise the palate, and refuse to be predictable.
Beyond the kitchen, Rodriguez has emerged as a leading gastronomic entrepreneur, helping elevate Córdoba's restaurant scene while placing the city firmly on the international culinary map. To have him cooking in Delhi is, in that sense, a genuine event.
Before The Courses Begin: Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco DOC NV, Veneto, Italy
The evening opened with Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco from Veneto, Italy, and it was the perfect mood-setter. Straw yellow in colour with fine, lively perlage, this Prosecco has a fresh and aromatic nose with notes of green apple, pear, and citrus, complemented by delicate floral hints of acacia and wisteria. On the palate, it is light, clean, and crisp, with bright acidity and a gentle fruit sweetness, finishing with good persistence.
It is not a wine that shouts; it whispers elegantly. Paired with the anticipation of what was to come, it worked beautifully as a palate cleanser and a conversation starter, the kind of glass that relaxes your shoulders before the serious business of a long tasting menu begins.
First Course: Fig, Coffee Emulsion, South Atlantic Anchovies
Paired with: Moulin de Gassac Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Languedoc, France
The non-vegetarian opener arrived as a study in controlled restraint. Fig with coffee emulsion and South Atlantic anchovies sounds like a combination that might give you pause, but that is precisely the point. The sweetness of the fig, the roasted bitterness of the coffee emulsion, and the saline, umami punch of the anchovies created a triangular tension that was genuinely exciting. Nothing overwhelmed the other. It was the kind of first bite that immediately tells you this chef knows exactly what he is doing.
The Moulin de Gassac Sauvignon Blanc 2023 from Languedoc was the right call here. Straw coloured with green reflections, it has a fresh and aromatic nose with notes of citrus, green apple, and gooseberry, complemented by light herbal nuances. Crisp and lively on the palate with bright acidity and a clean, refreshing finish, it cut through the anchovy's richness while letting the fig's sweetness linger. A pairing that felt considered rather than convenient.
Second Course: Black Truffle Croquette, Goat Cheese, Roasted Pepper Marmalade
Paired with: Alta Vista Vive Chardonnay 2023, Mendoza, Argentina
The second course was where Rodríguez began to show his hand more fully. A black truffle croquette with goat cheese and roasted pepper marmalade is a dish that feels simultaneously European in its technique and Latin American in its sensibility: indulgent but not heavy, familiar but surprising. The croquette had that ideal shell-to-filling ratio, with the truffle perfuming every bite while the goat cheese added a pleasant tang, and the pepper marmalade introduced a gentle smokiness that tied it all together.
The Alta Vista Vive Chardonnay 2023 from Mendoza was a confident Argentine choice to pair here. Yellow with golden highlights, it has an expressive nose with aromas of ripe tropical fruits, including pineapple and mango, along with notes of citrus and a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied with balanced acidity, a smooth texture, and a rounded, fruit-forward finish, it complemented the richness of the truffle without competing with the delicate goat cheese. This course was among the evening's most crowd-pleasing moments.
Third Course: Yellow Gazpacho, Roasted Tomato, Tuna Crudo, Smoked Pistachio
Paired with: Ricasoli Albia Toscana Rosa 2022, Tuscany, Italy
This is where the meal stepped into genuinely adventurous territory. A yellow gazpacho base, poured tableside or plated with architectural precision, served as the canvas for roasted tomato, tuna crudo, and smoked pistachio. The gazpacho was delicate and aromatic, the roasted tomato added depth, the raw tuna was silky and clean, and the smoked pistachio brought a nutty, earthy note that grounded the entire bowl. It was summer, and smoke in the same spoonful.
Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal's choice of the Ricasoli Albia Toscana Rosa 2022 from Tuscany was inspired. Salmon pink in colour, this rosé has a delicate and fresh nose with aromas of wild strawberries, red cherries, and floral notes. Light to medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, a crisp texture, and a clean finish, it matched the tuna crudo's freshness beautifully while its fruit character played off the roasted tomato with genuine elegance. The kind of pairing that makes you understand why someone chose to become a sommelier.
Fourth Course: Black Cod, Rocket, Grana Padano, Charred Eggplant Purée, Fermented Lemon
Paired with: Château Lacoste Garzac 2021, Bordeaux, France
The fish course was, for many at the table, the highlight of the evening. Black cod is a chef's fish, forgiving enough to cook beautifully but rich enough to carry bold accompaniments. Here it arrived with rocket for bitterness, Grana Padano for umami depth, a charred eggplant purée that was smoky and velvety, and fermented lemon that cut through the fat with a bright, acidic finish. Each element on that plate earned its place. Nothing was decorative.
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The Château Lacoste Garzac 2021 from Bordeaux was the most unexpected and possibly the most brilliant pairing of the night. Deeply ruby in colour, the nose is expressive and layered with aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry, and plum, complemented by subtle notes of spice and gentle earthy undertones. The wine is well-structured and harmonious with refined tannins, balanced acidity, and a smooth, persistent finish. Pairing a red Bordeaux with fish is a deliberate provocation, but the charred eggplant and the fermented lemon's acidity created just enough structural alignment to make it sing. Rodríguez and Agarwal clearly planned this together.
Fifth Course: Ember Cooked Tortillas, Herbed Butter
Paired with: Bodegas Salentein Portillo Malbec 2024, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
A palate moment and a statement of identity rolled into one. Ember cooked tortillas with herbed butter, which sounds simple, and that is entirely the point. After the complexity of the previous courses, this was Rodríguez saying: here is where I come from. The tortillas carried that particular smokiness that only open flame can give them, and the herbed butter was lush and fragrant. It is the kind of dish that makes you want to close your eyes.
The Bodegas Salentein Portillo Malbec 2024 from Uco Valley, Mendoza, was an unambiguous statement of Argentine pride. Garnet in colour with intense aromas of ripe blackberry, raspberry, and plum, with notes of pepper, spice, and a touch of vanilla. Full-bodied with rich, jammy fruit flavours supported by moderate acidity and supple tannins, with a warm, persistent finish. The smoky tortilla and the fruit-forward Malbec were a natural pairing, two things from the same soil making sense of each other.
Sixth Course: Braised Lamb Shank, Fennel and Orange Salad, Almond Cream, 10 Years Old Chimichurri
Paired with: Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro 2022, South Australia
If the black cod was the structural peak of the evening, the braised lamb shank was its emotional one. This is a dish that carries Rodríguez's Córdoba DNA in every bite. The lamb was braised to that point where it offers no resistance at all, the fennel and orange salad cutting through the richness with brightness and crunch, the almond cream adding a smooth, nutty backdrop, and then the 10 Years Old Chimichurri, which deserves a paragraph of its own.
Chimichurri aged for a decade is not a condiment. It is a relic. It has lost the raw aggression of fresh chimichurri and taken on a deep, rounded, complex character that felt almost wine-like itself. A few drops on the lamb elevated the entire plate. This is the kind of detail that separates a cook from a chef.
The Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro 2022 from South Australia was a bold finish to the savoury courses. Deep ruby with purple hues, the aromatic nose carries notes of dark berries, plum, and black pepper, with spicy undertones. Medium to full-bodied with firm yet approachable tannins, balanced acidity, and a persistent, structured finish. The lamb's richness and the chimichurri's depth needed a wine with authority, and this delivered exactly that.
Seventh Course: Pineapple, Coconut, Wild Rice, Dark Chocolate, Thai Basil
The dessert arrived without a wine pairing, and that was probably wise. Pineapple and coconut with wild rice, dark chocolate, and Thai basil is a dessert that requires your full attention. The pineapple brought a bright, tangy sweetness, the coconut a tropical lightness, the wild rice a gentle chew and earthiness, the dark chocolate a grounding bitterness, and the Thai basil a wholly unexpected herbal lift at the finish. It had no business working as well as it did, and yet it was perfect.
This is Rodríguez at his most playful: drawing from multiple culinary traditions, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the chocolate cultures of the Americas, and finding a unified voice that is entirely his own.
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A Meal That Stayed With You
This dining experience witnessed an extraordinary collaboration between Chef Rodriguez and Executive Chef Gagandeep Bedi of Roseate Hotels & Resorts and his culinary team, and promised to be nothing short of magical. That promise was fully kept.
What Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal brought to the evening was equally impressive. The wine journey, from Italian Prosecco to French Sauvignon Blanc, through Argentine Chardonnay and Malbec, a Tuscan rosé, a Bordeaux red, and an Australian Shiraz Mataro, was a world tour in a glass that mirrored the cosmopolitan spirit of the food without ever feeling like a geography lesson.
India's fine dining scene is growing rapidly, and evenings like this one are proof. To have a chef of Rodríguez's calibre cooking in Delhi, at a venue as elegant as Roseate House, with wine curation at this level, is exactly the kind of experience the city deserves more of. Latin American cuisine remains woefully underrepresented on Indian menus, and if this dinner has done anything, it has made the case, loudly and deliciously, for why that needs to change. Here's hoping it's not the last time Chef Javier Rodríguez makes the trip.